More travelers are expected to hit the road for camping trips as restrictions are eased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)

After months confined in their homes, many people who would normally hop on an airplane or crowd into popular tourist destinations are instead rediscovering the joys of camping, with help from technology.

As COVID-19 restrictions ease in many states, companies whose platforms connect people to the outdoors are reporting a major spike in the desire to camp — or glamp — closer to home.

“Camping is going to see a huge jump in popularity this year, with 2021 and beyond being even bigger,” said Kevin Long, CEO of the Portland startup The Dyrt, which has the top-ranked app for camping in the Apple Store and Google Play.

“This virus was not just a temporary speed bump, it’s been a giant pause button that forced Americans to reset their priorities,” he added.

Investors are noticing the trend. “I have two predictions about the travel market,” tweeted Silicon Valley venture capitalist Bill Gurley. “Airbnb will rebound much quicker than traditional lodging, and camping will explode as an alternative to both.” Gurley said the shift will be “hugely beneficial” for Hipcamp, another camping app.

Founded in 2013, The Dyrt is like “Yelp for camping,” with 44,000 public and private campgrounds listed on the platform and more than 500,000 user-submitted campground reviews and tips. The startup has raised $7 million to date and has 30 employees.

(The Dyrt Image)

As with plenty of other sectors, camping enthusiasts seek technology that will improve their experiences. Giving them advanced search and planning tools plus member-exclusive discounts is part of that equation.

Sales of the The Dyrt’s new $29.99/year PRO app have spiked over the last month. The startup is seeing the fastest revenue growth in its seven-year history.

“I keep thinking it will level off but it keeps going up and up,” Long said. “We are now tracking toward a new user buying our PRO app every six minutes during waking hours.”

Its web traffic is also up by nearly 400,000 monthly visitors year-over-year.

“The season might have started slow as campers acted responsibly with the stay-at-home orders,” said The Dyrt co-founder Sarah Smith. “But from what we are seeing, we expect a strong recovery as campers are given a green light to get out and enjoy nature again.”

An analysis earlier this spring by Oxford Economics for the U.S. Travel Association forecast a $400 billion decline in travel spending in the U.S. in 2020 because of COVID-19, translating into a total economic loss of $910 billion in economic output — more than seven times the impact of 9/11 on travel sector revenue, the report noted.

Vox reported that “the era of peak travel is over” and the way we travel will “undergo a dramatic transformation.” The New York Times said that “by every measure, the coronavirus pandemic has decimated the travel industry.”

Both pointed to road trips as the first expected boom, with the Times referencing a survey in which more than half of American travelers say they plan to avoid crowded destinations when they resume traveling.

With a desire to avoid large groups plus the ability to better control the cleanliness of an environment in which they stay, campers are seeking more open spaces in their excursions.

Catering to campers already looking to avoid the crowds at state parks or local campgrounds and RV parks, companies such as Hipcamp and Tentrr work with landowners who create campgrounds on private property.

A Tentrr set-up in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, features 10 acres of space and on-site amenities. (Tentrr Photo)

New York City-based Tentrr operates in 48 states and offers off-grid glamping accommodations in a variety of settings where the user is promised 10 acres to themselves. “Camping 1.0 is dead,” they say, and a new generation of campers is attracted to rolling into a fully equipped outdoor experience where they barely need to pack a thing.

The 5-year-old startup, which calls its secluded sites perfect for social distancing, is seeing massive growth and is hiring additional customer service staff to handle the load. Tentrr CEO Anand Subramanian said reservations have grown over 900 percent in May compared to the first part of the year.

“People view Tentrr as a safe alternative to going on a cruise or being crammed in a plane with other passengers,” Subramanian said. “I think 2020 is going to open the floodgates for the outdoor industry.”

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