Campground Concierge Service with Kat Berta of the Brattleboro North KOA Journey

Our guest on Campground Confidential is Kathryn Berta, owner--along with her husband Alan--of the Brattleboro North KOA Journey in East Dummerston, Vermont.

This is a gem of a campground that I have personally visited quite a few times over the last decade. Kat and Alan purchased the property in 2019, while she was still in her late 20s. She takes a fresh approach to earned media placements, including being interviewed by Readers Digest about camping mistakes she witnesses at her own campground and giving advice to new campers about ways to avoid these faux pas. Kat feels strongly about providing an amazing customer experience, offering concierge-like services to her guests. And we’ll talk specifically about these strategies in this episode. 

Kat is going into her sixth year of campground ownership, but we return to the beginning of the story and discuss the purchase of the campground and the challenges of the first year.

Kat emphasizes the importance of providing customized experiences for guests and shares her advice for new campground owners. The Brattleboro North KOA Journey provides what Kat calls "one-pagers" which provide detailed information for exploring hidden gems and local treasures. Kat has found that these trip guides actually help people find the campground via SEO when they are planning their trips to the Vermont area. You can find examples like the Covered Bridge tour on the Brattleboro North KOA Journey campground blog. The conversation concludes with a discussion on dealing with negative reviews and a controversial campground rule.

Throughout this conversation with Kat, one thing was abundantly obvious--she places the customer experience at the center of her decisions as a campground owner. This effort has resonated with guests, as is evident in the number of 5-star campground reviews that mention the owners and the friendly staff. 

Takeaways

• Providing customized experiences and unique amenities can attract and retain guests.
• Working with a broker can provide valuable insights and guidance when purchasing a campground.
• Staying up-to-date with camping trends, such as electric vehicles and multi-generational camping, can help attract a diverse range of guests.
• Dealing with negative reviews and implementing controversial campground rules can be part of the job, but it's important to focus on the positive experiences and feedback from guests.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Kat Berta 

01:06 North Brattleboro KOA Journey Overview

02:59 KOA Branding and Amenities

07:02 Becoming a Campground Owner

09:42 Challenges and Lessons Learned

12:39 Working with a Broker

17:58 Owning a Campground and Still RVing

20:21 Trends in Camping

23:28 Providing Customized Experiences

29:40 Advice for New Campground Owners

30:52 Dynamic Pricing

32:36 Dealing with Negative Reviews

33:01 Controversial Campground Rule