Publicity surrounding the Fourth of July flash floods that killed over 130 people and wiped out two RV parks and a Christian girls camp in Kerrville, Texas, had a lasting negative effect on the mid-summer campground business in Texas, but some parks were affected more than others.
While representatives from some parks, such as Texas Hill Country Resort in Medina and Hidden Valley RV Park in Von Ormy, said their summer business levels were normal, others said they experienced a significant decline in business as a result of both national and social media reports involving the floods.
As often happens with national media reports involving a disaster, some travelers mistakenly believed that much of Texas was affected by flash flooding, even though the worst damage took place along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, a relatively small area of the Texas Hill Country.
“As Texans know, Texas is a huge state. Unfortunately, when an event such as the Kerrville flood occurred on July 4, our state seems to shrink in the eyes of potential visitors, and the whole state can become affected,” Randall Dally, TACO’s Legislative Liaison, said in his Aug. 6 testimony to the Texas House Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding.
Dally owns Rayburn RV Hideout in Brookeland, a remote community in East Texas, more than five hours away from the Texas Hill Country. But even though Dally’s park is a half-day’s drive away from Hill Country, he still received several calls from potential visitors who were concerned about whether he was open or how badly he was affected by the flooding.
Dally told legislators that many travelers had stayed away from the Hill Country area for weeks after the floods.
“Our association has been in contact with Hill Country parks and their phones are not ringing, and there are no reservations being made,” he said during his Aug. 6 testimony.
Mitch Spence, chief commercial officer for Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Northgate Resorts, which operates several campgrounds in Hill Country area, said both traditional and social media reports kept travelers away from the Hill Country area after the flood event.
“Social media and other channels were full of posts urging travelers to avoid the Hill Country, and the perception spread quickly,” Spence said in an emailed statement. “Additionally, guests were understandably wary of visiting the area given the specifics of the tragedy. Even resorts in the region that were completely untouched by the flooding felt the impact. In Kerrville, reservations fell by more than 50%, with many guests canceling or shifting their stays. We did our best to be as accommodating as we could. Other Hill Country parks saw smaller but still meaningful drops, despite being fully open and unaffected. It’s a delicate situation — we rely on travel to these regions — so once we confirmed it was safe, we focused on encouraging guests to keep their trips as planned.”
When WCM checked with Texas park operators in late August, several said their businesses eventually rebounded after flood-related publicity, while others were experiencing normal levels of demand.
“Although many who reserve (sites) have asked about the local flooding and showed concern for the victims, our summer reservations, which are always slower than winter, have been fairly in line with past summers,” said Teri Blaschke, of Hidden Valley RV Park in Von Ormy.
While Camp Mystic, the Christian girls’ camp, dominated headlines following the flood, two Kerrville RV parks also suffered catastrophic damage, including Blue Oak RV Park and HTR TX Hill Country, both of which are currently closed.
WCM was unable to reach the owners of Blue Oak RV Park regarding their plans for the future. HTR TX Hill Country does not yet have a reopening date. However, Ocean City, Md.-based Blue Water Development Corp., which manages the park, provided WCM with a statement.
“This is an unprecedented event for our organization, and we are still working through the aftermath,” said Blue Water Chief Operating Officer Jessica Nichols, adding, “We are heartbroken by the tragic events that unfolded and the impact this disaster has had on our guests, team members, and the surrounding community.
“Our primary focus has been supporting those directly affected and working closely with local authorities and emergency response teams. We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the community and our partners. While operations at the affected property remain paused, our commitment to recovery and to those we serve remains unwavering.”