CRVA and RVDA participate in ‘RVs Move America Week’ in Wash. D.C.

By: Rick Kessler| Published on: Jun 6, 2022

It was somewhat of a surreal feeling Sunday (June 5) as RVs Move America Week, the five-day event hosted by the RV Industry Association (RVIA) in Washington D.C., officially got underway with meetings with  the Canadian Coalition.

With this being the first in-person RVs Move America Week since 2019 – the event was canceled due to covid the last two years – it was somewhat extraordinary to not only see familiar faces in a setting other than a video meeting but also back at a familiar venue in The Mayflower Hotel.

After acknowledging the event’s return from hiatus – “I can’t believe it’s been three years since the RV industry gathered in Washington D.C. for RVs Move America Week,” he said – RVIA President Craig Kirby noted that, at the time, attendees lobbied Congress for what eventually would become the landmark Great American Outdoors Act just one year later. That legislation is the largest investment in the nation’s public lands in nearly a century. The funding will go a long way toward modernizing and expanding campgrounds and ensuring safe and adequate access to public lands and waters for generations of RVers to come.

“Its passage highlights the significant impact the RV industry is having on policy, due in large part to our growing industry, strong consumer demand and unprecedented interest in outdoor recreation that shows no signs of slowing,” Kirby stated in his welcoming remarks.

Running through Thursday (June 9), RVs Move America includes a full slate of committee meetings today and tomorrow, in which volunteers from across the RV industry collectively work to build a strategic roadmap to help define the industry’s growth. These committee meetings are also a great opportunity for members of the RVIA to learn more about the association’s many programs and initiatives to promote and protect the RV industry.

Following the committee meetings, attendees have the opportunity to participate in Advocacy Day on Wednesday (June 8) in which the economic impact of the $114 billion RV industry can be imparted on congressional leaders. The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds has also sent a delegation to take part in Advocacy Day. The annual event allows ARVC officials, park owners and more to speak with legislators on key topics that are impacting the outdoor hospitality industry.

In addition, participants will gain insight on the state of the RV industry from association leaders and on the policies of the Biden Administration from political speakers including broadcast journalist, anchor and author Bret Baier and Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter.

As mentioned, one of the first committee meetings Sunday was held by the Canadian Coalition, which offers RVDA of Canada, Canadian RV Association (CRVA) and the Canadian Camping and RV Council (CCRVC) the opportunity to meet with RVIA and its members to exchange updates on our respective Associations.

“The RV industry has experienced certain challenges over the past decade and often they are not restricted to either of our countries. Meeting during RVIA’s ‘RV Move America Week’ has proved to be invaluable for the respective associations and provides us with an opportunity for informal and critical discussions on topics such as RV delivery barriers at the border, the future of EVs and concerns on campground site availability,” committee chairman Shane Devenish told RVBusiness, the sister publication to WOODALLSCM.com.