Hello everyone. This is Tsuki from WAITER-U. I run a cafe in Shimokitazawa that's like a campsite. Today is March 23rd. The temperature has risen incredibly, hasn't it? I saw quite a few people in short sleeves and shorts during the day, and our cafe also welcomed a great many customers. I'm truly delighted. Thank you very much.
This is our 15th broadcast, and I'd like to talk about the camping boom. I often hear people say, "The camping boom ended quite a while ago," and some might even agree with that view. Also, it seems like I'm seeing more and more features on "the end of the camping boom" in major magazines, on social media, and in various other places.
Regarding this, I'm currently looking into going camping myself in about two weeks, but I can't get any reservations on weekends. Everywhere is popular. So, people who enjoy camping are still doing it, and my view is that it's not that camping itself has faded, but rather that the temporary "boom" has simply passed.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, non-contact hobbies were re-evaluated, and camping, golf, and surfing gained attention. Temporarily, a tremendous number of new campers emerged, leading to an increased demand for camping gear, and the economy saw significant activity. Various media outlets featured this, and social media influencers enthusiastically shared it. I see this chain of events, which led to the boom, as taking place from around 2020 to 2022 during the pandemic.
I was one of those who started camping during that time, riding that boom. And those who, like me, started then and thought "this is great," have continued to make it a new, established hobby. So, I think the correct view is that "those who love it continue to do it."
From a long-term perspective, it would be more accurate to say that demand for camping has returned to pre-COVID levels. Of course, if a movie about camping becomes a huge hit, there's a possibility the camping industry could flourish again, and I would be thrilled if that happened.
However, my opinion is that interpreting "camping = dead trend" as an understanding of the phrase "the end of the camping boom" is a bit too simplistic.
Today's topic ended up being about that, but in this podcast radio, hoping for the camping industry to thrive in the future, I want to answer simple questions like, "I want to start camping but don't know where to begin," or "Can I camp with just a backpack and train if I live in the city and don't have a car?" I feel there are few places in the world that answer these kinds of questions.
Although it will be irregular, I will be updating a few times a week, so please look forward to the next episode. See you then.
