CAMP-CALIFORNIA.COM WEBSITE REDESIGN ENABLES CONSUMERS TO EXPEDITE THEIR SEARCHES FOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, FESTIVALS AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA

The redesigned website is intended to be an activity planning and reservation booking tool that is as useful to California residents as it is to tourists who are visiting the Golden State for the first time


AUBURN, Calif., Oct. 5, 2009 – While its name elicits thoughts of camping, Camp-California.com has been transformed into an information packed tourism website that promotes recreational activities, festivals and special events as much as it highlights campgrounds and RV resorts across the Golden State.

“We’ve completely overhauled the website, packed it with information we never had before, and equipped it with search engines that can help people quickly find what they’re looking for, whether they’re looking for fun things to do over the weekend or planning a trip to a part of California they’ve never been to before,” said Debbie Sipe, executive director of the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

Camp-California.com’s homepage features tabs that enable consumers to search for activities and events both by date and by region.

“Click the ‘Happenings” tab and you’ll find a calendar that lists activities across the state, from the Julian Apple Harvest to the Los Angeles County to the Country Christmas Fair in Grass Valley,” Sipe said, adding that Camp-California.com provides links to the websites of each event along with nearby campgrounds and RV parks.

“Click the ‘Visitor Information’ tab and you’ll have the ability to search for activities, special events and top tourist attractions in each region of the state,” Sipe said, adding that the site also highlights campgrounds and RV parks that are close to each point of interest.

“We’ve tried make Camp-California.com quick and easy to use, so people can find what they’re looking for in one place without having to visit multiple websites,” Sipe said, adding that the website has also been equipped with a new search function that enables consumers to search the entire website for any information relating to a topic of interest to them.

For example, Sipe said, if you enter the word “Halloween” in the section of our site that says “Enter your keyword” and you’ll pull up information on Halloween related events in cities, amusement parks and campgrounds throughout California. The same kind of search can be performed to find activities that include everything from food and wine festivals to hiking, bicycling, rock climbing and fishing. In each case, the website can pull up listings of nearby campgrounds and RV parks.

Campgrounds have also been sorted based on their proximity to shopping malls, lighthouses, historical landmarks, caves and other points of interest. “These activities and points of interest are in addition to our existing listings of festivals and other special events throughout the state,” Sipe said.

Consumers can also refine their searches by type of campground. “California’s campgrounds and RV parks offer everything from nude recreation to family parks to quiet, age-restricted parks, and we have equipped Camp-California with the tools to help consumers identify the parks that provide the specific type of atmosphere they’re looking for,” Sipe said.
Camp-California.com staff members have also included their own blogs and Twitter postings on the website to keep consumers informed of the latest Camp-California website postings, as well as fun things to see and do as well as the latest campground and RV park trends.

In late August, Camp-California.com became the first website in the country to provide consumers with a survey function that converts their responses to letter grades.

The website enables consumers to rate California parks on their service quality, property condition, campsites and restrooms. “Overall grades are assigned to each park that has been surveyed,” Sipe said, adding that the number of surveys completed for each park is also displayed.

Sipe said the rating system was added to Camp-California this summer in response to consumer demand. “The letter grade system is a powerful marketing tool for parks with high scores since Camp-California also offers consumers the ability to sort parks by their ratings,” Sipe said. “Of course, it also provides an incentive for parks with lower grades to address areas of consumer concern if they want to remain competitive with their peers in the industry.”

For additional commentary, statistics and sources on the latest camping trends in campgrounds, RV parks and resorts or for leads on parks in your news coverage area, please contact Debbie Sipe at the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds at (530) 885-1624 or (530) 906-4592 (cell). Listings of private campgrounds, online reservation requests and other camping-related information is available at www.Camp-California.com.