Should Your Campground List on Expedia? What Canadian Operators Need to Know¶

Quick answer: Expedia is the largest travel OTA globally but is less effective for campgrounds than for hotels. Campground and RV park listings on Expedia exist and do generate bookings — but commission rates (typically 15–25%) are high, and the booking interface is optimised for traditional accommodation, not sites and hookup types. For parks with glamping, cabins, or "lodge" style accommodation, Expedia can be a meaningful channel. For traditional RV and tent sites, Airbnb and Booking.com are typically better fits. If you list on Expedia, connect via a channel manager (PitchCamp's OTA sync) to prevent double-bookings.

Expedia's name recognition is massive. When campground owners hear about OTA strategy, Expedia often comes up — it's the first travel platform many guests think of when searching for any kind of accommodation.

But OTA fit depends on the accommodation type, and campgrounds have a more nuanced relationship with Expedia than hotels do. This guide covers when Expedia is worth pursuing, when your time is better spent elsewhere, and how to manage it if you do decide to list.

How Expedia Works for Accommodation Providers¶

Expedia operates as a merchant model OTA — it presents accommodation to travellers, collects payment on their behalf, and remits to the property after the stay (minus commission). This is different from Booking.com's agency model (where you collect payment and pay commission separately) but functionally similar from the property's perspective.

Commission rates for campgrounds: Expedia's standard rates range from 15–25% of the room rate, depending on your market, property type, and negotiated agreement. This is higher than Booking.com's typical 15% and significantly higher than the per-reservation fees of a direct booking platform.

At these rates, the economics require scrutiny. A $200 glamping reservation with a 20% Expedia commission costs you $40 in channel fees. At 40% occupancy from Expedia over a 30-day month: 12 reservations × $40 = $480 per unit per month. This is real money — it needs to be justified by incremental bookings that wouldn't otherwise have been made.

Where Expedia Works Well for Campgrounds¶

Premium accommodation (glamping, cabins, lodges): Expedia's interface is built for traditional accommodation categories. Cabin and glamping listings fit better into Expedia's search and booking flow than do "Site 22 with 30-amp hookup." Parks with distinctive accommodation that can be described as a "cottage," "cabin," "lodge," or "glamping tent" perform better on Expedia than traditional campground sites.

Urban adjacent or resort properties: Parks near cities, tourist regions, or popular natural attractions attract travellers who are browsing Expedia alongside hotels and B&Bs. If your park competes for the same guests as local hotels, Expedia's audience is well-matched.

International travellers: Expedia's international presence is strong — the platform reaches travellers from the US, UK, Europe, and Australia who may not know about Canadian-specific platforms. For parks that host significant international traffic, Expedia's global reach has value.

Where Airbnb and Booking.com Serve Campgrounds Better¶

For most Canadian campgrounds — particularly those with traditional RV sites and tent camping — Airbnb and Booking.com are more effective channels than Expedia:

Airbnb has a specific "Camping" and "Glamping" category with an established audience of guests actively searching for outdoor experiences. Canadian campground listings on Airbnb see meaningful traffic because the intent match is high.
Booking.com has an "Outdoor" category and accepts campground listings, with commission rates at around 15% and a large international audience.
Expedia lacks a strong campground/camping search category — guests looking for "campgrounds in Ontario" are more likely to search Airbnb than Expedia.

Recommendation for most Canadian parks: Start with Airbnb and Booking.com. Evaluate Expedia for glamping and cabin units once you've validated OTA demand from the first two.

Managing Expedia with Calendar Sync¶

The practical risk of listing on multiple OTAs is double-booking. A guest books on Expedia; simultaneously, a different guest books on Airbnb for the same dates. Without sync, you don't know until you have two people calling about the same site.

PitchCamp's OTA calendar sync maintains availability across all connected channels in real time. A booking on Expedia immediately blocks the dates in PitchCamp and on Airbnb and Booking.com. No double-booking risk, no manual calendar management.

If you're considering listing on Expedia alongside other channels, confirm that your booking system supports Expedia as a sync channel before listing. Operating Expedia manually (logging in to block dates after each booking) is error-prone and unsustainable at any meaningful volume.

Expedia's Vrbo Channel¶

Expedia Group owns Vrbo, the vacation rental platform with a strong family travel audience. Vrbo may be more effective for campground cabin and glamping listings than Expedia itself — the Vrbo audience is specifically looking for whole-property vacation experiences, which aligns well with high-end glamping or cabin bookings. Vrbo typically charges an 8% commission (lower than Expedia proper), which changes the economics meaningfully.

If you're evaluating Expedia Group channels, Vrbo is worth considering alongside or instead of Expedia itself for cabin and glamping products.

Frequently Asked Questions¶

Can a campground list on Expedia?

Yes. Campgrounds and RV parks can list on Expedia, though the platform's accommodation categories are more hotel-oriented than outdoor-accommodation-specific. Cabin and glamping listings fit better on Expedia than traditional RV sites. Commission rates are typically 15–25%.

How much does Expedia charge campgrounds in commission?

Expedia's standard commission for accommodation providers ranges from 15–25% of the room rate, depending on property type, market, and negotiated terms. This is higher than Booking.com (typically 15%) and significantly higher than direct booking fees.

Is Expedia or Airbnb better for campgrounds?

Airbnb is generally a better fit for most Canadian campgrounds because it has specific camping and glamping categories with an established audience of guests seeking outdoor accommodation. Expedia's audience is primarily hotel-oriented; campgrounds compete with conventional accommodation in a search environment not optimised for site types. For cabins and premium glamping, Expedia can be a valuable supplementary channel.

How do I avoid double-bookings if I list on Expedia?

Connect Expedia to your campground management system via a channel manager or OTA calendar sync. PitchCamp's OTA sync maintains real-time availability across all connected booking channels — a booking on Expedia immediately blocks availability in your PitchCamp system and on other connected platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com). Without sync, double-bookings are inevitable as volume grows.

What is Vrbo and should campgrounds use it?

Vrbo (owned by Expedia Group) is a vacation rental platform focused on whole-property bookings for families. It has a lower commission rate (approximately 8%) than Expedia proper and an audience specifically seeking self-contained vacation property experiences. For campground cabin and glamping listings, Vrbo is worth evaluating alongside Airbnb and Booking.com.

PitchCamp's OTA sync keeps your availability current across Airbnb, Booking.com, and compatible Expedia channels — one booking anywhere blocks everywhere.

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