Newfoundland and Labrador Product Development Strategy

- 48 -campsite. The rate for sites with electrical and water service at provincial campgrounds is$18 with sites with no services on the site priced at $11. At the National Parks, sites withelectricity are $26; unserviced sites but with access to washroom buildings are $21.o Some campgrounds charged a flat rental fee; others charged extra for services such asshower, or laundryBusiness Mix, Trends and Demando Almost 100% of the business at the campgrounds interviewed was reported to be transientbusiness,o About 90% of the business was recreational vehicles or some type of travel trailer, 10%was tenting (this is not unexpected – tenters tend to use provincial and national parks)o There appear to be many more large rig recreational vehicles in the provinceo Several areas reported an increase in the number of “caravans” – traveling in groups of 20– 24 rigs, spending 10 – 14 days in the province with a number of 2 – 3 night stops. Somecampgrounds reported 10 or more of these groups this year; one has more than 20 groupsreserved for next years. Areas reporting caravans include: Codroy Valley, St. Anthony,Rocky Harbour/Deer Lake area, Grand Falls-Windsor, Botwood, Eastporto An increase in off-Island business was reported generally, although 2003 saw fewer USvisitors and many more from Ontario and BC; some areas reported more Quebec traffico Several reported less local (provincial) traffico Several campgrounds reported getting longer stays – 2 – 3 nights, with their campgroundbeing used as a base for day tripping.Visitor Originso About 10% of the demand at private campgrounds is reported to be from Newfoundlandand Labrador residents; except in the Avalon most of the demand is from the provincialresident market.o Maritimes – about 15%o Ontario about 60% in peak season; Other Canada about 10% - particularly BC andQuebec and particularly in fallDemando Weekends were generally full in July and August, thanks to extra business from theresident marketo Some areas were also quite full in the peak season (late July to early August) including inthe Gros Morne, Port aux Choix, Eastport, Twillingate, and Grand Falls-Windsor areaso Spring is very slowo Fall was up considerably in 2003 (but with many campgrounds closed, the recreationalvehicles that were traveling appeared to have challenges finding places to stay)Challengeso The short season is a major challenge impacting the viability of the campground businesso Low prices generally across the province are a major constraint to improving viabilityo Responding to the increasing demand from recreational vehicle markets for enhancedserviceso Operating expenses are increasingTHE ECONOMIC PLANNING GROUP of Canada Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism Product DevelopmentD. W. Knight Associates Strategy and Accommodation Needs Study