This year, CampingCard ACSI is celebrating a special milestone. The popular campsite card system for the low season is exactly 20 years old. Since its introduction in 2003, millions of campsite visitors and thousands of campsites have discovered the benefits of CampingCard ACSI. With the introduction of the digital variant in 2024, ACSI is giving the powerful marketing instrument an entirely new dimension. The physical CampingCard ACSI will also be adapted.
Campsite visitors’ wishes
Ramon van Reine, ACSI’s director, sees many benefits for both the campsite and the campsite visitor in these developments. “Campsite visitors have been asking for a digital version of CampingCard ACSI for some time now. On the one hand because it fits with the time of sustainability, but also from a practical standpoint. A mobile phone is essential to campsite visitors of all ages. And since the digital discount card is available in the convenient CampingCard ACSI app, they always have it with them”. And there is another benefit. “By having everything in a digital version, there is less chance of losing or damaging the discount card. Furthermore, the card always provides the personal data”.
Easy, fast, and safe
Campsites notice that checking is easier and quicker. “The digital CampingCard ACSI has a QR code. This can be scanned by reception with the camera of a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or PC. This means that all customer data can be consulted immediately and transferred to the campsite’s system. This works much faster than copying hand-written information. In addition, the QR code is refreshed every five minutes, making it almost impossible to copy”. And if reception has no camera available? “Then campsites can enter the unique code given on the card. This also provides the campsite with all of the data,” Van Reine reassures.
The guide remains
Up until now, the CampingCard ACSI was only available in combination with one of ACSI’s campsite guides.This will still be possible in the future. But changes will be made here as well. “We leave it up to the campsite visitor to choose between a guide plus a paper map or the app plus a digital card. Everyone has their preference,” Van Reine states. “But by adding a QR code and unique number code to the paper CampingCard ACSI as well, checking in will be much easier”.
Better camping experience
The changes are an important step in the development of CampingCard ACSI. ACSI also ensures that a camping experience becomes even better this way. Improvements have been worked on constantly already from the very beginning of CampingCard ACSI. “The concept is constantly reviewed and improved. Through the years, new features have been added, such as the ability to search and book online via the CampingCard ACSI app and website. The number of participating campsites is also considerable. At this time, 3,000 European campsites are participating, which means the campsite visitor has a real choice”.
Game changer
Creating a powerful solution for the problematic low season was also one of the reasons why CampingCard ACSI was launched in 2003. “ACSI noticed that campsites were struggling with the occupancy rate in spring and autumn,” states Van Reine. “Although those periods are attractive for going on holiday for many campsite visitors, the occupancy rate often remained low. CampingCard ACSI turned out to be a game changer. The system not only gives campsite visitors many benefits in the low season but also provides a great deal of clarity about the overnight price. In 2024, this is always one of the seven fixed, low rates of 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 or 27 euros per night. As a result, the number of nights that they spend at participating campsites has grown spectacularly”.
Extension of the camping season
The impact of CampingCard ACSI on the low season is clearly visible. “Participating campsites welcomes huge numbers of campsite visitors during the early and late seasons, which in turn extends the camping season. Over the years, we noticed that the neighbors of participating campsites wanted to participate the following year. They wanted to improve their occupancy rate as well. Most campsites are very pleased with the additional value that CampingCard ACSI offers,” says Van Reine.
An attractive campsite
By accepting CampingCard ACSI, a campsite becomes considerably more attractive in the low season. “Annually, hundreds of thousands of campsite visitors from all over Europe leave home with the discount card,” Van Reine relates. And ACSI will actively reach out to these campsite visitors. “We take care of various marketing and promotion activities for CampingCard ACSI. We do not stop once a campsite visitor has purchased the product. We approach the campsite visitor later with camping inspiration, special offers and campsite tips. Naturally, the participating campsites profit from this as well”.
Participating is easy
Participating in CampingCard ACSI is easy and, in many cases, profitable rather quickly. Research has shown that, on average, campsites earn back their participation in CampingCard ACSI in 64 nights. “Campsites that want to participate can contact ACSI. Together they look at which period or periods the campsite would want to accept the discount card and at which nightly rate campsite visitors would want to stay. There are conditions and calculation methods connected to this that level the playing field for everyone,” Van Reine states.
With this, ACSI takes the campsites into consideration as well. “We have adjusted the nightly rates for 2024 to the current market situation and added two higher rates to meet campsites with high rates. We are also flexible with regard to the energy issue. By default, electricity up to 6 amperes or 4 KwH per day is included in the rate, but a campsite can charge a fee for any additional energy consumption. This can be done by installing energy meters, for example,” concluded Van Reine.
