Pete spent months planning the perfect camping trip for his family, purchasing all the necessary gear. But just as Pete and his family settled into their camp spot for the night, a thunderstorm hit. Despite their new equipment that Pete researched heavily and spent a pretty penny on, a leak in the tent turned their cozy getaway into a soggy disaster. Unexpected weather ruined his family’s trip.

If Pete had opted for a Weather Guarantee, he could have protected his family’s investment.

Weather Guarantees can give campers peace of mind and confidence when planning their trip, increasing your bookings and guest satisfaction. Discover three benefits of adding them to your campground packages — and how you can help your guests learn from Pete’s mistakes.

Enhance the Camping Experience for Guests

Unexpected weather, such as rain, snow, extreme heat, or muddy conditions, can seriously disrupt your guests' camping experience. Heavy rain and mud can make campsites difficult to navigate, and not everyone is equipped with four-wheel drive. Rainy conditions can also damage equipment (RIP Pete’s sleeping bags!) and create discomfort. Even RV campers can suffer if their A/C fails during unseasonably high heat.

While Weather Guarantees don’t cover damaged gear, they do reimbursecampers for the cost of the campsite reservation — which could help guests replace their equipment if needed.

Beyond financial loss, unexpected weather can take a psychological toll on guests. Ruined plans cause stress and frustration. In fact, a recent study showed that 58% of Americans worry about inclement weather interrupting or ruining travel plans. Imagine Pete’s children’s first camping experience being tainted by rain leaking into their tent. No parent wants to spoil their kids' perception of the great outdoors.

Weather Guarantees from Sensible Weather can protect against these issues. By offering financial protection against unpredictable weather, they provide peace of mind and boost guest satisfaction. When campers know their investment is protected, no matter what Mother Nature has in store, they feel more confident about booking their trip.

Increased Confidence. Increased Bookings.

If your guest adds a Weather Guarantee to their reservation and it’s triggered during their trip, they get reimbursed instantly and without hassle — and Sensible Weather takes care of the bill. There is a lot that goes into planning a trip, and when it comes to camping, weather is a huge factor to take into consideration. Knowing that you can get your money back should it start to pour, makes booking a trip feel less like a gamble — increasing your guest's confidence, and your bookings. In fact, partners see an average of 5-19% booking conversion increase when offering Weather Guarantees within their online booking flow.

When guests add Weather Guarantees to their reservation, they will receive automatic updates about the forecast. And in the event weather rolls in that could ruin their experience, they will get a notification that their refund is available — but they still have the choice to move forward with their original plans! In fact, after receiving a proactive refund, 82% of recipients still continued with their scheduled activity. With Weather Guarantees, guests get their money back no matter what they choose to do with. 

Make the act of planning and booking a camping trip a no-brainer. Weather Guarantees communicate to your guests that they’re protected even if unexpected weather puts a damper on their plans. 

Reduce Cancellations 

Tourism, especially nature-based tourism, is highly vulnerable to climate change. Since camping success largely depends on outdoor conditions, it's no surprise that about one-third of camping cancellations, according to Hipcamp, are weather-related. To thrive despite factors beyond their control, camping businesses must focus on what they can manage. By leveraging weather data and forecasts, they can strengthen their business strategies.

One effective way to adapt to these unpredictable conditions is by offering Weather Guarantees, which provide guests with peace of mind when booking. This approach not only reduces cancellations and no-shows but also boosts conversion rates. For example, an A/B test conducted by Campspot showed that adding Weather Guarantees to their checkout process increased booking conversions by around 2%. It’s a win-win: guests book with greater confidence, and your business experiences fewer weather-related cancellations.

Incorporating Weather Guarantees also demonstrates your campground's proactive stance in addressing climate change, making it more appealing to environmentally conscious travelers.

Keep Your Campers Happy With Weather Guarantees

Pete was not a happy camper due to the unexpected rain. But if he had a Weather Guarantee, he'd have been able to not only protect his reservation but also his family’s expensive new camping gear.

Weather Guarantees are an affordable way to take care of your guests so they can focus on having fun and making memories. If a guest books a $200 stay with you, adding a Weather Guarantee could cost them less than $20. Not a bad price to pay for peace of mind. And Weather Guarantees are in demand — Campspot saw that 8.2% to 11.2% of bookings included a Weather Guarantee, leading to a ~2% uplift in online conversion rates. 

When you’re ready to enhance your guests’ experience, boost your revenue, and expand your business, get in touch with us. Because adding Weather Guarantees to your campground offerings can do just that. If you don’t believe us, believe the 91% of Weather Guarantee customers who would purchase another one in the future.