Aussie camper calls out 'frustrating' trend when booking a site

Some say it's 'entitled' travellers while others say it's the National Parks' way of making money. Either way, it's preventing families from enjoying a cheap getaway. 

The cost of living crisis has forced many families to choose the cheaper option when it comes to a much-needed family getaway. 

But even though it's an affordable way to travel, there's a frustrating trend that has become apparent in the camping community that is preventing many from enjoying time in the outdoors.

It's all to do with the "annoying" booking system followed by national parks in Australia.

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Campsites are "booked out" but are almost empty

Aussie dad Michael Atkinson (@outback_mike), who you might recognise from the first season of SBS's Alone Australia, took to social media recently after attempting to book a campsite in NSW's Kosciusko National Park. 

"Do we even need a booking system?" he captioned his video.

"I’m not having a go at National Parks. It is not their fault that people book and don’t show up. I’m just pointing out that a system, introduced for COVID distancing, isn’t working well and is no longer needed. My vote is to ditch it."

Mike is referring to the cheap (usually $6-$10) booking system used by parks, which is great for families on the hunt for a cheap stay but also problematic because a lot of parks appear to be booked out online only to be almost empty when showing up to the site. 

It's a common occurrence and frustrating as hell for those campers who have been desperately searching for a spot for the night. 

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Have you noticed campsites "booked out" but plenty of vacant spots when you've arrived? Image: Instagram

"People book them out and don’t use them"

In his video, Mike explains the annoying trend a little more.

"This is a fully booked campground in Kosciusko National Park. I just want to point out a problem with the booking system," he says.

"Basically this is number 19 and I think there’s more than 20 sites here and only one in five actually has someone in them. But the whole place is booked out."

And the camp spot Mike landed at isn't the only place that has had a problem with their booking system. 

"This isn’t actually the campground that I wanted to go to. The one I wanted to go to was booked out but I guarantee if you went there, 80 or 90 per cent of them would be empty," he insists in the short clip. 

"So people book them out and they don’t use them so it’s not a system that works. If it wasn’t for this one last remaining, I wouldn’t have been able to camp in the park. I would’ve had to go somewhere else and all these empty spots just go begging."

The dad goes on to say that while the system relied on by national parks worked during the peak of COVID in Australia, it's no longer needed. 

"The measures that we introduced when COVID came in, those days are over. I really reckon it’s time to get rid of that system," he says. 

"I know occasionally it might get full if you don’t have a booking system, but this isn’t a really good solution I don’t reckon."

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Aussie campers all have the same problem 

Mike's video resonated with many Aussie campers who were equally frustrated by the trend. 

"We have experienced this so many times too!" one person commented. 

"Pretty sad people could be out using the spots," another agreed. 

Another grumpy traveller added: "I haaaate the bloody booking system. The amount of times (genuinely) that I’ve seen someone rock up at 11pm and tell someone they’re in their spot is ridiculous. Or, no reception to book. Not everyone is booking from home for a weekend away."

"It’s absolutely ridiculous. Are these vacancies no shows, or what’s actually going on here?" another questioned in the comments.

And that's when people offered up their theories about why it keeps happening. 

The Aussie dad is fed up with the camping booking system. Image: Instagram

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People are booking out extra spots for "privacy" 

The first theory shared was about people purposely booking the extra spaces and not using them to allow for more privacy and space around the site they are actually staying on.

"People book a site and also all the ones around them. I've gone and set up in an unused site at 5pm only to be told by someone nearby they booked it and all the sites adjacent to theirs for them to have some space," one person shared. 

"People book more than one site so they have space around them," another chimed in. 

"Yep, the fact you can choose your spot is the issue, it allows them to strategically book a cluster of them together," another agreed. 

It's too cheap so people don't cancel 

The excessive booking by one group is only encouraged by the fact that the camping fees at these parks are so cheap and canceling with no refund is no big deal. 

"Totally agree, the system doesn’t work. And because national parks don’t offer a refund most people don’t bother notifying if they can no longer keep their booking," one person said. 

"At $6 a booking there is no incentive to cancel," another agreed. 

And another person shared: "Need to up the price as for $6 or whatever it is people just don’t care if they show up or not. Each time I’ve been there it’s been the same."

Others said it could also be a sneaky tactic for revenue raising: "With a no refund / deposit system it’s built for parks to make money with less people actually attending," and others said the word on the street is that hotels are purposely booking sites to force them to look elsewhere (like their hotel!) for a place to stay. 

"Apparently the local hotels etc book out the campsites, so then people have to pay for hotels. That’s the word on the street." 

Cheeky if true. Are you equally annoyed by this? 

Originally published as Aussie camper calls out 'frustrating' trend when booking a site