April 2013 Volume 36, Issue 2
News and Highlights 2013 CONY Zone Meetings Outtakes Inside this issue: Chairman’s Report
2
President and CEO’s 2 Report More Zone Meeting Wrap Up
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Tourism Action Day Report
7
Scholarship Report
14
2013 Occupancy Surveys
THANK YOU meeting attendees and vendors! We were pleased to welcome representatives from 82 campgrounds (72 CONY member parks and 10 prospective members), as well as 25 vendors over the course of the four days of Zone Meetings in Glens Falls, Kingston, Liverpool and Batavia, NY. We covered a lot of information at each meeting, and here are just a few highlights (more details inside): NYCabinrentals.com Program
NEW Time Warner Cable Program
NEW Guest Program
Invasive Species Quarantine
Using CampCONY.com
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More CONY News: campcony.com Consumer Website: nycampgrounds.com Our Mission: Campground Owners of New York (CONY) is an association dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State.
Scenes from the 2013 CONY Zone Meetings.
Reviews/Guest and
Rated
Firewood
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Swimming Pool Requirements and Legislative Advocacy Marketing and Advertising 2013 Camp Good Days fundraising (Zone Meetings continued on page 4)
Member binders and dues notices on the way Member binders were handed out at the Zone Meetings to attendees who registered prior to deadline. Late registrants and all other current CONY campground members will receive their binders in the mail. You’ll find many helpful documents, including details about your membership benefits and forms for program participation.
PLEASE READ YOUR BINDERS! Your 2013-2014 membership dues invoice is in the front pocket; we urge you to submit your dues payment as soon as possible to take advantage of the 5% discount if paid by August 1, 2013!
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Volume 36, Issue 2
Chairman’s Report
Mike Papp, West
Greetings fellow campground owners:
after the successful season.
Well, winter is slowly and stubbornly passing and spring is making the attempt to break free. There has been warmer weather melting the snow, but winter is stubborn and trying to hang on. The maple trees are full of buckets hanging and collecting what I like to call New York Nectar! I can’t wait for the maple syrup vendors to stop by with samples from this year’s lot for my French toast and pancakes!
During Zone Meetings each of you will receive a copy of your CONY Membership Binder. I wonder how many of you take the time to read through these and ponder all the great opportunities included in the binder. Yeah, sure it includes your annual dues invoice and this needs to be paid as it is our primary source of income and provides funding for many of the actions we take on your behalf. But there are many additional items included: The 2013 CONY Directory (our 50th Anniversary Addition), numerous marketing opportunities including website button adds on the NYCampgrounds.com website, button ads for the CONY app that has had 1000’s of downloads, Brochure Distribution Program that gets your brochure out to each person that requests a CONY Directory from the Office, it’s not TOO early to join the show program for 2013-14. Having attended several shows at a cost of $1200 to $1600 per show, this is a great way to get exposure for a mere $400 or $40 per show. This is a savings of $1000’s of dollars and puts you in markets that you might not have considered – Cleveland OH, Springfield MA, Toronto CA and even Quebec.
As I write this, the Zone Meetings are upon us and I look forward to seeing many of you at the meetings. I enjoy the opportunity to talk to you and be able to share the many things going on in CONY. It is a good opportunity to meet with our vendors and make the purchases that you will need for the upcoming season. Many of them take the entire week and travel with us from show to show—a very tiring process, but hopefully rewarding for them. This is our 50th Anniversary and the Annual Conference should be a big event so be sure to save the dates October 31 – November 3. There are many great events that will be announced over the coming months. For those of you who did not get the opportunity to experience Hunter Mountain it is a wonderful venue. The scenery is spectacular and the spa is wonderful. Enjoy the outdoor pool that is heated and open year round!! Come in a few days early and pamper yourself
I hope that you are all experiencing strong reservations for the upcoming season. I look forward to seeing you at Zones at Conference and wish each of you a successful season filled with happy campers and warm, sunny weather. Regards, Mike Papp
From the Desk of the President and CEO Greetings,
Donald G. Bennett, Jr.
As the 2013 camping season is fast approaching I am hoping for a great season ahead of all of us. Many zone meeting attendees have stated that seasonal demand continues to intensify. Many attendees have also reported that reservations for transient customers seem strong compared to other years.
To summarize the zone meetings : They were very well attended by campground owners and their staff members. The agenda for the meetings was full of updates on initiatives that the CONY board and staff have been working on as well as legislation that affects our businesses. I want to thank the exhibitors for making the trip across New York State to be able to meet with you and explain what prod-
ucts and services that their company offers to help make your campground business an even bigger success. We had several new exhibitors this year with products and services we haven’t seen before. I also want to thank Steve Postle and Mike Arbore representatives from Time Warner Business Class services for traveling the state with us. Currently CONY and Time Warner are trying to put together a CONY member benefit program and for those that provided the valuable feedback to them at the zone meetings I want to thank you. I would like to thank our zone meeting traveling team: CONY Chairman Mike Papp, CONY Conference Chair Rosemary Curtis and Suzanne Bixby, CONY’s Marketing and Communications Director. The days can be a little long setting up for each meeting, making presentations at each meeting, packing up and moving to the next location over and over. In all the meetings were very well received and several hundred cases (Continued on page 3)
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From the Desk of the President and CEO (Continued from page 2)
of our 2013 CONY directory were distributed. The meetings provide an unofficial “kick-off” to the upcoming camping season as well as provide a forum to see old friends and colleagues before the start to a busy season. At the zone meetings Rosemary Curtis, our Conference Chairperson, provided an overview of the upcoming Conference to be held this fall at the beautiful Hunter Mountain Ski Area and the Kaatskill Mountain Club. Much work and planning has already gone into this very special 50th edition conference. I hope that you will mark your calendars for October 31st to November 3rd and make sure that you are in attendance I think that you will be glad that you did. If you were unable to attend the zone meetings your 20132014 membership binders should be finding your mailboxes very soon. I am pleased to announce that the CONY board of directors has voted to hold your membership dues with no increase from last year. We have worked very hard to cut some of our fixed and variable expenses in order to achieve
this. Much thought and effort go into putting these binders together so that you know all that your association has to offer. I would urge you to review the materials and if you have any questions please let us know. The programs and services that CONY offers are developed by campground owners for campground owners to help make your businesses more profitable and successful. Over and over I hear from members that “I didn’t know that CONY offered that” or “did that.” You owe it to yourself and your business to take advantage of the programs that can assist you. I also want to mention a brand new program that I am excited about, NYCabinRentals.com. This is a new website and marketing program for onsite rentals. If you have onsite rentals and hope to achieve higher occupancy you might want to look into this new program. A new website will be developed at the address www.nycabinrentals.com that will showcase those campgrounds that participate and also offer rental accommodations whether they be cabins, onsite RV’s, Park Models, Yurts, Teepees and more. We hope to supplement this web(Continued on page 15)
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Zone Meetings (Continued from page 1)
NEW: NYcabinrentals.com Program CONY unveils a low-cost promotional program targeting visibility for your cabins, cottages and rental units Zone Meeting attendees were the first to learn about and sign up for CONY's new marketing program: NYcabinrentals.com. Recognizing that cabins, cottages and rental units can be a significant source of revenue for owners, and taking a cue from other state campground associations that have already developed marketing pieces specifically promoting those offerings, CONY will use this tool to enhance the association's overall promotion of member campgrounds and RV parks to consumers. The NYcabinrentals.com website (not yet active) is the lynchpin in this marketing program, with rental listings from participating providers. The site developer will maintain the website to ensure high usability and search engine friendliness. The website will be enhanced for ease in delivery to computers, tablets and mobile devices alike. Integrate your listing on NYcabinrentals.com with your online reservations system (if available) to "seal the deal" with customers. The website will be supported by some advertising, and a brochure promoting the website and participants. The brochure will be distributed at RV shows, through brochure distribution services, at information centers, and with direct mail. Owners will find simple admin functions to manage their rental listings. Website visitors will find it easy to navigate and to find your cabins, cottages and rental units. Annual cost to participate in this marketing program is only $250.00. CONY is seeking a minimum of 20 parks to kick off the program this fall to begin marketing the 2014 camping season. We're almost at our goal! The brochure is included in your member binder—read more details and submit your registration as soon as possible, or contact the CONY office for more details. NEW: Disaster Relief Program and Emergency Plans CONY Chairman Mike Papp and Region 3 Directory Rosemary Curtis updated attendees about the ongoing efforts for fundraising, planning and policy making for CONY's Disaster Relief Program. Last fall the Board of Directors approved a Disaster Relief Program, and fundraising started with a Duck Race at the 2012 CONY Exposition in Lake George. More funds were raised at the lunch-time auctions during the 2013 Zone Meetings.
Right now, CONY is developing an inventory of resources that can be utilized if called upon for a disaster or emergency. Many CONY members and vendors at the Zone Meetings completed and submitted disaster resource relief questionnaires and we're asking you to do the same if willing and able. The information gathered will assist CONY develop the framework for the program. Attendees also received sample copies of Emergency Plans, intended to be a guide to assist CONY members in developing their own emergency plans for their parks. CONY President and CEO Don Bennett, Jr. related a true story of how a campground (in another state), upon releasing thousands of gallons of fuel into a lake, grabbed and followed its emergency plan, and paid only $10,000 in fines versus a potential $500,000 in fines had they not followed the spill procedure outlined in their plan. CONY has made it simple for members to make their own customized emergency plans. Log onto campcony.com (contact the office if you need login assistance), download the Word Document version of the sample Emergency Plan from the "CAMPGROUND RESOURCES" page, in the Library: Free Reference Materials section, and type in your specific information and save the information for use at your parks.
NEW: Time Warner Cable Program CONY is working with Time Warner Cable on a program offering a cable TV and internet package for CONY parks. This partnership leverages they buying power of CONY's membership to make having cable and internet access affordable as opposed to trying to go it alone. Once the program is established, CONY will act as the master account on behalf of all participating members, with a goal of establishing an aggressive rate for service or assist parks with getting service not accessible before. At the Zone Meeting, Time Warner Cable reps Steve Postle and Mike Abore briefed attendees on what their company is doing to determine the infrastructure needs and barriers for all CONY parks. This includes talking directly to park owners and in some cases visiting the campgrounds as needed. If you currently use a Satellite provider or do not have television and are interested in cable television at your campground contact either: (Zone Meetings continued on page 5)
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Zone Meetings (Continued from page 4)
Mike Abore Steve Postle Voice (585) 340-8161 Voice (585) 340-8131 Michael.arbore@twcable.com Stephen.postle@twcable.com
DEC’s “Don’t Move the Firewood” Information: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/28722.html DEC’s DRAFT Map of EAB Quarantine for 2013: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/89022.html
If you are a current Time Warner Cable bulk subscriber—there is nothing you need to do at this time. Contacting Mike or Steve will not commit you—they simply want to understand your park and explain how Time Warner Cable would provide service.
NEW: Guest Reviews / Guest Rated Program CONY Chairman Mike Papp announced and explained a new member benefit program - Guest Reviews/Guest Rated. Working with Bob McKinnon, operator of Guest Reviews/ Guest Rated, CONY will place Guest Rated icons on the CONY website, hooked into each member park. Icons will appear for each listing, but no grades from guest reviews will appear on a park's listing unless that park is an active enrollee in the Guest Reviews/Guest Rated program. More info about enrolling in the ratings program will be forthcoming. Invasive Species and Firewood Quarantine The NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) website sums up this topic: A regulation is in effect that prohibits the import of firewood into New York unless it has been heat treated to kill pests. The regulation also limits the transportation of untreated firewood to less than 50 miles from its source. Quarantines exist which further restrict firewood transportation. The Emerald Ash Borer quarantine areas have changed since last year, so you should review the map on the DEC’s website to familiarize yourself and your campers about the new quarantine areas and what they mean. While the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a threat to NY's ash trees, of greater concern on the horizon is the spread of the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB). If left unchecked the spread of ALB could have devastating affects on the state's elm, willow, poplar and maple trees.
Using CampCONY.com CONY President and CEO Don Bennett, Jr. provided a detailed overview and instructions for how to navigate and get the most from CONY's corporate website at www.campcony.com, the association's online resource for information including a description of CONY services, as well as forms, news, events and associate members providing industry services. The members-only section provides access to internal communications and other vital industry resources. Staff on hand provided current campcony.com users with reminders on their login and password information, or set up accounts for members not yet subscribed to the "members only" pages. As an exercise to help members learn first-hand how to use the online member forums (the online message board), CONY set up an online auction for a certificate provided by Good Sam Enterprises, which was promoted before and during the Zone Meetings. The certificate, valued at $5,390.00, entitled the holder to a 1/8th page print ad in the 2014 Good Same RV Travel Guide & Camping Directory, plus a 2014 Deluxe Web Bundle. Several current and new Forums users bid on the certificate over the course of the Zone Meetings, with Bill and Anita Perry of Chautauqua Lake KOA submitting the winning bid prior to close. If you're a CONY member and you haven't created a log-in and password account for the member section, or if you've forgot(Zone Meetings continued on page 6)
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CONY Extra
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Zone Meetings (Continued from page 5)
ten your log-in info, contact Traci at the CONY office at 585586-4360, or info@nycampgrounds.com. (CampCONY.com is the corporate website, and www.nycampgrounds.com is the consumer website which details information about your park. Let the CONY office know if you also need a reminder about your admin login for nycampgrounds.com for updating details on your parks sites, amenities and services). Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Swimming Pool Requirements and Legislative Advocacy ADA: Attendees received copies of the ADA publication "Americans with Disabilities Act and Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guidelines," Dated July 23, 2004 and published by the U.S. Access Board. Bill Botten of the US Access Board is a knowledgeable resource for discussing issues pertaining to swimming pool lifts, determining and demonstrating "readily achievable" goals for your park's accessibility, and creating an ADA plan for parks. Mr. Botten has been a guest speaker at CONY Expositions twice in the past 5 years. His number is (800) 872-2253. The number to contact the U.S. Justice Department directly on access issues is (800) 514-0301. The New York State Department of Health, in regard to ADA swimming pool lifts, will not be enforcing ADA rules or regulations. But, when you do install a swimming pool lift be sure to contact the NYS DOH and let them know, as they will want to have some "say" in where they are located, design, etc. Log into www.campcony.com and go to the Library under Campground Resources, and you will find downloadable copies of safety plans for swimming pools and bathing beaches, which were handed out at the Zone Meetings. LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY: A group of CONY representatives traveled to Albany for Tourism Action Day - the tourism industry's lobbying day - on March 5th, conducting over 22 legislative appointments, as well as additional meetings in lobbies outside the Senate and Assembly floors. All in all, they really worked hard to get our messages out. Those attending included: Kelly and Gregg Nicholls, Lake Bluff Campground, Ed Marden, Camp Bell Campground, Vanessa Leto, Brook n Wood Campground, Kimberly Foro, Whispering Pines Campsites & RV Park, Truman Hartshorn Lebanon Reservoir Campground, Rachel & Rob Kaiser, Medina/Wildwood Lake KOA and Houghton/Letchworth KOA, Mike Papp, West Canada Creek Campsites, Winston Bennett, Conesus Lake Campground, and Donald Bennett, Jr., CONY President and CEO.
(See the content from CONY’s Tourism Action Day Issues Paper starting on page 8) Marketing and Advertising: Suzanne Bixby, CONY's Marketing & Communications Director, Reviewed a new marketing kit inserted into all the member binders which includes detailed descriptions of CONY's marketing, advertising and public relations efforts, and statements from CONY members explaining their participation and the value they believe they receive from their buy-in efforts. Look in the second pocket of your MEMBER BINDER to find a copy of the 2013-2014 Marketing Kit, and a copy of the “Programs at a Glance” sign-up form. Plan and reserve your CONY marketing programs today, to ensure cost-effective exposure tomorrow...and beyond. Deadline for early bird Shows discount is July 15th. Deadline for directory ad placement is September 15th. 2013 Camp Good Days Fundraising: CONY welcomed James McCauley of Camp Good Days at each Zone Meeting, and James brought his usual passion and moving words to the podium as he talked about the children with cancer who benefit from their experience with Camp Good Days (CampGoodDays.org) and the beauty of being involved with the organization. He thanked us for our first-time fundraising efforts kicked off in 2012. Since CONY announced its total fundraising at the 2012 Exposition in November, we've received several more donations, including one from Bristol Woodlands Campground brought to the Zone Meeting by owner Ken Hanson. The total raised for our 2012 fundraiser now stands at over $43,000.00!!!! REMARKABLE! On March 8th, Don Bennett, Jr., CONY's President and CEO, attended Camp Good Day's "Night of Gratitude" dinner, accepting a "Teddi Award" on behalf of CONY, presented in appreciation for our fundraising across the state. In his presentation at the Zone Meetings, Don urged everyone to help CONY celebrate its 50th Anniversary by working toward at least $50,000 in combined donations for 2013! If you're having an event, please send details to the CONY office so we can help publicize it. If you need event or activity ideas, try 80 Plus Ideas to Promote this Event in Your Campground, compiled by Clyde Taylor of Taylor Communications, and located in the second pocket of your member binder or in the resources pages of www.campcony.com Need paper balloons or a new coin box for fundraising? Contact the CONY office: info@nycampgrounds.com or 585-5864360.
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Legislative Report: Tourism Action Day On March 5, 2013, A group of CONY representatives traveled to Albany for Tourism Action Day, the industry’s lobbying day, conducting over 22 legislative appointments, as well as additional meetings in the lobbies outside the Senate and Assembly floors. All in all, they really worked hard to get our messages out. Those attending included: Kelly and Gregg Nicholls, Lake Bluff Campground, Ed Marden, Camp Bell Campground, Vanessa Leto, Brook n Wood Campground, Kimberly Foro, Whispering Pines Campsites & RV Park, Truman Hartshorn Lebanon Reservoir Campground, Rachel & Rob Kaiser, Medina/Wildwood Lake KOA and Houghton/Letchworth KOA, Mike Papp, West Canada Creek Campsites, Winston Bennett, Conesus Lake Campground, and Donald Bennett, Jr., CONY President and CEO. Here are the issues presented in papers to the legislators and discussion in meetings: Support of Tourism Funding Stream CONY is supportive of the Governor’s budget request of 3.8 million dollars for Matching funds and 2.5 million for marketing I Love NY. We are hopeful the legislature will explore a means to create a predictable, multi-year State tourism funding program and to permit the industry to react in a timely to changing marketplace needs. A predictable and consistent funding level for each year would allow the I Love NY marketing team and the promotion agencies throughout the state to produce multi-year strategic plans that permit New York to continue as a leading tourism destination. The Matching Fund program is vital to the health and well being of the tourism sector. The aid to localities is a program called “Matching Funds”, a program that has been a public private success story for our tourism industry. The program takes public monies and leverage such monies with a private dollar for dollar match. Examples of this success can be found in our annual CONY Camping Directory. The current Matching Funds system provides monies to counties individually where they can leverage their own budgets, sales tax, and occupancy tax revenues to have the professional marketers referred to as TPA’s (Tourism Promotion Agents) provide a customized marketing plan to showcase the unique assets that their particular county has to offer. Whereby the state can leverage private funding and double their investment through this program as the I Love NY logo must be included on all marketing utilizing Matching Funds. The Matching funds program is a great help to small private businesses to enable them to promote themselves. Conversely I Love NY is leveraged twice as much as well by being included in this public private relationship. We are advocating that the Matching Funds program be maintained as it currently operates.
Extended Learning Time (Day / Year) A famous author named Richard Louv wrote the book “The Last Child in the Woods.” In this influential work about the staggering divide between children and the outdoors Mr. Louv links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation. He refers to it as nature-deficit. He highlights some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rise in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. Many studies peg the average 6th grader in this country spending approximately 6 -8 hours per day in front of some type of screen. If this trend continues the life expectancy among children will begin a downward trend for the first time in many decades. We must work to promote the “getting kids outdoors” or parks will over time be viewed as less and less important and usage will decline. Social Media is actually Anti-Social media. With Governor Cuomo’s initiative for extended school hours and possible extended school year please take heed as children are not able to experience the outdoors. What will this plan do to Tourism in New York State? What will this plan do for the labor shortages at the agriculture jobs as well as the many tourism jobs that these students provide to the sector? What valuable training in hospitality that these students learn. Not all learning in life needs to be in a classroom. Minimum Wage Increase and impact The campground owners of New York would request that a fair balance to mitigate the impact on small businesses be viewed as essential in any discussions. A radical increase in the minimum wage especially in the middle of a very short operating season would be detrimental as revenues and prices are fixed. The minimum wage was always meant to be an introductory wage not a living wage. Thruway Tolls (Establish a recreational rate) The Campground Owners of New York would like to establish a recreational rate for RV’s to travel on the New York State thruway. If a multi axle RV were to travel on the New York State Thruway the rate is the same as a semi tractor trailer carrying tons and tons of cargo. The RV’s might have the same number of axels but are much lighter in weight cutting (Continued on page 11)
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CONY Extra
Looking Back—1980s Enjoy a look back at some of the words and pictures that filled the CONY newsletters throughout the 1980s...
Who Remembers When…? The theme for the 25th Annual Convention was
“We Got the Silver, Let’s Go for the Gold!” The Convention took place at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in Saratoga Springs, NY, Nov. 10-13, 1988.
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Mission—Dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State. What were the some of the CONY news and issues of the day back in the 1980s?
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Legislative Report continued (Continued from page 7)
down on the wear and tear on the road as the tolls are set to offset. A trip from the Pennsylvania line in Western New York to Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame can run as much as $64. From NYC to Niagara Falls it costs $111. Bills that Campground Owners of New York Supports Senate bill S01360 provides for the removal of persons from campgrounds by the owner or operator thereof, or his or her agent; It also would establish the grounds for removal of persons from a campground and provide for the disposition of abandoned property at a privately owned campground. (This is bill is sorely needed by the private campground industry. In State operated campgrounds Park Police can and do evict people on a regular basis. In Privately owned parks the police and courts of law use a variety of laws that don’t pertain to our industry. Example applying the mobile home park law to a campground. The error in doing so is that a mobile home park is their domicile while at a campground it is primarily designed as temporary quarters for recreational, camping and traveling use. Not deemed to be a domicile.) Bills: S01010/A04743 Redefines "campground" for the purposes of the Adirondack park and regulation by the Adirondack park agency; defines such term as a parcel of land with 5 or more campsites, including buildings and accessory structures; provides that recreational vehicles may be kept at a campground or campsite, with the consent of the owner of the campground, during periods of time when they are not in use, so long as they are not used in a manner which violates the campground permit. Bill A3759 the bill would prohibit certain registered sex offenders from entering or utilizing overnight campgrounds in New York State. Electricity Rates at Campgrounds Privately owned campgrounds have a customer category called Seasonal Campsites. The concept is the renting the campsite to a family for the entire camping season. Whereas the family can come and go without having to tow their RV to the campground each time the camper wishes to utilize it. The seasonal camper is generally closer to home and spends much time at the campground in their RV. Electricity at campgrounds is charged at commercial demand metered rates in most cases. Campground Owners of New York would like to be metered residentially instead of commercially as most of the power consumed is residential in nature and the peak usage is nights and weekends not while the factories and places of business are utilizing the daily demand power loads.
Unfair Competition with State Operated Facilities New York State Office of Park and Recreation and the Department of Environmental Conservation operate over 15,000 campsites and cabin rentals statewide at over 100 state campgrounds. The private sector operates approximately 45,000 campsites at approximately 375 locations. The campground owners of New York would like to see the State focus on the day use aspect of parks and study whether leasing out the state campgrounds to concessionaires wouldn’t be the best solution. Leasing out the state campgrounds would provide more private sector jobs but also would allow the State Parks to focus on the day use nature of the parks. With some 65% of the state campground budget coming from the general fund this would be a huge burden lifted off the taxpayer’s backs. Currently the taxpayers of New York State are subsidizing vacations of residents of other states when they stay in the state run facilities. I don’t think that the taxpayers of New York would welcome that thought. We would also like to see the Office of Parks and recreation take over the DEC campground operations. As many private facilities face much oversight with groundwater permitting, firewood operations, engineering, floodplain management etc. It doesn’t seem right to compete directly with an agency that oversees the private operations. A Brief Summary of the Privately Owned Campground Segment for 2012 Privately owned Campgrounds and RV Parks in New York State have experienced an average to above average campaign for 2012. The Camping sector of the outdoor hospitality industry is very dependent on such conditions as the weather, fuel prices, the economy and current trends. In 2012 the weather cooperated, fuel prices remained stable $4 per gallon seems to be the tipping point for many, the economy is still somewhat soft. Generally in bad economic times, camping becomes an affordable vacation. With the economy as it is, families are trading down from much costlier vacations, to thus learning to live with less. Some statistics for the New York Camper: 1. 74% of New York campers were at home the night before vs. North America at 54%. This shows the trend that with the poor economy, people stay closer to home commonly coined as “staycations”. As families struggle with employment issues and many families have become two income with both spouses working, it has become more difficult to align vacation time. Short, close to home vacations, getaways or weekends have become more popular. 2. 18% of the campers in New York were first time (Continued on page 12)
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a.
Privately owned campgrounds face a burdensome regulatory environment.
b.
Department of Health codes lead the way but we have a rapidly changing environment.
c.
Don’t move firewood for fear of moving invasive species has been on the forefront the past few years.
d.
We now face the prospect of Bed Bugs in rental cabin units.
e.
DEC/FEMA with Flood Plain enforcement,
f.
Historic Site regulation for new parks, if the park is in a historic area or near a body of water.
g.
Adirondack Park the APA regulations, Ag and Markets for campground store operations,
h.
Department of State and local for CODE issues.
i.
ADA access for the disabled regulations
j.
And the list goes on and on.
camper’s verses 15% for North America. 3. The purpose of the stay at private campgrounds: On the way to another location in New York was 25%. The national average is 48% for other states. A Getaway/ Weekend in New York amounted to 51% versus 34% for North America. Stay and Play for New York amounted to 24% while the National Average was 18%. These facts and figures tell us that we are not getting the tourists as much as other states as a percentage of their business. Obstacles that the Private Campground Owner faces: 1. Increased fees, taxes and expenses: a.
Fees have increased exponentially over the past few years. Examples are: DEC spedies permit. The permit for septic systems and the discharge into the ground system. DEC does nothing for this fee but yet it has doubled in the last few years. Ag and Markets charge a small seasonal operation the same fee as a multi-million dollar grocery store.
b.
It is widely known that Real Estate taxes have increased a tremendous amount while assessed values have also raced ahead compounding the problem of high taxes. Many municipalities have implemented Occupancy Taxes on rental units and cabins and even in one county on campsites themselves. Campgrounds must be commended on green space and keeping large parcels of land from regular development while keeping them on the tax rolls to help the funding of the local communities in which they are located.
c.
Expenses have risen beyond belief. Electricity is one of the major expenses of a campground operation. Campgrounds are classified as a commercial electric user even though most of the electric is a residential nature. As a new small residential increase in transmission costs was widely debated in open forum a radical large increase was kept under the radar that took effect in October 2010. This will prove to be a large and costly increase. Some meters transmission charges and fees will in some cases triple. Some Expenses fall on the consumer. To use the NYS Thruway without an easy pass certain Campers can cost $75 from one end of the state to the next.
2. Regulations
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Industry News: Proposed New York State Tourism Funding 2013-2014 Gavin Landry, the new Executive Director for Empire State Development’s Division of Tourism (“I Love New York”), attended the most recent Tourism Industry Coalition of New York State (TIC) meeting. During the meeting he spoke regarding the state budget and the current state of tourism funding for 20132014. Figures quoted below are based on the State Appropriations Budget from Empire State Development.
$60,000 to each county to support tourism marketing.
I Love New York (ILNY) general funding went from $2.83 million to $2.5 million. This funding is used for the primary NYS tourism program that includes, but is not limited to, event sponsorships, print, radio, TV advertising, call center and tourism studies.
Last year, there was a legislative addition of a $3 million line item for regional tourism and marketing, with awards to Regional Economic Develpment Councils granted through a Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process. That line item has been zeroed out for 20132014.
The Tourism Matching Funds Grant was reduced from $3.985 million to $3.815 million. This program provides at least
Funding for the Gateway Information Centers at Beekmantown (Plattsburgh) and Binghamton remains unchanged. $9 million of Open for Business money was used last year for tourism marketing, and chances are there will be money out of that pot again to promote I Love NY as well.
keting plan to bolster upstate economic growth. Market NY and the Taste NY initiative ended up combined in the final budget. About $2 million is for the Taste NY project, $5 million should be available for tourism. It is not clear if it is going to be part of the CFA process or not yet. This is the third year in a row that New York State has passed an on-time budget. New York State Division of Budget: http://www.budget.ny.gov
There is now a Market NY category of $7 million, which is a multi-faceted mar-
Camping World and Good Sam bring “The Rally” to Syracuse in 2013 The Good Sam Rally (formerly called the Great North American RV Rally), and annual event hosted by the Good Sam Club, is having its first 2013 rally in Syracuse, New York, June 13th to 16th, at the New York State Fairgrounds. Recreation vehicle owners from various state and provinces are expected. Rally organizers expect 10,000 people per day at the event. People learn about The Good Sam Rally primarily through stories and advertisements in Highways, Coast to Coast, Trailer Life, and MotorHome magazines. Together these publications reach nearly 3 million people each month. Many registered on the Good Sam Rally’s website at www.therally.com. Entertainment at the The Rally includes Reba McEntire and Wayne Newton. There will also be a dog show, seminars, tours to area attractions, and a trade show with booths from a variety of exhibitors.
Registration to attend The Rally starts at $199.00. Exhibitor booth spaces start at $880.00 for a 10’x10’ space,
but space may be limited at this date.
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CONY Extra
Volume 36, Issue 2
Scholarship Report: Joanne Tribe, Susquehanna Trail Campground I am Joanne Tribe, I own Susquehanna Trail Campground in Oneonta NY with my husband Dean Tribe. We purchased the campground 4 years ago after my husband retired from the US Air Force and I retired from training racehorses. I have very little experience with managing a business so I decided to attend the ARVC Campground Management School at Oglebay in Wheeling, West Virginia. This was a fantastic experience for me, I learned a lot, the Instructors were knowledgeable, the facility was great and the food was fantastic. I met some really great people and made many new friends. Most of the subject material taught was informative, topics covered include, Human Resources, Risk Management, Advertising in the Electronic Age, Marketing and many more. My focus on this article will be on the subject I learned the most from, Business Planning Principles I. How do you form a seasonal rate philosophy? When we purchased the campground the pre-
vious owners did not seek seasonal they only had 2. We quickly realized the need for more and now offer 15 which are always full (we are a small campground with 45 RV sites). The course taught me that most parks with seasonal campsites have a waiting list or turn away potential customers because of no space. They recommend you evaluate the amount of money non seasonal sites are generating to determine if your seasonal rate is too low. If it is you should raise it but should consider raising it for new seasonal more than existing ones to prevent chasing out your loyal long term customers. This is important, we have noted more seasonal leaving parks who raise rates much more than inflation who seek cheaper alternatives or decide to just be weekend campers visiting different campgrounds most weekends. CONY distributes the occupancy rate surveys every month and I would urge more Campgrounds to complete them, this data indicates much about camping trends and also the data will be
Joanne Tribe, Susquehanna Trail Campground, Oneonta, NY.
valuable to your campground in determining whether you should raise or lower your rates as well as help you determine how many seasonal sites you should offer.
Member Benefit: CONY Occupancy Survey 2013, fill out online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/conyoccupancyapril2013 We’re preparing to collect data for the April CONY Occupancy Surveys. We encourage you all to participate by completing the yellow surveys that are mailed by the CONY office or use the online survey form at the address above. Responses are anonymous. Why is the information needed? To provide accurate occupancy statistics that enable us to establish and predict trends in the RV park and campground industry. To provide facts so that we can speak knowledgeably and authoritatively on industry statistics. With this information we can make those who are unaware, such as government entities
and tourism industry stakeholders, aware of the RV park and campground industry in the state.
By establishing camping trends, you will be able to project your camper nights with greater accuracy.
To provide occupancy statistics from various regions that enables us to persuade government officials that additional public sites are not needed and to show developers whether or not sites are needed.
By keeping track of your camper nights, you will be able to evaluate how your business is doing from year to year. You can study your advertising programs or other aspects of your business that may be affecting your occupancy.
To use the trends and data as a whole to promote our industry. How will it benefit you? By having industry-wide occupancy data available, you are able to supply additional information when effectively lobbying for a bill, applying for loans, buying or selling property, etc.
It takes only a few minutes each month, but your small contribution would mean a lot to the success of this project. Questions, contact the CONY office at info@nycampgrounds.com or 585-5864360.
N e w s a nd H i g h l i g h t s
Volume 36, Issue 2
Page 15
From the Desk of the President and CEO (Continued from page 3)
site with a dedicated print piece that will be distributed and promoted at many different venues than what we are currently utilizing for the directory. I feel that this will be a great program for CONY members as it introduces camping to non RV owners and people that won’t camp in a tent. As the campgrounds introduce more and more rental units the time is right for a dedicated marketing program. With fuel prices remaining high and with tow vehicles and RV’s expensive, rental units are becoming an important factor in keeping the camping experience an affordable option for budget strapped families across the United States. Legislatively the tourism showcase took place in Albany at the capitol on March
5th. I would like to thank the following attendees for taking the time to help spread our message and voice our issues to over 22 legislative appointments. Attending was Mike Papp from West Canada Creek Campsites, Rob and Rachel Kaiser from Medina Wildwood Lake KOA, Kimberly Foro from Whispering Pines Campground, Ed Marden from Camp Bell Campground, Vanessa Leto from Brook n Wood Campground, Truman Hartshorn from Lebanon Reservoir Campground, Gregg and Kelly Nicholls from Lake Bluff Campground, Winston Bennett from Conesus Lake Campground. I was honored to be asked to provide the extended school day/year issue to the tourism professionals that attended the pre lobby briefing session during tourism showcase. We also expressed
our views on a new lien law bill that we introduced that addresses left behind personal property and a variety of other issues. If you would have an interest in attending this event next year to have the legislators hear your story the date is March 4, 2014. The more voices we have with us in Albany the louder our message can become. I want to thank you again for allowing me to serve as your President and helping the organization to work toward its mission: CONY an association dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State. Best Regards, Donald G. Bennett, Jr.
Welcome New CONY Members! Campground Members:
Associate Members:
Trout Run Camp Resort Kevin Clark Wellsville, NY (Chautauqua Allegheny) www.troutruncamping.com
Adirondack White Pine Cabins Contact: Joe Plumb Saranac Lake, NY www.adirondackwhitepinecabins.com Manufacturing certified recreational park trailers which serve as custom cabin getaways.
Waterloo Harbor Campground Norbert Hausner Waterloo, NY (Finger Lakes) www.waterlooharbor.com Sutter Creek Campground David Sutterby Sterling, NY (Finger Lakes) www.suttercreekcampground.com Sugar Creek Glen Campground Daniel Alexander Dansville, NY (Finger Lakes) www.godansville.com
Toilet Paper World Contact: Beth Lake Norwich, CT www.toiletpaperworld.com More than just toilet paper— selling over 3,500 products. ————— Don’t forget to see all our associate members in the “Handy Reference Guide” inserted in this newsletter, and on www.campcony.com
Every effort is made to print accurate information. CONY, along with contractors and advertisers will assume no liability for errors or omissions. We will gladly reprint any corrections.
The CONY Extra: News and Highlights is published by the CONY office, providing its members with industry-related information. For information, article suggestions or advertising inquiries, call: 800-497-2669 or 585-586-4360. Or e-mail us at: info@nycampgrounds.com Campground Owners of New York, 1 Grove St. Suite 200 Pittsford, New York 14534 nycampgrounds.com (consumer website) campcony.com (corporate website)
1 Grove Street, Suite 200 Pittsford, New York 14534
50 years of CONY 1963 to 2013
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