Page 15 - Northeast In-Sites - The Newsletter of the Northeast Campground Association, Inc. - Number 131, May 2022

AROUND THE STATES

Connecticut Campground Owners Association
P.O. Box 1286
Waterbury, CT 06721-1286
203-525-5644
Brian Korten, Board Chair
Jim Whitney, Executive Director
jwhitney@campconn.com

NCA Board Update – Spring 2022

As we move into 2022, we find that business is strong after a very successful 2021 season for most of our
members.

Membership - Our membership increased from 47 in 2021 to 48 in 2022. Virtually every private campground in
Connecticut is a member. There are two possible new members that we are hoping will see the value of joining
CCOA. There is also a new 300 site campground being planned by Foxwoods Casino and a new campground being
planned in Torrington CT. In addition, several of our campgrounds are in the process of adding sites….positive
news all around.

Marketing - After several printing and shipping delays, our 2022 campground guide was available for the
Springfield RV and Camping show. Due to the delays, we created a special membership flyer for use at the Tampa
and Hartford shows. We are also reviewing and considering some different marketing options going forward. In
addition to distributing material in Tampa, we participated three RV and Camping shows…Hartford (2 weekends),
Springfield, and Mohegan Sun.

Research - We continue to conduct a robust research program. We have two active and ongoing surveys…the
Economic Impact of Connecticut Campgrounds and the Impact of Covid on Connecticut Campgrounds. Both were
updated for the 2021 season. These efforts are particularly critical for our legislative efforts and to show how
significant our industry is in the state of Connecticut. Highlight results for the 2021 season show that:

• Over 91% (91.98) reported increased revenue when compared to 2020.
• Over 35% (24.72) reported more seasonal renewals than last year at the same time and almost 60%
(57.84) reported seasonal renewals equal to last year at the same time.
• As of the first week in March over 86% of our campgrounds have no available seasonal sites…with many
having long waiting lists.
• Staffing continues to be significant issue for many of our campgrounds.

Legislative - We have a very aggressive legislative agenda planned for the 2022 Connecticut legislative session. It
is a short session, non-budget year, which poses a unique set of circumstances and challenges. Legislators are
unable to raise individual bills of their own during a short session. All bills must be presented and raised by
committee and then submitted to House and/or Senate for further review and possible action.

• Inherent risk and Campground Immunity. We put significant effort and laid the groundwork for this item
during the last session. We have written five different sets of language in hopes of finding support for
our proposals. We continue to work closely with ARVC on this issue
• Revision of regulations regarding use of “blue boy” tanks (allowed in state run campgrounds but not
allowed in private campgrounds.) We have succeeded in getting a committee bill raised to allow the use
of Blue Boy tanks in private campgrounds. It received a unanimous joint favorable report out of
committee. It is now going through the final stages of approval by the House and the Senate. We are
very optimistic it will ultimately be passed into law.
• Other Issues - We continue to work on enhanced and more definitive guest removal laws and clarification
of trailer abandonment regulations.
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The campground industry in Connecticut is a significant economic contributor with almost a quarter of a billion dollars ($210,700,000) of
expenditures annually. Eighty-six dollars ($86) per person/per day or $344 per family of four per day is spent in the community. Almost
1,000 direct jobs with $36.1 million in annual direct wages are a result of these small businesses.
(Sources: RV Industry Association, Connecticut Campground Owners Association, Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis,
Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Association of RV Parks and Camping - ARVC)

Northeast In-Sites ~ May 2022 ~ CampNCA.org 15