In outdoor hospitality, weather can make or break a camping trip. Recognizing this challenge, the online camping marketplace and campground management software, Campspot, partnered with Sensible Weather in 2023 to offer Weather Guarantees. This innovative solution not only eases campers' concerns but also boosts bookings and campsite revenue. 

Let's dive into how Campspot successfully implemented Weather Guarantees and the impressive results they achieved.

The challenge: Weather uncertainty while camping

For many outdoor enthusiasts, unpredictable weather is a major concern when planning a camping trip. Campers know there’s always the chance of a rainy day, with one-third of people surveyed citing "unpredictable weather" as the most stressful part of camping. This worry often leads to hesitation in booking, resulting in lost revenue for campgrounds and RV parks, as well as a dampened guest experience and last-minute cancelations.

To increase guest satisfaction and give campers more confidence to book early, and to mitigate the weather-related impacts on revenue for campgroundsusing the Campspot Platform, Campspot knew it needed a creative and innovative solution.

"We originally considered offering more traditional travel insurance as that is a common practice in the hospitality industry, but we really wanted to find a partner with a product that would address this common camper pain point: what happens if there's bad weather?” said Jeff Bettin, Vice President of Commercial Strategy at Campspot. “So as we learned more about Sensible Weather, it became clear that their Weather Guarantee offering was a great fit for us."

Enter Sensible’s Weather Guarantees

Campspot addressed its weather challenge by partnering with Sensible Weather to offer Weather Guarantees within the booking flow when guests are reserving campsites.  As Campspot operates as both a Consumer Marketplace, as well as a software slatform, Weather Guarantees are offered in two different ways: directly to consumers who are booking on the Campspot Marketplace; and within the booking flow for campgrounds using Campspot’s software platform that participate in the Accelerator program.  

Thanks to this partnership, Campspot’s Accelerator campgrounds can easily incorporate Sensible’s Weather Guarantees into their booking flows at no cost to the campground. The campground receives a share of the revenue from the sale of the Weather Guarantee, and benefits from increased conversion, and improved guest satisfaction that result from the Weather Guarantee’s unique value to guests.

For both the Campspot Marketplace and the campgrounds using Campspot Accelerator, campers can add the Weather Guarantees to their reservation for a small fee, and receive up to 100% reimbursement of their daily rate for each day it rains during their reservation. Sensible Weather handles reimbursements, which are issued proactively, requiring nothing from the camper or the campground.

An unexpected increase in booking conversion

When Campspot initially partnered with Sensible Weather, they expected an increase in guest satisfaction and revenue. As the Weather Guarantee would live within their online booking flow, they had initial concerns about its potential impact on booking conversion. To measure this, they ran a 30-day A/B test at the start of the partnership to measure impact. The expectation was that there might be a small reduction in conversion, as is typical of added content in the booking flow. 

The results were surprising and exciting. The Weather Guarantee did not hurt conversion, it helped! 

The A/B test showed that Weather Guarantees improved booking conversion by ~2% when offered within the booking flow. While the test was short, the results were a strong indication of the confidence to book that Weather Guarantees give campers, and mirror data that Sensible Weather saw in its own research.

Why Weather Guarantees work for campers and campgrounds

1. Peace of mind: Weather Guarantees addresses campers’ concerns about lousy weather so they can book with confidence. In Sensible’s survey, 76% of customers reported feeling more confident in their booking because they purchased Guarantees, and 55% said they bought Guarantees for peace of mind. 
2. No extra work or expenses for campgrounds: Campground operators don't have to pay reimbursements when bad weather occurs or handle customer service related to Guarantees. Sensible Weather handles all aspects of the protection.
3. Customer value: Sensible Weather's 2023 survey found that 89% of respondents believed the Weather Guarantee was well worth the price they paid, and 91% would purchase another Weather Guarantee in the future.
4. Positive brand association: Instead of associating campgrounds with bad weather, campers have the positive memory of receiving a Weather Guarantee reimbursement instantly. 
5. Competitive advantage: Weather Guarantees set Campspot and its partner campgrounds apart in a crowded market.

The results speak for themselves

Since launching Weather Guarantees the results have been impressive.

1. Increased conversion rates. The inclusion of Weather Guarantees as an option during the booking process led to a ~2% uplift in online conversion rates.
2. High attach rate. Between 8.2% and 11.2% of bookings included a Weather Guarantee, showing strong customer interest in the product. Campspot’s campsites have sold over 280,000 Weather Guarantees since offering the protection. 
3. Customer satisfaction. The CSAT score for campers with Weather Guarantees is 4.07 out of 5, showing how much they value the peace of mind from the protection. One camper even said, “[Sensible Weather] gives peace of mind by knowing if your camping trip is a washout, you aren't out the money spent for any given day.”

Campspot’s CEO, Michael Scheinman, is happy to see how much Guarantees have improved campsite bookings and guest experiences: 

“Being outdoors and appreciating nature is a fundamental part of any camping trip, so we’re thrilled to be able to offer our campers a way to ensure they can enjoy their experience with Campspot—or to be reimbursed quickly and easily by Sensible’s Weather Guarantees even if they can’t.”

Turn weather uncertainty into a business opportunity

As Campspot's success shows, offering Weather Guarantees is a win-win solution, providing peace of mind for guests and increased revenue for camping businesses. This simple addition leads to increased conversions, higher customer satisfaction, and a competitive edge in the camping market.

Interested in offering Weather Guarantees at your campsite? Reach out to our partnerships team today. Already a Campspot user? Make sure you are opted-in to the Accelerator program to start increasing your revenue with Sensible’s Weather Guarantees today!