Glendhu Bay Motor Camp near Wanaka is fully booked for the summer, with a waiting list.
Under an orange light, accommodation providers can open without restrictions.
Camp manager Phil Hunt said he had received cancellations due to people not wanting to be on site with unvaccinated campers but overall, things were looking good for the season.
The camp would not be requiring vaccine passports due to its location on a council reserve and the need to keep the camp store available to people, he said.
"Yes I’m concerned about Covid but [the camping ground] is probably one of the safest places to be."
Planning for a potential case of Covid-19 or people deemed close contacts at the camp was not new to the camp, with more than 50 people isolating at the camp during both Alert Level 4 lockdowns.
Mr Hunt said the biggest risk to the camp would be from vaccinated young people heading into town socialising and bringing it back with them.
He had organised regular wastewater testing for the camp, which was on its own wastewater system, to ensure early detection of the virus.
Campers deemed close contacts or who contracted the virus and needed to self-isolate would be moved to a more isolated location within the camp and provided with a separate Portaloo.
Provisions were in place to be able to do grocery shopping for them, he said.
In Alexandra, the Alexandra Holiday Park was also preparing for a strong season, with many regular visitors returning.
Alexandra Holiday Park owner Janice Graham said while the park was not requiring vaccine passes, restrictions had been put in place to keep campers safe.
Access to the park was limited to one entrance and exit, and visitors were not allowed on site.
Campers would receive a wristband to indicate they were staying at the park and those without bands would be removed, she said.
"We’re doing what we can, and we don’t know what we don’t know," Mrs Graham said.
"Our fear is that people do what they’re not supposed to do."
In Wanaka, the Outlet Camping ground decided at the beginning of November not to open this summer and would reopen at a unspecified date.
Camp manager Amy Pearl confirmed the closure and directed the Otago Daily Times to the camp’s social media where updates on the situation would be posted.
On its website, a message says the decision was not made lightly, and was due to the pandemic and management not having confidence in being able to keep guests safe.
The accommodation industry was still waiting on guidance from the Government about how to deal with Covid-19-positive visitors, particularly among campers who shared communal areas like kitchens and toilets.
Holiday Parks New Zealand chief executive Fergus Brown said holiday parks and camping grounds were still relatively safe places to stay because people spent most of their time outdoors.
His organisation has not received any briefings from public health officials and Mr Brown said every situation would be different.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts said it would not be practical to send thousands of out-of-town campers home to isolate if they had to travel long distances.
By Shannon Thomson
- Additional reporting Marjorie Cook and RNZ
