"Can't Stand It" People Exhausted from Forced Staying Home... Escape with Car Camping

'Corona Blue' as Frightening as COVID-19
Online and Mart Camping Gear Purchases Increase
Rooftop Tents, Bicycles, SUVs Popular
Creating Personal Escapes Amid Social Distancing 'Rules'

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] People tired of forced staying at home prefer outdoor activities with relatively low risk of COVID-19 infection, making camping popular. Instead of hotels where many unspecified guests stay, car camping (using a vehicle as accommodation instead of a tent) that minimizes face-to-face contact has emerged as a new trend.

According to online shopping mall Gmarket on the 27th, rooftop tent sales increased by 467% compared to the same period last year from February 22 to March 23, more than five times higher. Rooftop tents are fixed on top of vehicles, allowing tents to be set up without location restrictions. Folding trailers that expand usage space by being installed on vehicles increased by 225%. Sales of cargo trailers and roof bags/boxes also rose by 79% and 65%, respectively. Camping supplies are also popular. Kitchen tables and IGT tables used for outdoor cooking grew by 158% and 61% year-on-year, respectively. The IGT table is a camping-specific dining table with space in the middle for placing a grill. Cookware sets such as Koppels also increased by 25%. Kerosene gasoline lanterns and gasoline burners increased by 133% and 85%, respectively.

At Lotte Mart, bicycle product sales among online sports goods from February 17 to March 5 increased by 1680% compared to the same period last year. Hiking gear rose by 157.8%, and camping supplies by 68.5%. The domestic and international popularity of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), useful for camping and other activities, continues. Although car sales dropped significantly after COVID-19, Kia’s mid-size SUV Sorento, released on the 17th of last month, exceeded 26,000 pre-orders in 18 days, more than six times the average monthly sales of the previous year.

While the number of customers at major hotels nationwide and dining establishments has sharply decreased, the surge in tourist demand for camping is due to COVID-19. ‘Corona Blue,’ a depression caused by long-term remote work and fear of illness, is spreading, leading people to take outdoor trips with relatively lower infection risk. Spring outing visitors have also increased. The Korea Expressway Corporation forecasted that highway traffic would increase last weekend due to more spring outing travelers. The expected nationwide highway traffic volume was 4.12 million vehicles on the 28th and 3.41 million on the 29th.

However, as the government continues to emphasize strict social distancing, controversies around camping persist. Those going camping emphasize that they can relieve stress while following the new social distancing rules. Mr. Oh Sang-min (pseudonym), a 30-something office worker living in Seoul, said, "I went on a car camping trip to Gangneung last weekend with my 3- and 10-year-old children. Due to COVID-19 concerns, we spent a considerable amount of time inside the car, but the outdoor activity after a long time helped relieve accumulated stress." He argued that having meals inside the car and wearing masks when visiting restaurants inevitably can reduce risk.

In this regard, Professor Han Jin-soo of Kyung Hee University’s Department of Hotel Management said, "Human social life, a fundamental trait, has been completely cut off due to the COVID-19 crisis, increasing people’s stress levels. While following the new rule of social distancing, people seem to be coming up with their own coping strategies such as glamping, car camping, and staycations (stay + vacation) to relieve suppressed desires."