Camping tourism: A review of recent international scholarship

One of the most under-researched facets of lodging is that which surrounds the niche of camping tourism. This review article traces trends and recent developments shaping international research on camping tourism. The analysis begins with a discussion of definitional and conceptual issues. Thereafter, the international spread of camping tourism as well as its local impacts for destinations is interrogated. The marginal role of camping in overall tourism studies scholarship is isolated. Key themes of concern in recent research are, inter alia, demand-side considerations; supply-side research; a distinctive scholarship on holiday camps and low-budget tourism; and, new innovations and management challenges which are associated with the changing character of camping tourism in many parts of the world. Knowledge gaps are identified in literature both in terms of the geography and thematic foci of camping tourism literature. Among knowledge gaps are the supply-side evolution of camping tourism, the role of private sector entrepreneurs, local development impacts and planning, and innovative management interventions for the sustainable development of camping tourism.