Fewer Americans camp, saying they have no time

Camping is on the decline in the U.S. primarily because Americans say they don’t have time for the outdoors, according to a new report on camping trends in 2010 and 2011.

The report, sponsored by camping gear manufacturers and private campground operators, found that 40 million Americans went camping for a total of 515 million outings in 2010, a drop of about 10% from 2009.

The online survey of 38,000 individuals and household was taken in January and February 2011.

When asked about camping plans for 2011, those surveyed said they planned about 8% fewer camping trips, compared to 2010.

When asked why they planned fewer camping trips for 2011, 43% blamed lack of time because of work and school commitments and 33% said family commitments kept them from camping, according to the report by Kampgrounds of America Inc., the Coleman Co., manufacturers of camping products, and the Outdoor Foundation, the research arm of the trade group for the nation’s outdoor industry.

Only 4% said they planned to camp less because it is too expensive.

The most popular form of camping is tent camping in public parks, according to the survey. But previous reports have shown that an increasing number of Americans are visiting private campgrounds that offer such amenities as flush toilets, wireless Internet and heated pools.

Kampgrounds of America, the Montana company that operates private campgrounds, reported serving 13.5 million campers in 2010, a 4.8% increase over 2009.

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