Economy Not Scuttling RV Travel Plans

Economic belt-tightening is not going to stop RVers from traveling this summer. In fact, instead of scuttling travel plans, tourism experts predict the economy to spur an increase in RV travel over the coming months.  

“People are not going to stop going on vacation; they’re just going to try to make it less expensive and closer to home,” Tori Knudson of RV Life magazine told reporter Andrew Kirk of the Park City, Utah Park Record at the annual Utah Tourism Conference earlier this month.

Knudson was one of several tourism experts at the conference who expressed optimism that the poor economy would cause Americans to refocus their summer vacation plans rather than cancel them. This year, travel experts expect vacationers to spend more time exploring their own and nearby states and less time traveling across country. They also anticipate an increase in new and used online RV sales as more people, particularly families on a budget, discover the convenience and economy of RV travel.

The poor economy is actually encouraging people to vacation as a way to relieve the stress of the past few months, experts say. People need a mental break from the economic turmoil sweeping the country. Speaking at the Utah conference, marketing psychology expert Ken Foster noted that, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, two-thirds of Americans are optimistic about their family’s financial situation, while only half expressed optimism about the national economy. Americans may feel helpless about the big picture over which they have no control, Foster explained; but, because they have a plan to address their own financial issues, they feel more confident about their personal finances.

This personal consumer confidence is encouraging people to be optimistic about their own ability to weather the economic storm successfully and that’s translating into more RV travel plans this summer.