As early as 2020, Japan and South Korea experienced a boom in glamping due to the epidemic, and that year was widely referred to as the "first year of glamping". The rise of Korean camping variety shows and the frequent posting by Korean celebrities on social media have led to high growth in sales of camping-related products in Korea.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the scale of Korea's camping industry will be about 7 trillion KRW in 2021, an increase of about 20 %, while the country's camping market was only 2 trillion KRW in 2017.The population of camping in Korea has increased from 6 million in 2019 to 7 million in 2021. This means that about one in seven Koreans is a potential consumer in the camping market. The import of camping-related products has also increased due to the rise of outdoor leisure activities. According to the Korea Customs Service, Korea's imports of mountaineering and camping products in Jan-Oct 2021 were $304 million, an increase of 2. 5% YoY, and will reach a record high in 2023.
Besides, as Millennials and Generation "Z" become the main consumers in the camping market, they will be more inclined to camping styles and equipment with unique personality and taste, which is also a trend we need to pay attention to in the camping market. According to the results of a survey conducted by the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) on camping users in 2020, 18. 3% of campers are aged 19 to 29, 33.1% are in their 30s, 28.7% are in their 40s, 15.2% are in their 50s, and 4.7% are over 60 years old.
Regarding categories, in Lime's survey results, the most popular camping products chosen by respondents were tables and chairs (70.8 %), lanterns/light fixtures (67.5 %), tents (65.2 %), cooking utensils/cutlery (61.8 %), Bluetooth radios (57.7 %), sleeping bags (55.8 %), and refrigeration/heating products (45.0 %).
We have made a local customisation of the folding wagon for the Korean market, choosing the most popular three-section adjustable handle, wide wheels with brakes, and an open tailgate for more space, which has been well received in the Korean market.
