Your guide to understanding and improving your park's booking conversion rate
Increasing your marketing budget is not the most effective way to increase your park’s revenue in 2026. Converting more of the website traffic you already have is. Getting interested travelers who are already visiting your website to complete a booking is where you'll see real, measurable impact.
The good news is that you can get started today by understanding conversion metrics, measuring your booking conversion rate, and acting on opportunities to grow this rate.
At RMS, we know that the booking conversion rate is a key driver of revenue growth and one of the most effective ways to improve performance without dumping more time and resources into your daily operations.
In this guide, we’ll introduce a simple booking conversion rate equation you can add to your toolkit, and show how to use this insight to increase your direct bookings. We’ll cover practical ways to make your property more bookable, reduce frustration in the booking journey, and create a smoother experience for potential campers. We’ll also explain how RMS can help you reach your ultimate goal of more successful bookings.
Small, thoughtful changes can lead to meaningful results. Even minor improvements can significantly impact your park's booking conversions.
You can boost your revenue by thousands with just a 1% increase in conversion.
Get started: Learn how to calculate your park’s booking conversion rate
Knowing your website traffic or your completed bookings is a good start, but we can take this a step further to figure out what percentage of those visitors are (and aren’t) completing a reservation.
Follow this simple formula:
Booking Conversion Rate = (Completed Reservations ÷ Booking Page Visitors) × 100
For example, if your booking page received 3,000 visitors in August and resulted in 75 completed reservations, you'd use this equation:
(75 ÷ 3,000) × 100 = 2.5%
That means 2.5% of guests who visited your park’s booking page made a reservation that month. This single metric offers meaningful insight into how well your website and overall booking journey are working.
Why this number is essential to your property’s success
If your conversion rate seems low, this doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s a lack of interest in your property. A low conversion rate often indicates friction in your booking process. If visitors are going to your booking page but not booking a reservation, something is getting in the way.
Common booking blockers include:
- Confusing navigation
- Unclear pricing or availability
- Low-quality or old images
- Slow load times
- A clunky mobile experience
If you start consistently tracking your conversion rate, you can then begin to analyze where your traffic is coming from. Type of device, source of traffic, and visitor behavior patterns can reveal insight into what needs to improve.
Before you can start making meaningful changes, you need reliable data.
What’s a “good” park booking conversion rate?
According to hospitality industry data, the average website conversion rate generally falls between 1.5% and 2.5%, meaning that out of every 100 visitors, one or two will complete a reservation.
Knowing the average is a good start, but remember - it’s a baseline, not a goal.
Follow this simple guideline: higher is better.
You can make a significant impact on your bottom line even with small improvements and especially as your website traffic grows.
How to grow your booking conversions and revenue
1. Get a direct booking engine
Without a direct booking engine, your outdoor property is fully dependent on online travel agents (OTAs) where guests see your property alongside your competitors while also taking a significant fee. A strong direct booking engine puts you back in control, reduces the need for OTAs, and protects your revenue.
2. Review your booking journey
Across the outdoor hospitality industry, one truth persists: if your property isn’t easy to book, guests won’t book it.
Take a close look at your booking journey from a guest’s perspective:
- Does it flow easily from beginning to end?
- Are steps minimal and clear?
- Is it obvious what to do next?
Every extra click can cost you bookings.
3. Drive traffic to your website that’s more likely to book
More visitors mean more conversion opportunities - especially after you’ve improved your booking experience. Working on your Search Engine Optimization (SEO), refreshing your website content, and creating promos all help attract guests who are ready to book. 
4. View your booking engine as a revenue engine
Your direct booking engine should do more than just display availability. It should sell your sites.
Take a moment to ask yourself:
- Are your site or cabin photos high-quality and visually appealing?
- Do your descriptions answer frequently asked guest questions?
- Are amenities and value clearly communicated?
A review of your booking engine can unveil missed revenue opportunities hiding in plain sight.
5. Ensure your booking site is mobile-friendly
Nearly 70% of bookings now happen on mobile devices. If your visitors’ mobile experiences are full of friction, you’re leaving money behind.
Ensure that:
- Navigation is easy and intuitive
- Images and descriptions look great across all devices
- Payments and check-out are secure, fast, and easy to understand
A smooth mobile booking experience is no longer optional, it’s absolutely essential.
Why the right PMS partner makes all the difference
Your technology stack plays a significant role in conversion growth, and your Property Management System (PMS) should actively support revenue growth - not deter it.
Experienced and modern PMS partners like RMS offer intelligently integrated direct booking engines designed to convert.
The RMS Direct Booking Engine delivers an average 5.5% direct booking conversion rate, nearly twice the industry average.
These results stem from:
- A seamless, guest-first booking journey
- Add-on and upsell opportunities at checkout
- Seamless design across all devices
OTAs take 20%+ of your booking revenue.
Customers always tell us that OTAs take huge fees and commissions, sometimes up to 20% or more. In 2026, it’s time for outdoor hospitality operators to take back the power by improving direct booking performance and keeping more of what you earn to reinvest it back into your property.
With the right PMS and booking engine working behind the scenes, you get to focus on running your property while your technology quietly drives revenue.
Your takeaways for a year of better conversions
- Learn your booking conversion rate and watch it consistently
- Aim higher than industry booking norms: the higher the conversion rate, the better
- Make the booking journey seamless for your visitors
- View your booking engine as a revenue tool
- Ensure optimal mobile performance
- Choose a PMS partner known for modern direct bookings
In 2026, make it your goal to improve your booking journey, and boost your conversion rate.
When booking is easy, conversion grows.
Make 2026 the year to keep more of your booking revenue in your pocket, not the OTAs’.
Ready to grow your direct bookings with RMS?
