Almost 40 million Americans went camping in 2010 but that was down from the previous year’s 44 million, which indicates a decline in the practice.
"A decrease of 4 million people… seems like more than just a slight drop. The figures represent decreases of roughly 10 percent, which is pretty darn substantial," says Budget Travel.
What’s more, survey data in an Outdoor Foundation report indicates that campgrounds shouldn’t expect much of rebound in popularity going forward:
Despite that, however, a 2011 report from the Outdoor Foundation notes that "camping continues to shine as an American tradition."
And why are fewer Americans camping?
A Los Angeles Times survey cited the most common reasons: a lack of time and work and family commitments.
"One might expect camping to have increased in popularity while the economy has struggled over the past few years. Few vacations are as affordable as camping, after all," says Budget Travel.
Instead, what seems to have been happening is that American workers are taking fewer, shorter vacations.
Camping is perhaps best enjoyed during long and leisurely periods of time but the precarious nature of the recent jobs market has discouraged that luxury and may be a major detriment to the once-common activity.
By David Wilkening
