As a former limousine driver in San Diego, Louis Tejeda knows the oceanfront hotels in Coronado, the hot restaurants in La Jolla and the hip clubs in the Gaslamp Quarter downtown.
But on a recent Saturday morning, he sought something more affordable in these tough times. That's how he found himself in Chula Vista, where he and his five grandchildren planned to splash around in a heated pool, ride bicycles, roughhouse in a playground and listen to guitar music by the light of a roaring campfire.
The price for all of this fun: $57 a night to park his 12-foot tent camper at the Chula Vista Kampgrounds of America site.
"I wanted to go somewhere that's economical but where the kids can have a good time," he said standing next to his camper.
With the slumping economy and rising unemployment putting a death grip on travel budgets, Tejeda has joined a growing number of vacationers who are camping -- without roughing it.
Travel spending nationwide has taken a nose dive in the past few months but business remains brisk at many "resort campgrounds," privately owned suburban parks that offer family-friendly amenities such as pools, free Wi-Fi, furnished cabins, arcade games, hot showers and laundry service.
Resort campgrounds, including the KOA camp in Chula Vista, are not immune to this recession, but campground owners say the weakening economy has attracted more vacationers looking to save a buck without having to sacrifice comfort and fun.
"People still want to get away but are looking for more affordable vacations," said Linda Profaizer, president and chief executive of the National Assn. of RV Parks and Campgrounds, a trade organization that represents more than 3,700 privately owned campgrounds across the country.
She's optimistic that recession-wary vacationers will continue to make use of resort campgrounds.
"Our industry will do well this year, not break records, but do well," she said.
Other campground franchise owners have also reported strong business.
"Typically, we do well when the economy is down because we are an economical alternative but still a fun family option," said Michele Wisher, spokeswoman for Ohio-based Leisure Systems Inc., which owns a chain of 70 Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park campgrounds. The company added three new Yogi Bear parks in 2008.
Resort campground owners are so optimistic about the future that many are making hefty investments in the business.
