The Real Social Network
73% of campers say it’s a great way to make new friends
When people talk about their social network these days, chances are they mean their list of Facebook friends, not the people they spend quality time with regularly.
It’s part of a trend that has seen lots of us making more and more ‘virtual’ attachments to more and more people – but at the risk of making fewer meaningful, rewarding relationships. Social commentators call it ‘gaining breadth and losing depth’.
But at The Camping and Caravanning Club, we’re beginning to notice a shift back to more old-fashioned ideas of socialising. People want to get together in an authentic, face-to-face way that has nothing to do with Facebook.
And what better way to do it than a camping holiday or weekend away? Because it’s not just about the family and friends you go with, it’s also about the new people you meet along the way.
In fact, a study by the University of Otago3, New Zealand found that mixing with other families was a big part of the camping experience, and even if they come from different backgrounds, when they camp together the social barriers melt away.
Lots of our members talk about the lifelong friendships they have made on camping trips. Some have even met their future partner through camping and have gone on to bring up their children with the camping bug.
Socially speaking the Top 5 riches of camping are:
- Expands your horizons 92% of campers agree
- Is a great social leveller 75% of campers agree
- Is a great way to make new friends 73% of campers agree
- Allows you to be yourself 81% of campers agree, almost twice as many as non-campers
- Improves your social life 61% of campers feel they are very sociable on an average day compared with 52% of non-campers
"I love camping as it’s great to be able to get back to basics and it lets you connect with nature again. It’s always worth it for the wonderful moments we share as a family...it’s those moments that lure me back time and time again."
- Sarah Beeny, TV presenter
"In our sixties, my husband and I decided to give camping a try! We had believed that the old community spirit had disappeared...but no, it is alive and well on Club sites all over the country."
- Pat Gwynette, Member No.712