A wind of change is blowing strongly through the camping industry, where tents and sleeping bags used to be essential gears. As a response to COVID-19, a number of campers have turned their attention to Chabak, a newly coined Korean word that means sleeping in one’s car during camping, instead of gathering at camping sites. With this recent change, new items related to Chabak are in the spotlight.
A total of 112 companies, including 54 recreational vehicle businesses, have participated in the ninth Camping & Picnic Fair, which was held in KINTEX, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do from March 4 to March 7. Vehicles for Chabak occupied almost half of the exhibition panels and were categorized into two types: camper vans and trailers. The former are conversion vans equipped with kitchen facilities such as sinks, microwaves, beds, storage boxes, and even beam projectors. These automobiles are based on various models from large cars like vans and SUVs to small ones such as Kia Ray. Meanwhile, trailers consist of three types: caravans (trailers with a complete house shape), folding trailers (trailers that a tent would be set up when their roofs were open), and cargo trailers.
Automobiles are not the only products that have been influenced by the transformation of the camping market. While camping has become popularized as a modern leisure activity rapidly, entertainment camping items, additional props and outdoor cosmetics have also made an eye-catching appearance at the exhibition. Airbox, an inflatable product manufacturing company, launched a portable air hammock that has thousands of polyester yarns inside for the product’s sturdy durability. RATESMINTON, a racket sports equipment firm, introduced a field squash item using a lightweight racket and a ball. Meanwhile, HEALGROUND, an outdoor specialty cosmetic brand, made visitors open their wallets to purchase its outdoor shower tissues and skin care products with fast absorption and light scent, suitable for outdoor activities.
Camping is no longer limited to its fanatics. It has repositioned itself as a mainstream way of leisure. These shifts can be observed through the diversification of related products in the market and this trend is expected to continue to rise for a while. If you want to catch the trend of the camping industry earlier, visiting the upcoming Camping & Picnic Fair this summer can be a smart choice for you.
Hyunjeong Lee
K-UNIV Reporter
Los Angeles Times Asia Journal
