3,061 campsites for 228,662 pitches and 914,648 beds, plus 4,674 rest areas with 71,435 pitches for campers. These are the numbers of open-air accommodation facilities in Germany surveyed by Dwif, a consultancy and research institute specializing in tourism, in collaboration with the trade associations Cig (Caravaning Information Gmbh) and Civd (Caravaning Industrie Verband). The data refer to 2020 and represent the continuation of a permanent study begun in 2016. It is a very broad, complete and competent snapshot of the camper and caravan sector, as it considers both tourists who frequent campsites and those who they prefer rest areas or free parking and even those who travel only for day trips.
In 2020, according to statistics, the pitches were almost entirely occupied by local tourists: due to the pandemic, 93.6% of guests on German campsites came from Germany itself, for an average stay of 3 ,5 days. Again according to Dwif’s research, from 2016 to 2020 the growth of motorhomes was over 60%: a sign that the sector is growing considerably, and this is also reflected in the increase in pitches, which exceeded 15% during the same period. Campsites and rest areas in fact serve a fleet of vehicles that includes approximately 790,000 campers and 722,000 caravans, to which must be added 210,000 mobile vehicles but kept as permanent accommodation within the campsites.
As regards the distribution of available pitches, 54.9% are located in rest areas, 25.7% in normal car parks, 9.2% in accommodation or catering establishments, 4.7% in leisure time and only 3.3% in campsites.
The research carried out by Dwif also estimates the total number of overnight stays generated by tourists using recreational vehicles in campsites: a good 48.6 million in 2020, to which must be added another 45.2 million overnight stays by permanent campers and 2.5 million referring to temporary guests of the latter, such as visiting relatives and friends. Finally, a further 15 million overnight stays derive from those who resort to rest areas. Finally, to these already enormous figures must be added the 15 million trips made with one’s own recreational vehicle during the day.
Perhaps the most interesting chapter of the research, however, concerns the one on the expenditure made by tourists in campers and caravans, divided according to the type of holiday. The crews who frequent the campsites spend an average of 47.10 euros per person per day, while those who make use of the rest areas spend 47.20 euros. Since these figures also include the cost of the structure, it follows that those who stay outside the campsite spend more on food and wine, tourist attractions and free time. Those who take day trips, i.e. without overnight stays, spend an average of 39.30 euros each. In general, these figures deny that the tourist in a camper does not bring benefits to the local economy, as stated by a cliché that is unfortunately still widespread in tourist resorts. In fact, the research continues by aggregating the data, 27.2% of daily expenditure is used for accommodation, 22.1% for restaurant services, 22.4% for the purchase of foodstuffs, 15.1% for % in spending on other genres, 7% in leisure, entertainment, culture and sport facilities and 6.2% in other services.
In general, concludes the Dwif survey, the camping industry in Germany for 2020 generated a gross annual expenditure of 4.514 billion euros, of which 50.7% attributable to those who frequent campsites, 28. 7% to those who stop in equipped areas or in free parking and 20.6% to permanent campers. Travel expenses, on the other hand, amounted to an annual total of 4.137 billion euros including fuel, tolls, insurance, taxes and vehicle depreciation; to which must be added the purchases of camping vehicles and equipment which in 2020 amounted to 5.420 billion euros, of which 85.6% related to the purchase of vehicles and the rest to accessories such as tents, tables, crockery, camper antennas, etc. Every year, therefore, the total gross sales attributable to tourists in the recreational vehicle sector exceed 14 billion euros: a number that clearly shows the enormous value that tourism in campers and caravans has in Germany.
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