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Making friends whilst camping, is a highlight, because you can make many friends that enjoy the same things.

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Don't make the mistake of getting out there in the camping world, only to hide away in your RV. Here's how to make friends while camping with some practical icebreakers...

Going to a new campground can feel like going to summer camp as a kid. You're excited about all of the things to do, but might be really nervous about the social aspect.

Are the other kids going to like you? Are you going to make friends? Or are you going to write home to mama to pick you up asap?!

Hopefully, your summer camp experience is a happy memory, but no matter what, your next camping experience can be!

In a recent post in our RV Lifestyle Facebook group, members shared their advice on making friends while camping with over 550 comments. Here are some of those great tips on how to make friends while camping.

If you buy something through our links, we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep our lights on so we can continue to provide helpful resources for RVers. Read our full affiliate disclosure here.

Why You Need to Put Yourself Out There

One of the main reasons people join the RV lifestyle is to see the world. They want to visit all kinds of places and see new things. But don't forget that people can truly take your experience to the next level.

What's so great about RVing is you get to visit one place but can learn about so many places through the people you meet. Best of all, you can see how people from all over the country and even the world share a lot in common with you.

Getting to know some locals will give you more insight than any travel guide could give you, too. A quick chat with your waitress or grocery bagger can teach you things about the area you'd never know otherwise. Just gaining a glimpse into local life is interesting in its own right.

And that's the mindset you need to adopt. A "friendship" when camping is probably fleeting. In most cases, you'll never see or hear from them again.

Now, don't get me wrong. You may, in fact, meet lifelong friends but even small friendly interactions can make a huge difference! Getting to share stories, relate to strangers, and lowering your guard can teach you a lot about the world and even yourself.

Not to mention, many studies have shown that social interaction improves your mental and physical health.

It's Easier to Make Friends While Camping

Making new friends can be nerve-wracking, but you actually have two big advantages when camping. Embracing these two advantages can make the whole idea of meeting new people easier for you.

Advantage #1

The first advantage is you never have to see these people again. Ha! I bet you didn't expect that! But that thought is actually very freeing.

You don't have to worry so much about whether they like you or you like them because, if not, well, you move on.

A friend shared with me once that she used to be very nervous about meeting her neighbors at her brick-and-mortar house because she'd be stuck with them if she didn't like them. But, she said, she doesn't have that fear with her campground neighbors. The worst that could happen is an awkward conversation.

The opposite is true, too. You may be more nervous that they won't like you. Guess what?! Even if they don't, they're not stuck with you either! So, embrace the short-term stakes.

Advantage #2

The second advantage is you're among your people! There's a very good chance they like doing the same thing as you because they are doing the same thing as you.

Plus, campers tend to be friendly people. They know how to sit back and relax and enjoy the moment. They're curious about new places and things, and that usually includes you!

Many will even take the first step and strike up a conversation with you. So, you just need to be prepared to not shy away from it. Return their greeting or question, and see where it goes from there.

How to Make Friends While Camping: 14 Tips & Icebreakers

Saying you want to make friends and knowing how to make friends are two very different things. So, here are some tips and icebreakers to help you along your way.

1. Look for long-term campers that have been there or are staying more than a few days. Weekenders and bigger groups tend to just want to focus on their fun and their families since they're limited on time.

2. Smile and wave at everyone. Some will take it from there for you! They'll strike up a conversation and you just have to participate.

3. Let your dog be your wingman. Take your dog for a walk around the campground or park him beside you in your outdoor area. People will come to your dog, and then to you.

4. Let your kids be your wingman. Kids usually don't have the same reserves we do about meeting new people so let them loose! Let them play with other kids and then you can meet their parents.

5. Let your travel companion be your wingman. Chances are, one of you is more sociable than the other. Don't hold them back! Don't go, "you shouldn't bother them or maybe they don't want you to..." Let them do their thing and if it works out, great! If it doesn't, that's on them!

6. Limit your first conversation to 5-10 minutes. Campers are very friendly people and often over-polite. They may be in the middle of something or on the way somewhere but they don't want to interrupt you. So, try to keep the first conversation short and then swing back by or invite them over another time.

7. Set up extra chairs around your fire pit. You can invite people over, offer s'mores to passers-by, or even put a sign up that says "free campfire stories" or "campfire songs".

8. Participate in campground activities. A lot of campgrounds host group activities, like card games, sports matches, or meet-and-greets. Join in!

9. Place your chairs at the front of your campsite facing passers-by. Smile and say hi to everyone and see where that goes.

10. Set up a snack station. Have a portable table for coffee or snacks and invite people to stop by.

11. Ask them about their RV. RVers love to talk about their rigs!

12. Offer help. If you see them lugging gear or setting up, offer to help. Some may decline but others will appreciate it.

13. Ask for help. Whether you need to borrow a tool or need help backing up, asking for help is a great way to break the ice.

14. Host a game night. Walk around the campground and let people know you're having a game night and anyone's welcome to join. Camping games and the best board games for camping are a great way to interact without having to rely on conversation.

We'd love to hear your tips and advice on how to make friends while camping. Please share your advice and experiences in the comments below.

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This ebook is a seven-day guided exploration of the State and National Parks in Southern Utah. We provide a suggested route and itinerary, links to multiple campgrounds and boondocking spots, and the best spots to see along the way. Don't plan your trip to Southern Utah without it!

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How To Make Friends While Camping (14 Icebreakers) | RV Lifestyle

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Don't get out there in the camping world, only to hide away in your RV. Here's how to make friends while camping with easy icebreakers...

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People are looking after the environment by disposing of waste the right way

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Freedom campers have mostly been on good behaviour across Aotearoa this summer.

After reports in past summers of inappropriate toileting and camping in banned areas, councils in tourist hotspots said the season so far had been a success.

A new law is currently being phased in, requiring freedom campers to have completely self-contained vehicles with plumbed-in toilets.

It will not be fully in force until next year - but compliance is already on the up, councils says.

While tourist numbers had boomed in Kaikōura this summer, reports of bad behaviour had not - with help from a new compliance officer, the region's district council senior operations manager Dave Clibbery said.

"[The officer is] informing them about what our regulations are, and if they are unable to comply, directing them to other private facilities that have toilets.

"That's worked really well, despite being an extremely busy season, we've not had really too many incidents."

Earlier issues with poor camping etiquette - particularly inappropriate toileting - had created "quite considerable concern" in the community, Clibbery said, but those had died down this summer.

"We've not had a lot of complaints from the community, that's a really good indicator that things are going well."

Further south in Queenstown, there were "a couple of code browns" at the start of the summer - and although littering and lighting fires were the main issues, they were not major, said Queenstown Lakes District Council responsible camping programme manager Amy Galloway.

"On the whole, the behaviour from campers has been good, and the feedback we get from our responsible camping ambassadors is that people are doing their best to abide by the rules," Galloway said.

"I don't think we're at the pre-Covid levels of non-compliance that we had."

In the North Island, Gisborne and Coromandel's councils said there was not a lot to worry about this summer.

Coromandel Mayor Len Salt said compliance officers took "a discussion and education approach", which was paying off.

"This summer, I'd have to say it's gone really well, it is pretty labour intensive for our people," he said - with more than 1400 vehicle checks since Christmas Eve, 151 infringement notices issued and 75 warnings.

"The compliance overall has been pretty good, sometimes we've just got to be a little bit more firm with people, but often that's just a matter of making them aware and working with them so that they're parking in the right places."
New law a blow for some caravaners
A new law is currently being phased in, requiring freedom campers to have completely self-contained vehicles with plumbed-in toilets. (File image) Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

The law requiring freedom campers to have certified self-contained vehicles with plumbed-in toilets - rather than portable toilets - would not fully be in force until next year.

Those with portable toilets that were certified under the old rules, have until June 2025 to comply with the new rules - but those not previously certified must abide by the new law.

"A lot of councils have got their enforcement officers out there this summer, and they are quite vigilant around compliance with the new rules," said New Zealand Motor Caravan Association property and policy manager James Imlach.

It meant many members were heavily restricted in their choice of campsites, he said.

"I would say that most of our members with portable toilets who are affected by the reforms probably feel a bit hard done by."

They had spent time and money on meeting the current standards, only to have the goalposts shift, he said.

"They've done all the hard to work to comply and to demonstrate to councils and the community they represent that they are responsible campers.

"But unfortunately not everyone who freedom camps with a portable toilet in the industry is responsible, and this is what's landed us with new legislation."

It was still too early to tell whether the new legislation was effective in curbing illegal activity and issues with waste disposal, he said.

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Camping behaviour improves with fewer 'code browns'

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Freedom campers have mostly been on good behaviour across Aotearoa this summer. After reports in past summers of inappropriate toileting and...

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How we define and measure freedom camping

The International Visitor Survey (IVS) provides 2 measures of the extent of freedom camping by international visitors in New Zealand:

the number of visitors for whom freedom camping was their main form of accommodation

the number of visitors who freedom camped at least once.

The exact definition of freedom camping in the IVS is "Free camping - staying at a place that is NOT an official camp site, in a tent, caravan, campervan/motorhome".

Statistics on freedom campers can vary significantly from year to year. This is because only around 3% of all international visitors have done some freedom camping, and the IVS samples only a small proportion of all international visitors. The average sample size over the past 5 years is around 420 for visitors who did any freedom camping and 89 for visitors who mainly freedom camped.

Individual figures and year-on-year changes should be treated with caution, but trends over many years are more informative.

In this article, we've chosen to focus only on the visitors who did some freedom camping at any point in their visit to New Zealand. This is because it provides a larger sample with which to produce statistics, and captures visitors who use a mix of different forms of accommodation.

The number of freedom camping visitors is proportionally small but growing

The number of international visitors who did some freedom camping in New Zealand has been rising recently, from 54,000 in the year ended 2013 to around 123,000 in the year ended 2018. This followed a period of moderate growth from around 10,000 visitors at the beginning of the 2000's.

Total estimated spending by visitors who did some freedom camping has also increased significantly in this period, from $210 million in 2013 to $540 million in 2018.

The growth in numbers and spending from this group of visitors followed a similar pattern to that seen for total international visitors. However, even with this increase, only 3.4 per cent of visitors to New Zealand did some freedom camping in 2017 and 2018.

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Freedom camping by international visitors in New Zealand

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Access statistics and information about freedom camping by international visitors in New Zealand, based on data from the International Visitor Survey (IVS).

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Cheaper then renting a house, to go away 

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Cheaper then renting a house, to go away 

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It is so much cheaper to go away in a freedom camping environment instead of buying a house by the lake side.

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Free Camping in New Zealand

Freedom camping or free camping is the practice of putting up tents or parking up campervans in public areas not designated for camping. Free camping typically means that freedom campers cannot access facilities such as clean drinking water, toilets (either flushing or long drop) and waste disposal facilities. Free camping appeals to campers, especially those on a tight budget because it offers the ultimate in 'cheap camping'. In New Zealand, freedom campers tend to use laybys, picnic areas and very remote spots.

There are now around 420 'free' campsites scattered around New Zealand that are designated by local councils and the Department of Conservation. Up until 2011 in New Zealand, it was much easier to find a free campsite as many of the councils didn't see freedom camping as a problem and there weren't as many rules. Then, around the time of the Rugby World Cup in 2011, the entire campervan rental fleet was booked out months in advance. Also around this time, there were some highly publicised cases of irresponsible freedom camping (going to the toilet in a public place, leaving rubbish in popular free camping spots etc).

Unfortunately, free camping is having an increasingly negative effect on New Zealand's clean, green environment due to the increasing volume of freedom campers - some of whom create litter problems, dispose of human waste inadequately and discharge grey water outside of dump stations. Free campers tend not to be popular with local residents but it doesn't have to be that way. To help keep New Zealand beautiful, avoid fines, and stay in the good books with the locals we've put together some helpful 'need-to-knows', best practice tips, and links to local council and government resources.

What are the new rules?

From February 1st 2018, the national standards covering self-contained vehicles have been tightened. All motor caravans and caravans must be self-contained when staying overnight at locations where self-containment is required, this includes some DOC campsites (note some locations do not require campers to be self-contained, as a responsible camper you must check all signs at the location you are staying at). This means you need to be able to live in your vehicle for 3 days without requiring more water or dumping waste. The vehicle must have freshwater storage, wastewater storage, a rubbish bin with a lid, and a toilet that can be used inside, even when the bed is in place. If you do not have a vehicle with a self-contained toilet, you will need to park near toilet facilities. Your vehicle hire company should have information to pass on about the type of vehicle you need. For information on these definitions click here.

The confusing part for travellers is that different regions and Department of Conservation areas have different rules. To make sure you're aware of these differing rules, be sure to check in with:
Local Isite Visitor Information Centres
DoC Visitor Centres

or if you're still in doubt check out:
Local Council Information
To access an up-to-date list of Freedom Camping sites check out www.rankers.co.nz

Free Camping Best Practice

Freedom camping is not illegal in New Zealand, but local by-laws can specifically restrict it in certain areas and free campers not complying with notices can be fined. If you are free camping in New Zealand, do try to follow the guidelines below:

Make sure you park your campervan or pitch your tent in a safe area, well away from traffic. If possible, try to camp near to a public toilet block, where you can use the toilets and sinks (sometimes showers).

Keep your car or campervan doors locked at night.

Portable fuel stoves are less harmful to the environment and are more efficient than fires. In dry times of year, open fires may be prohibited in certain areas - be sure to check for fire restrictions. If you really have to make a fire, keep it small, use only dead wood and make sure it is out by dousing it with water and checking the ashes before you leave.

Improper disposal of toilet waste can contaminate water, damage the environment and is culturally offensive. Use disposal facilities where provided or bury waste in a shallow hole at least 50 metres away from waterways.

When cleaning and washing in open waterways, take the water and wash well away from the water source. As soaps and detergents are harmful to water life, drain used water into the soil to allow it to be filtered.

If you suspect water to be contaminated, either boil it for at least three minutes, or filter it, or chemically treat it.

Litter is unattractive, harmful to wildlife and pollutes water. Take all your litter with you, recycle what you can, and dispose of non-recyclables in the appropriate rubbish bins or refuse centres.

Camp carefully and respect the environment and other visitors - leave no trace of your visit, nothing but footprints as the old adage goes.

Check out NZ Tourism Guide for more info.

Campermate.co.nz has a great free app available on IOS and Android which lets you know where the free campsites are while travelling around NZ. Check it out!

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Free Camping In NZ | Freedom Camping Rules | Kiwi Camping NZ

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Freedom camping or free camping is the practice of putting up tents or parking up campervans in public areas not designated for camping. Learn all about NZ rules here.

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Freedom campers in Queenstown and Wanaka fight back

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Freedom campers in Queenstown and Wanaka fight back

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Unfortunately, free camping is having an increasingly negative effect on New Zealand’s clean, green environment due to the increasing volume of freedom campers – some of whom create litter problems, dispose of human waste inadequately and discharge grey water outside of dump stations.

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More than 16 tonnes of rubbish has been collected from camping sites around Lake Dunstan since November, and it's still not even peak season yet.

Land and Information New Zealand (LINZ) manages four sites around the lake near Cromwell, in Central Otago.

This year the agency has clamped down on freedom camping, imposing maximum stays and employing security staff in response to anger from locals.

From November to the end of last week 16,000kg of rubbish has been taken from the four sites and more than 30,000 vehicles have visited them - though not all will be campers.

The spokesperson said in general campers have respected the rules, although one camper had to be moved along by the police after being served with a trespass notice.

Peak season at the camping sites starts in late January.

In December, LINZ deputy chief executive for crown property Jerome Sheppard said the new approach for the camping sites was in response to a massive increase in visitor numbers.

He called the volume of people a "small city" and said LINZ wanted to support the community by managing the sites.

Security workers had been hired to monitor the sites and would be ensuring compliance with the rules.

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16 tonnes of rubbish from Lake Dunstan camping sites

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More than 16 tonnes of rubbish has been collected from camping sites around Lake Dunstan since November, and it's still not even peak season yet....

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Freedom camping rubbish gets out of hand 

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Freedom camping rubbish gets out of hand 

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Despite a 20% increase in the number of freedom campers around Dunedin so far this season, resident complaints and the number of infringement…

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A negative of freedom camping, is the amount of rubbish that gets left behind.

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https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/camping-behaviour-improves-fewer-code-browns

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Freedom campers have mostly been on good behaviour across Aotearoa this summer.

After reports in past summers of inappropriate toileting and camping in banned areas, councils in tourist hotspots said the season so far had been a success.

A new law is currently being phased in, requiring freedom campers to have completely self-contained vehicles with plumbed-in toilets.

It will not be fully in force until next year - but compliance is already on the up, councils says.

While tourist numbers had boomed in Kaikōura this summer, reports of bad behaviour had not - with help from a new compliance officer, the region's district council senior operations manager Dave Clibbery said.

"[The officer is] informing them about what our regulations are, and if they are unable to comply, directing them to other private facilities that have toilets.

"That's worked really well, despite being an extremely busy season, we've not had really too many incidents."

Earlier issues with poor camping etiquette - particularly inappropriate toileting - had created "quite considerable concern" in the community, Clibbery said, but those had died down this summer.

"We've not had a lot of complaints from the community, that's a really good indicator that things are going well."

Further south in Queenstown, there were "a couple of code browns" at the start of the summer - and although littering and lighting fires were the main issues, they were not major, said Queenstown Lakes District Council responsible camping programme manager Amy Galloway.

"On the whole, the behaviour from campers has been good, and the feedback we get from our responsible camping ambassadors is that people are doing their best to abide by the rules," Galloway said.

"I don't think we're at the pre-Covid levels of non-compliance that we had."

In the North Island, Gisborne and Coromandel's councils said there was not a lot to worry about this summer.

Coromandel Mayor Len Salt said compliance officers took "a discussion and education approach", which was paying off.

"This summer, I'd have to say it's gone really well, it is pretty labour intensive for our people," he said - with more than 1400 vehicle checks since Christmas Eve, 151 infringement notices issued and 75 warnings.

"The compliance overall has been pretty good, sometimes we've just got to be a little bit more firm with people, but often that's just a matter of making them aware and working with them so that they're parking in the right places."
New law a blow for some caravaners
A new law is currently being phased in, requiring freedom campers to have completely self-contained vehicles with plumbed-in toilets. (File image) Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

The law requiring freedom campers to have certified self-contained vehicles with plumbed-in toilets - rather than portable toilets - would not fully be in force until next year.

Those with portable toilets that were certified under the old rules, have until June 2025 to comply with the new rules - but those not previously certified must abide by the new law.

"A lot of councils have got their enforcement officers out there this summer, and they are quite vigilant around compliance with the new rules," said New Zealand Motor Caravan Association property and policy manager James Imlach.

It meant many members were heavily restricted in their choice of campsites, he said.

"I would say that most of our members with portable toilets who are affected by the reforms probably feel a bit hard done by."

They had spent time and money on meeting the current standards, only to have the goalposts shift, he said.

"They've done all the hard to work to comply and to demonstrate to councils and the community they represent that they are responsible campers.

"But unfortunately not everyone who freedom camps with a portable toilet in the industry is responsible, and this is what's landed us with new legislation."

It was still too early to tell whether the new legislation was effective in curbing illegal activity and issues with waste disposal, he said.

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Camping behaviour improves with fewer 'code browns'

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Freedom campers have mostly been on good behaviour across Aotearoa this summer. After reports in past summers of inappropriate toileting and...

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What are freedom campers worth to New Zealand?

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What are freedom campers worth to New Zealand?

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The number of freedom campers in New Zealand is growing strongly and while they spend $530 million a year their daily spending is half that of average visitors.

Those visitors who did some freedom camping in New Zealand has risen, from 60,000 in the year ended 2015 to around 110,000 in the year ended 2017. This followed a period of moderate growth from around 20,000 visitors, from 2005 to 2015, according to Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment data released today.

Total estimated spending by visitors who did some freedom camping has also increased significantly in this period, from $290m in 2015 to $530m last year.

Some behaviour of freedom campers such as going to the toilet in the street and littering parking areas has led to bans in some areas.

There has also been opposition to them by some who think New Zealand should only target higher spending visitors.

On average, visitors who do some freedom camping spend a lot less per day than all visitors.

Last year, visitors who did some freedom camping spent, on average, less than half as much per day ($90) compared with all visitors ($190).

While the survey data did not break this down, the report says this could be due to freedom campers not spending much on accommodation.

They do however, spend more in total because they stay for longer.

The general trend has seen a very slight increase since the early 2000s, up to around $4700 per visitor in 2017, however this was most likely caused by inflation, the report says.

The average length of stay for visitors who did some freedom camping was 51 days in 2017, three times longer than the average of all other visitors (17 days).

Even though the past 10 years has shown a slight decline in the average length of stay for all visitors (down from 19 to 17 days), visitors who did some freedom camping are staying even longer (up from 35 to 51 days).

German visitors were nearly three times as likely to do some freedom camping in New Zealand than any other of the other top visitor markets.

Over the past two years, 17 percent of German visitors (16,000 per year) did some freedom camping while in New Zealand. Visitors from Britain were the next highest with 6 per cent.

By total numbers, the market with the highest number overall was Australia, our biggest overall source of tourists.

Of the total number of visitors who did some freedom camping, Australian visitors made up 25 percent of these - an average of 28,000 per year.

Freedom campers travel more widely around the country, visiting around double the amount of regions that total international visitors did, which fits with tourism bosses' aims to get more tourists out of sometimes congested hotspots.

In the year ended 2017, people who did some freedom camping visited 6.8 regions on average, with all visitors only visiting 3.1 on average.

MBIE says the International Visitor Survey defines freedom campers as those staying at a place that is not an official campsite, in a tent, caravan, campervan/motorhome.

Statistics on freedom campers can vary significantly from year to year MBIE says because only around 3 percent of all international visitors have done some freedom camping and the International Visitor Survey samples only a small proportion of all international visitors.

The average sample size over the past five years is around 370 for visitors who did any freedom camping and 70 for visitors who mainly freedom camped.

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What are freedom campers worth to New Zealand?

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The number of freedom campers in New Zealand is growing strongly and while they spend $530 million a year their daily spending is half that of average visi

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Large volume of campers, access to local sites being reduced or blocked, and concern about inappropriate disposal of human waste and litter

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building a wall to keep freedom campers out 

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building a wall to keep freedom campers out 

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A small settlement in the South Island is so fed up with freedom campers, they've taken things into their own hands.

The rubbish and toileting mess left by tourists for years has so incensed the locals they've built a wall to keep them out.

Scenes of disarray litter the shorefront of Lake Hawea. Tourists drive in, sleep for free, leave toileting and other mess and depart. The locals are sick of it, and tired of the authorities' inaction to deal with it.

"We've been involved with tourism New Zealand, councils, some of the forums that they've had - there's been so many talk fests," says local farmer Richard Burdon. "We're all sick of talking about freedom camping."

Residents took matters into their own hands and built a wall of rocks and soil to stop the campers driving in.

"We've blocked it off, but they've already cleared the stones so they can still drive in," Mr Burdon says.

According to Mr Burdon, with nearly 4 million tourists coming into New Zealand, the problem is getting worse.

There is a toilet at the popular Craig Burn Reserve, but the campers choose not to use it. Locals say change needs to come from the Government.

"This is a serious problem in New Zealand," says Mr Burdon. "It's out of control and we need some legislative change to change it."

This freedom camping problem has been around for quite some time, so long in fact Newshub did a story at the same place as the wall six years ago, with reporter Leanne Malcolm visiting the scene to find defecating tourists.

Other tourists in the area on Saturday are shocked at the mess they've seen.

"New Zealand is heaven and I come walking down to the beach and I see toilet paper, all kinds of rubbish and stuff all over the place," says Hawaiian tourist Norris Katada.

"It's almost like they've given everyone a free pass to come and destroy this country, but the reason people come here is because it's so pure and pristine," says Australian tourist Chrissy Van der Jeugd.

"As a tourist visiting this beautiful country of New Zealand, I wouldn't want to take a walk and come across somebody who's just squatted and did their dirty business," says Hawaiian tourist Tricia Iseri.

Locals also have firm views.

"I think freedom camping should be banned - they don't respect our country," says resident Mike Botting.

They are asking how bad the problem will get before serious change is made.

Newshub.

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South Island town takes freedom camping problem into own hands

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They've built a wall to keep the campers out.

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brings money to newzealnd local buinesses and economy

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brings money to newzealnd local buinesses and economy

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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/what-freedom-campers-are-worth-to-new-zealand/DVUDEOPF2DT46HO7VXW2AYIMLE/

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The number of freedom campers in New Zealand is growing strongly and while they spend $530 million a year their daily spending is half that of average visitors.

Those visitors who did some freedom camping in New Zealand has risen, from 60,000 in the year ended 2015 to around 110,000 in the year ended 2017. This followed a period of moderate growth from around 20,000 visitors, from 2005 to 2015, according to Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment data released today.

Total estimated spending by visitors who did some freedom camping has also increased significantly in this period, from $290m in 2015 to $530m last year.

Some behaviour of freedom campers such as going to the toilet in the street and littering parking areas has led to bans in some areas.

There has also been opposition to them by some who think New Zealand should only target higher spending visitors.

On average, visitors who do some freedom camping spend a lot less per day than all visitors.

Last year, visitors who did some freedom camping spent, on average, less than half as much per day ($90) compared with all visitors ($190).

While the survey data did not break this down, the report says this could be due to freedom campers not spending much on accommodation.

They do however, spend more in total because they stay for longer.

The general trend has seen a very slight increase since the early 2000s, up to around $4700 per visitor in 2017, however this was most likely caused by inflation, the report says.

The average length of stay for visitors who did some freedom camping was 51 days in 2017, three times longer than the average of all other visitors (17 days).

Even though the past 10 years has shown a slight decline in the average length of stay for all visitors (down from 19 to 17 days), visitors who did some freedom camping are staying even longer (up from 35 to 51 days).
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German visitors were nearly three times as likely to do some freedom camping in New Zealand than any other of the other top visitor markets.

Over the past two years, 17 per cent of German visitors (16,000 per year) did some freedom camping while in New Zealand. Visitors from Britain were the next highest with 6 per cent.

By total numbers, the market with the highest number overall was Australia, our biggest overall source of tourists.

Of the total number of visitors who did some freedom camping, Australian visitors made up 25 per cent of these - an average of 28,000 per year.

Freedom campers travel more widely around the country, visiting around double the amount of regions that total international visitors did, which fits with tourism bosses' aims to get more tourists out of sometimes congested hotspots.

In the year ended 2017, people who did some freedom camping visited 6.8 regions on average, with all visitors only visiting 3.1 on average.

MBIE says the International Visitor Survey defines freedom campers as those staying at a place that is not an official camp site, in a tent, caravan, campervan/motorhome.

Statistics on freedom campers can vary significantly from year to year MBIE says because only around 3 per cent of all international visitors have done some freedom camping and the International Visitor Survey samples only a small proportion of all international visitors.

The average sample size over the past five years is around 370 for visitors who did any freedom camping and 70 for visitors who mainly freedom camped.

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