The rise of the online booking on national parks across the country has famously created an unwanted and unpopular side effect … a surge in the level of ghost camping.
With would-be campers booking a site in advance ‘just in case’ they want it on any given day, inevitably not all bother to cancel their bookings, leading to the frustrating problem of empty campsites on booked-out campsites.
Of course, the fact that people are effectively forced to book way in advance because of the popularity of certain sites at certain times of the year also means there is a high chance that their plans or circumstances change, or they have some unexpected drama. If these people fail to go to the trouble to make a cancellation, the effect is the same … empty campsites despite the fact that other people would love to have taken that spot.
Ghost camping is frustrating for campers who find fully booked sites empty
While the authorities in the various states and territories all take a slightly different approach, the ghost camping issue appears to be a universal one, and very tricky to get to grips with.
Many grey nomads report near-empty campsites that are supposedly fully booked, and that isn’t just a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence.
It’s a widespread issue.
The problem, of course, isn’t restricted to Australia … and some places are adopting an innovative, and more aggressive, approach … including a ‘three-strikes-and-you’re-out’ system.
In the US state of California, the Department of Parks and Recreation will – from the start of next month – implement stricter rules and penalties for people who fail to cancel their reservation in a timely manner.
Up until now, campers who didn’t show up at their reserved site by noon the day after their reservation date would have their booking cancelled, and be charged a US$8.25 cancellation fee and one-night use fee. However, the park would still refund the person the amount they paid to reserve a campsite spot, minus a non-refundable reservation fee.
From July 1 though, things will change.
USA Today reports that, while the park will still hold a person’s reservation until noon on the following day of the scheduled start date, the park will no longer offer a refund to guests considered a ‘no-show’. They will then lose their full deposit on the reservation of the campsite … and incur a ‘no-show’ penalty mark on their account.
If a person incurs three ‘no-show’ penalty marks on their account within one year, the California Department of Parks and Recreation will impose a 365-day restriction on their account’s use of the state’s online booking system.
While the offender might still be able to use campsites in California State Parks, they will be required to speak with an employee at the state park’s visitors centre to obtain a walk up or first-come, first-served unit.
As a part of the new rules, visitors will now also be required to cancel at least a week before their reservation if they would like a full refund. If they cancel between two to six days before their reservation, campers will receive a partial refund. If they cancel with less than two days to go, they will not receive a refund.
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Yes, as the system does not work
Yes definitely something has to be done.
So the person banned for 12 months simply rebooks on another email address…
That could be at least partially overcome by reading their computer ID number.
You also have to supply a vehicle rego number that can be checked by the rangers
Not a user of Nat. Parks for camping but still consider this concept fair and reasonable.
Chris T
Sounds very reasonable given the current state of booking systems around Oz. Although bookings would be made via an email address would it not also require a credit card payment up front? That being so, review of the method of reservation/booking fee payment should be more accurate as to who the “ghosts” are so they can be dealt with fairly.
It’s so easy to simply cancel your booking, show some respect!
That sounds very reasonable indeed. If people are too inconsiderate of others to cancel their unwanted sites, they deserve to be (and should be) penalised for their inconsiderate behaviour. The only exceptions should be if they were unavoidably unable to fulfil the booking say because of an accident or a health emergency (or something very similar) completely outside of their control that prevented them at the last minute from taking up their booking.
I’m not an avid National Parks user, I find them overpriced. However, I do believe that its rude to book a site and not use it so that others miss out. Why not just charge them for the site if they don’t turn up? The above suggestions sound sensible and validated. This smells of something scalpers do .
Booking campsites is a pain in the rear end.
They would still get around it, by using another name and address.
I have just returned from a three day stay at Ngarigo campground near Thredbo. I booked the last available spot on the NPWS online page yet when I camped only five or six sites were occupied. Surely national park rangers can check if a site was occupied and if not send a please explain email to the person who booked the unused site at the email address used to book that site and if there is no reasonable explanation warn the person that they may be excluded from booking a NPWS site in the future. Even if they use a different email address you need to provide a vehicle rego number when booking and this can also be checked by the rangers.
Yes. I agree.
That would be a wake-up call to the no show brigades
Solution is simple. Require full fee to be paid when booking and zero refunds unless cancelled more than a week prior.
It’s time that these practises are stopped, it is an unsocial activity and a responsibly of the applicable department to stop this practice.
So any action that does change this behaviour should be commended and mirrored.
I don’t think 365 day exclusion is enough. Exclude them for 3 years.\ – may think twice about it then.
Charge the full camping fee when booking. If no show the fee goes to park maintenance. A cancellation fee could be applied if cancelled booking less than two days in advance.