Camping is becoming increasingly popular as a form of holiday. The number of overnight stays in tents, caravans and mobile homes in Germany has been rising steadily for 30 years – with the exception of 2020 and 2021, when COVID-19 generally restricted travel.[1] Campers value freedom and self-determination on holiday. That’s why the equipment and services at the campsite must be suitable and support independent planning. Here are our tips on how to upgrade digitally and stand out from the competition.
Campers like to be self-sufficient and make spontaneous decisions. Whether at home, on the road or on the pitch, they look online for quick answers when planning their holiday and book mainly via their smartphones, tablets and laptops. So campers have long been travelling digitally. Have you too?
Three top tips to help you fulfil the expectations of your camping guests:
1. Website with direct booking tool
The website is and remains the number one marketing tool. Alongside online booking portals, it is the most important source of information for travellers before they book. Therefore, always keep your website up to date and place attractive images. Inspire with emotional texts that contain your keywords – terms that people will use to find you in their online searches. Extra tip for lazy writers: AI tools support you with conceptualisation and copywriting. You can find out what you should look out for in this article.
Your website is also crucial in the booking phase: your own booking section increases direct bookings and reduces fees for external booking portals. The easier the booking process, the quicker guests will decide in favour of your campsite. Regularly check the functionality of your booking tool. Ensure secure payments and automate the sending of booking confirmations to make your day-to-day work easier.
2. Area-wide Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi has long been standard on campsites. Nobody wants to do without a smartphone and the internet on holiday. For mobile searches or streaming films, campers logically prefer WiFi hotspots to their own mobile network. Make sure you check your options with your internet provider and offer campers stable, comprehensive internet access.
3. Digital guest services
In addition to online bookings and fast Wi-Fi, digital support for your camping guests on site plays a decisive role. Guests want to have all information, offers and tips at their fingertips at all times. At the same time, there is great sales potential for you, as you can place offers and services directly with your guests. With Hotelcore, you can provide comprehensive, up-to-date support thanks to the Digital Guest Directory, camping newspaper, Info Channel and more.
Inform, communicate, sell – with the Digital Guest Directory for your campers
Campers are able to access your Digital Guest Directory as an app or via web from anywhere. After all, they always have their smartphone to hand. They can use a link in the booking confirmation to find out about the facilities and surroundings before they arrive and enter the important details for check-in in a digital form. This way, guests arrive fully prepared and can look forward to an uncomplicated check-in process.
Guests log into the Wi-Fi on site. If you store your Digital Guest Directory here as the start page, it will open automatically as soon as the connection is established. This provides guests with everything they need for their stay: they can easily find their way around the site thanks to a digital site map, find out about kiosk and restaurant opening times, waste disposal and site rules. Campers can explore the region thanks to the integrated travel guide, including routes and tours as well as nearby sights and weather forecasts. This makes planning leisure activities child’s play.
In your Digital Guest Directory, campers find everything they want to know:
- excursion tips with routes and tours in the region, places of interest, weather forecast, etc.
- the weekly programme
- overview of your services
- personal restaurant recommendations and shopping tips
- contact information and driving directions
- facilities on the campsite and in the mobile homes
- opening hours of the kiosk and the assortment
- digital map of the campsite
- information on waste disposal
- things to know about the sanitary facilities
Beyond that, additional services can be booked easily on the move:
- order bread rolls
- rent a pedal boat
- reserve an e-bike
- request childcare
- and much more
If you still have questions, guests can use the chat or a contact form. This ideally supports your personalised service.
As an interactive tool, the Digital Guest Directory is not a one-way street: inform your guests about news and offers via push messages. Actively ask for feedback on the cleanliness of the sanitary facilities and the offer on the pitch or link your Digital Guest Directory to relevant review portals.
Digital signage instead of notice boards: less work, more attention
Weather forecast, events, information: Keeping notices on the notice board up to date takes a lot of time. This is a thing of the past when you use the digital helpers from Hotelcore: With the comprehensive editorial system, you can publish all information about the campsite, events and the like in real time on multiple channels. With just a few clicks, you can not only keep the Digital Guest Directory up to date, but also use the content for the camping newspaper as a print version or e-paper as well as the Info Channel. This increases the visibility of your offer.
You should also use digital signage in high-traffic areas such as reception. Touchscreen kiosks, tablets and screens attract attention and keep guests informed around the clock.
Put the finishing touches on your campsite and rely on digital communication.
We will support you with this!
Images: ©Bostan Natalia – stock.adobe.com | ©E-Saishu – stock.adobe.com
Sources:
[1] Destatis – Statistisches Bundesamt, Press Release Nr. N019 on May 6, 2024, https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2024/05/PD24_N019_45412.html
This text has been translated automatically.
