As the pandemic continues, more Canadians than ever are considering RVing this summer.
May 27, 2020
TORONTO – A national survey of 2,000 Canadian adults conducted for RVezy.com finds that more Canadians are considering going RVing this summer as concerns about COVID-19 change the kind of vacation people are looking for.
ALMOST HALF OF CANADIANS ARE PLANNING TO TAKE OR ARE THINKING ABOUT TAKING A SUMMER VACATION THIS YEAR.
Despite the pandemic, almost half of Canadians are planning to or are still open to taking a summer vacation this year. 17% of Canadians are planning to take a summer vacation this year, while another 27% say they are still thinking about it. The remaining 56% say they are not planning to take a summer vacation.
Canadians under 44 are more likely to be planning or thinking about taking a summer vacation (49%) than older Canadians (40%). Those in BC (52%) and Alberta (54%) are more likely to be planning or thinking about taking a summer vacation than those in Ontario (43%) or Quebec (36%).
When asked why they are not planning a summer vacation this year:
• 62% cite not wanting to venture too far from home because of the pandemic as a major reason.
• 55% cite not being able to take the kind of vacation they like, so they are waiting until they can again.
• 32% cite not being able to afford a summer vacation this year.
CAMPING IN A RV, TRAILER, OR TENT IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE LEAST RISKY ACTIVITIES TO DO THIS SUMMER.
The survey asked respondents to assess how risky or not different types of activities, attractions, and accommodations are as a summer vacation this year, given the pandemic.
Here is what the survey found:
• 81% felt flying on an airplane for summer vacation is somewhat risky or too risky (56% thought it is too risky).
• 80% felt going to a music festival or outdoor concert is risky, including 55% who thought it is too risky.
• 76% felt going to an amusement park or waterpark is risky, including 49% who thought it is too risky.
• 68% felt staying at a resort as part of a summer vacation is risky, including 36% who thought it is too risky.
• 61% felt staying in a hotel or motel as part of a summer vacation is risky, including 29% who thought it is too risky.
In contrast, far fewer felt going camping in a tent or RV/trailer was risky (35%), while 65% described it as not or only a little risky.
Similarly, risk perception of renting an RV, motorhome, or trailer was much lower as well.
Among those we classify as “RV Curious” Canadians (those who are now more inclined to consider RVing for their vacation), 63% felt there was little to no risk involved in renting an RV, motorhome, or trailer. This group was much more likely to consider staying at a hotel or motel, staying at resort, or flying on a plane as too risky this summer.
GIVEN ALL THIS, MORE CANADIANS THAN EVER ARE CONSIDERING GOING RVING THIS SUMMER.
Many Canadians already enjoy RVing. 10% say they were an “RVer” before the pandemic and still are representing about 3 million Canadians. In our survey, 8% or 2.4 million Canadian adults report owning an RV.
RVers are typically older and more likely to live in rural parts of Canada. They are also more highly concentrated in Western Canada (53% live west of Ontario).
But as fears about COVID-19 linger, the number of “RV Curious” Canadians has grown substantially
• 1 in 3 Canadians (9.9 million) say they “never before thought RVing was right for them, but are now open to it.”
• Another 1 in 5 (5.1 million) say they had considered RVing before and are even more open to it now.
These new RV curious Canadians are younger, more urban, and more likely to live in Ontario than those already engaged in RVing.
CANADIANS BELIEVE RVING IS SAFE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY, AND ALLOWS THEM TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT PARTS OF CANADA.
When asked whether several statements describe RVing as part of a summer vacation well or not:
• 85% believe RVing is family-friendly.
• 82% believe RVing allows them to get away and explore different parts of the country.
• 80% believe RVing allows them to get away and find peace and quiet.
• 77% believe RVing is convenient.
• 61% believe RVing is affordable.
And most important, given the need to distance themselves from others, 78% believe RVing “allows me to distance from other people safely”.
RENTING AN RV MAY BE NEW TO MANY, BUT RVEZY.COM’S SERVICE OFFERING MAKES MANY MORE INCLINED TO RENT AN RV THIS SUMMER.
RVezy is the largest and safest RV rental marketplace in Canada. As part of the survey, we showed respondents several features and services offered by the company to help make renting an RV easier.
When RV Curious Canadians are told about several of these features:
• 83% say they are more likely to rent an RV this summer if they could choose different types of RVs in terms of size, sleeping arrangement, and whether it is a trailer or motorhome.
• 82% say they are more likely to rent an RV this summer if renting an RV through a platform like RVezy will save them up to 40% of the cost of renting through a fleet.
• 81% say they are more likely to rent an RV this summer if the RV could be delivered and set up at the destination, so people don’t have to hitch the trailer to a vehicle.
• 81% say they are more likely to rent an RV this summer if they can see reviews from people who rented the RV before.
• 74% say they are more likely to rent an RV this summer if it comes fully stocked with bedding, games, and camping equipment, so they don’t have to bring any of that with them.
UPSHOT
Summer 2020 may well become the summer of the RV.
As concerns about COVID-19 continue to linger and Canadians look for summer vacation plans that allow them to distance themselves safely while still enabling them to get away, renting an RV is now an option to many who would have never considered it before.
RVezy.com offers RV Curious Canadians precisely what they are looking for: a convenient, safe, and affordable platform to find the perfect RV to take around Canada this summer.
METHODOLOGY
Our survey was conducted online with 2,000 Canadians aged 18 and over from May 19 to 23, 2020. A random sample of panellists was invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.
The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.1%, 19 times out of 20. The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
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