Australians continue to hit the road in ever increasing numbers for the iconic caravanning and camping holiday. The numbers don’t lie – Aussies of all ages love getting into the great outdoors and reconnecting to nature, the simple life, our friends and family.
Tourism Research Australia data for the year ending 2016 shows the highest recorded annual growth in domestic caravanning and camping overnight trips and visitor nights since data was first recorded in 1998.
This unprecedented growth saw Australians take a total of 11.7 million caravan and camping overnight trips, which represents a 9% increase on the previous year. The length of time spent caravanning and camping has also increased, with total domestic visitor nights in the sector numbering 51.6 million, growing 16%.
Impressively, this growth is being experienced in every state and territory across the country, highlighting the significant role that the caravan and camping sector has in Australia’s tourism industry. Travelling for the purpose of taking a holiday is the reason 78% of Australian go caravanning and camping, reinforcing that a road trip into the great outdoors remains a favourite way to take a break from today’s busy urban lifestyles.
Caravan Industry Association of Australia, Stuart Lamont says, “The unprecedented growth we’ve seen in this quarter represents twenty-one consecutive periods of growth in total overnight caravan and camping trips nationally. The current global environment seems to be encouraging more Australians to travel at home, benefiting local economies and regions right across the country”.
Despite challenging local and global economic environments, domestic caravanning and camping continues to show significant growth. Tourism Research Australia has forecasted continued increases in domestic tourism and it is expected that caravanning and camping will continue to engage more and more Australians of all ages in 2017.
Media Release courtesy of Caravan Industry Association of Australia
