Top RV News: OCT 30, 2024
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Hipcamp Acquires BookOutdoors, Seeing Significant Growth
Today (Oct. 30),?Hipcamp , an app to discover and book campsites, announced the acquisition of?BookOutdoors , an online travel booking platform for campgrounds, RV parks, cabins and glamping resorts. The acquisition is a move to meet the growing demand from campers who are searching for well-equipped places to camp, according to a press release.
According to the OHI Generational Camping Report, 65% of Millennials and Gen Z prefer to choose campsites with strong amenities. The 2024 KOA Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report states that over the past 10 years, active campers have increased by 68%, adding an additional 21.6 million households that are searching for places to stay.
Hipcamp has seen this demand manifest directly on its booking platform. In the summer of 2024, Hipcamp saw more than a 200% increase in searches for new places to camp and an 87% increase in searches for campgrounds offering amenities. Additionally, searches for Wi-Fi-equipped campgrounds are up 110% year over year.
In the past year, Hipcampers have booked more than 3.3 million individual nights outside. In an effort to keep up with demand, especially for amenity-rich campgrounds on Hipcamp, this acquisition will help campers find what they’re looking for as well as increase revenue for campgrounds. The next generation of campers is active on Hipcamp, with 75% of users under the age of 55 who are seeking new life experiences with modern convenience, noted the release.
Introducing Gianna Dinnini, RVIA’s New Legislative Associate
"The?RV Industry Association’s (RVIA) Government Affairs staff are the industry experts for our members, state legislators, regulators, and RV industry stakeholders. Their federal and state affairs teams champion the RV industry on Capitol Hill and closely follow?relevant legislation and policies. To assist with these advocacy efforts, the Government Affairs department recently onboarded a new Legislative Associate, Gianna Dinnini.?
Originally from New Jersey, Gianna graduated from Loyola University Maryland with her bachelor’s degree in political science in 2023. While a student at Loyola, Gianna served as a Constituent Services Intern for Representative Donald Norcross (NJ-01). During this time, she took notes for the team, helped with casework, and communicated with federal agencies, among other tasks.?“I really enjoyed the work I was doing and wanted to do more,” Gianna recalls. With that goal in mind, she became the Legislative Intern for Representative Norcross, commuting from Baltimore to DC, where she assisted legislative staff members, wrote memos, researched upcoming legislation, and more.?
Eventually, Gianna became the Legal Intern for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. During her time in this position, Gianna read and analyzed upcoming cases within the felony division, listened to witness statements, and attended trials. Additionally, she assisted the lead defense attorney and interviewed incarcerated clients in preparation for their upcoming trials."
Allen Blair to Lead Polser USA’s Quality & Technical Support
ELKHART, Ind. – Polser USA has hired industry veteran Allen Blair as its Quality Assurance and Technical Support Specialist, according to a release from one of the world’s largest manufacturers of fiberglass reinforced plastics (FRP) and composite materials.
Blair has over 30 years of experience in fiberglass production and process control and has worked for such companies as Bandit Boats, Yamaha Boats and most recently with Vetrorecina Fiberglass Panels out of South Carolina where he travelled the country in charge of Quality & Warranty for North America. Blair retired early in 2017. He and his wife, Dorothy, have spent these last few years traveling the country in their fifth-wheel travel trailer.
“Allen is not only coming out of retirement, but he is coming out of retirement as a full time RVer. He not only knows the RV FRP fiberglass side wall business very well, but he knows the RV products extremely well, too,” said Polser USA President Greg Glanders. “Allen brings many years of experience and understanding of FRP Fiberglass production and can readily identify production related challenges. He does an excellent job of interacting and educating our customers. ?We are extremely excited to have him on board.”
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