On average, members spend $50, Holland said. Because most sites are businesses, the Harvest Host code of conduct asks members to spend at least $30 before they leave. They can search by location, or by route, and pick a spot for no overnight fee. People who sign on pay an annual membership fee that gives them unlimited access to book stays across the country. Most members mix a Harvest Host site into their list of stays at campgrounds, Holland said. Hosts span from alpaca farms to ranches, cideries, breweries, and churches. In Colorado, there are 232 Harvest Host sites, and about 41 within 50 miles of Denver. Membership is approaching a quarter million, Holland said. The remainder of sites are private properties. Today, the company has amassed 9,000 host locations, including 5,000 businesses and churches. In 2018, Harvest Hosts had 600 locations and about 6,000 members, mainly in North America. “We kind of held on for dear life and were able to grow the network and membership substantially,” he said. The company survived the pandemic’s tailwinds and tried to respond to the moment, knowing for many people, finding ways to travel during COVID meant returning to small towns and hitting the road. If they were interested in selling, he promised to take their company and make it better. Holland, with his newfound passion for RVs, made them a pitch. ![]() The couple that founded Harvest Hosts had brought a concept from France to the U.S., partnering up with farms and wineries as sites to provide space for RV to stay overnight. They drove through all 48 states, a journey that eventually put Harvest Hosts on their radar. The rigs were increasing in popularity among millennials and Gen Z, and about 22% of owners were between 18 and 34 years old. “We bought an RV and took off, and ended up spending two years traveling,” Holland said.Ī study by the RV Industry Association in 2021 found a 62% increase in RV ownership in the past two decades, with about 11.2 million household owning an RV. Preparing to sell the tech startup they had at the time, and not sure what was next, the couple stopped at an RV dealership on a whim. On the heels of rapid growth, Harvest Hosts also took another step in its international expansion plans this year.ĬEO Joel Holland’s road to helming Harvest Hosts began about seven years ago when he and his wife were living in D.C. The Vail-based company’s pitch to the RV community is to become a member, and in exchange get access to unique places that free parking lots or $30 campgrounds don’t offer, all while supporting local business. “We are here to accommodate travelers if they just need a spot to stay overnight,” she said. ![]() The sales are nice perk but not the motivation for being a host, June said. “He said our wine was so good and our prices were so good he was taking Colorado wine back to California.” “We had one man from California buy five cases,” she said. Almost everyone buys at least one bottle of wine, if not a case, which provides a small bump in the winery’s annual profits, June said. Their busiest hosting night saw 11 RVs on the same night, but typically there is only one guest at a time. Now June and Clyde get to meet people from all over the country, June said.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |