Here’s how much more people in Canandaigua spent on 4th of July gatherings

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (WHEC) — 22 million people are camping in the United States on the Fourth of July. At KOA, that’s 8 percent higher than last year.

We asked Bill Peronne how much more he’s spending to camp. "I would say probably 30%," he responded.

We asked the same question to Paul Williams and his family from Central New York. "I would say probably about a third more. A combination of gas to get here and probably groceries for cookouts."

They spent $150 on gas so far. They didn’t change how long they were camping, just the food they bought.

So rather than steak, we did tacos instead, said Williams.

Jon Arsenault, one of the KOA Canandaigua owners said, "So they still camp. They just change how they’re camping."

Despite 21.5 million campers in the country this weekend, the KOA newsletter for June said one in five families canceled their trip because of inflation. And the commitments to buy RVs started slipping when gas prices started to reach their highest.

"It’s changing camping a little bit where you still have that investment in a camper and that time you want to spend with your family so it’s definitely made people stay more local," said Arsenault.

Typically, people book their campsites a year in advance. If they back out they can lose the deposit.

KOA set its prices at the end of the season—gas was about $2.15 a gallon when they did that last fall.