A hub in Ballantyne Rd, Wanaka, set up by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, provides tourists with free showers, toilets, wi-fi, rubbish bins and a dump station.
And a hub at the Red Bridge near Luggate provides tourists in self-contained vehicles with free overnight camping.
Lake Outlet Holiday Park operator Glenn Tattersall told the Otago Daily Times yesterday "a complete demographic" had "disappeared" from his camping ground, and that had left his business "with a hole in our revenue".
The council is trialling the hubs to reduce the number of irresponsible freedom campers leaving a mess behind in public areas.
Mr Tattersall said he appreciated the council was under pressure from ratepayers to solve the problem.
"But, essentially, taking business from their own ratepayers [camping grounds], with hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in the area, isn’t the solution.
"Just going, ‘have a free shower, and wi-fi and we’ll get rid of the rubbish’ is not a solution.
"Imagine the outcry if they provided motels or hotels free."
He expected the effects of the hubs would show up "more and more" as the summer progressed.
He looked forward to discussing the trial with the council after the holiday period.
"We all have to come together and find a solution."
Similar sentiments were expressed by Lake Hawea Holiday Park operator Sarah Burdon.
Ms Burdon said her figures for the first three weeks of December showed an increase in demand for powered sites, used by the big camper vans, and a decrease in non-powered sites, favoured by small vans.
"We haven’t seen any of the little ones coming in.
"They’re now travelling around the country not paying for anything."
Ms Burdon said the council’s hubs were not solving the problem.
"They’re just capturing those who don’t want to pay and giving them a free service."
However, she did acknowledge there were fewer freedom campers "dotted all over the place".
"And, that’s a good thing."
One of the operators of the Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park, Glendhu Bay Motor Camp and Albert Town camping ground, Aggi Hofsteenge said it was hard to say if the hubs were having an impact on occupancy.
"Since October this year occupancy rates for sites have been well up compared to previous years, before the hubs opened."
She believed the 12 "camping ambassadors" employed by the council "might have a positive influence as they steer non-self contained vans to the holiday parks".
"We definitely feel that previous hot spots for free, irresponsible camping are not used as much as in the past."
The council’s hub trial is being funded by a one-off $530,000 grant from the Government.
