Your past experiences with the types of campers who stay long-term may not continue. Today, there is a new trend in long-term camping — digital nomads.

Digital nomads travel and work from wherever they hang their hats. Let’s take a deeper look at the trend and how you can use RV park management software to tap into the digital nomad hospitality market.

The Rise of Digital Nomad Life

As the internet became widely available and connecting digitally became easier, remote work life sprouted. Working from home offers benefits to the worker & business, with increased productivity, performance, engagement, retention, and profitability. 

As remote work opportunities spread, so did the number of digital nomads hitting the roads. Growth in the trend continued moderately until the beginning of the pandemic. In 2020 alone, the number of digital nomads in the U.S. exploded by 50% and increased to 15.5 million in 2021.

Unlike traditional campers, digital nomad trends include off-season travel with longer-term stays from weeks to up to six months. In fact, some digital nomads stay long enough that they might be seen more as “temporary locals” than drive-thru visitors. 

The average annual income of digital nomads is over $112,000. When you combine a higher disposable income with the fact that they will be on-site for much longer periods of time, providing tailored amenities and activities at your RV park will both attract these visitors to your property and entice them to stay even longer. 

Digital Nomad Trends To Adopt for RV Parks

Consistent WiFi Access

Since they are dependent on the internet for their jobs, many digital nomads have access to satellite internet service for reliable speeds. However, these working campers still expect and need you to offer consistent WiFi access and have upgrade packages available for higher-speed internet.

Guest Amenities

Although your RV park may offer a variety of standard amenities, there are a few more to consider regarding digital nomads. 

One of the key reasons digital nomads travel is to seek out new places. When not working, they are looking for a change of scenery and new experiences to explore. Offering unique activities at your RV park will encourage longer stays. For example, explore adding an ax-throwing area with an expert to teach the sport or offer weekend archery or crossbow lessons and events.

With an average age of 32, those in the nomadic lifestyle will have similar likes and dislikes as other RV campers, but you may need to make improvements and additions to meet the needs of these temporary locals.

Here are some amenities you may already have that may need updates or improvements:

• Pet-friendly sites and dog parks
• Play spaces for children of all ages
• Camp store with a wide range of items

Here are a few additions you may want to consider:

• Dedicated extended stay section
• Coworking space
• Separate covered area for nomads with home-schooled children

How RV Park Management Software Can Help Attract Digital Nomads

Integrated Loyalty Program

Campers who make long-term stays and repeat visits want to see special benefits for being loyal, and this is equally important for digital nomads.

Managing rewards and loyalty programs can be time-consuming, but RV park management software with an integrated loyalty program lets you create a custom points-based loyalty program. These types of programs can attract new campers, encourage campers to return, and increase overall camper spending. 

If your solution lets you, you can customize program settings for both point earnings and redemption. 

In addition to setting parameters for points per stay days, you can create additional thresholds specifically designed for digital nomads, such as a points premium for each stay of 30 or 60 continuous days. Points can also be earned for purchases made in your RV park store, equipment rentals, RV park activity sign-ups, and special events registration.

Guest Portal and Personalized Messaging

Rewards and loyalty programs work particularly well when integrated with a guest portal that offers personalized camper messaging. Reservation software for RV parks is beginning to include a guest portal, but the best solutions will all offer personalized messaging through the portal. 

You can deliver messages about joining the loyalty program, suggest ways to earn more points,how many points have been accrued, upcoming activity reminders, details about their stay, and so much more.

Improved Communication and Support via Online Chat and SMS Texting

If available, RV park reservation software may also include SMS text messaging and chatbot support. With personalized communications delivered consistently, your campers will have all the most essential information, the latest news, 24/7 support, and ultimately, an exceptional work-cation.

Use the Right RV Park Management Software To Create Loyal Digital Nomads

Digital tech is key for digital nomads, but what are the trends both in technology and in other areas you should expect to see now and into the future? 

Download our State of the Industry Report for 2023.  Key findings from the report include the preferences of Millennial and Gen Z campers regarding:

• Camping frequency
• Type of camping
• Research, planning, and booking approaches
• Technology sentiment

Download your copy today.