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A retired couple with garden gnomes, vacuum cleaners and TV sets in six-week summer holiday on Baltic Sea – this is what typical caravan camper looked like for many years. Travelling with motorhome was in past epitome of Spießertums. But image has changed, and that brings momentum to Caravaningbranche.
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If you don’t believe it, you just have to search for hashtag vanlife at Instagram. User posts here pictures of trips in VW bus or motorhome and thus fire dreams of free, independent life. And those of caravan industry.
The manufacturers live well from this trend: In past year more than 63,000 motorhomes and caravans have been re-approved, se are so many recreational vehicles in Germany as never before in a year. The cheapest models are already costing from 40,000 euro upwards. Depending on size and equipment, price can also be quickly six digits. The industry has put more than ten billion euros in this year: rising. If this development continues, this year could be fifth growth year in a row.
The customers aspired to “independence, flexibility, self-determinedness”, says Daniel Ratz of caravaning Industry Association (CIVD). The CIVD represents interests of industry. Its members include almost all German and European manufacturers of caravans and motorhomes as well as ir suppliers and service providers. “It is precisely from Germany that completely different destinations in Europe can be reached in hours. And if you don’t like it, you just keep driving, “says Ratz.
For this unique selling point, caravaning, i.e. travelling with a motorhome or car, has been a long time. After all, re were also hippies in 1970s who drove to India with VW bus. “But now we realize that this feeling of life is also more demanded by masses.”
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And something else is shaping zeitgeist: The back-to-nature trend. “Many people live in cities today, life is often hectic and noisy. That’s why you want to experience nature again on holiday, “says Ratz. The Caravaningindustrie also benefits. Instagram-hashtags are both symptoms and amplifiers of se developments. “Caravaning is just hitting nerve of Times today,” says Ratz.
The Erwin Hymer Group also benefits from se societal megatrends. Only a few days ago, company from Bad Lake, one of Europe’s largest providers of recreational vehicles, announced that it would consider a public offering. Last year, company had sold 55,000 vehicles – an increase of 38 percent compared to previous year.
In addition to same-named brand, Dethleffs, Elddis, Eriba and Etrusco as well as Niesmann Bischoff belong to company. Last year, group had a market share of 27 for motorhomes and 20 percent for caravans, and sales were doubled in recent years. “We plan to continue to grow”, company announces on request. The aim is to drive internationalization, invest in new technologies and open up new customer groups. An IPO or inclusion of a new investor is a building block in implementation of this strategy, it states furr.
The demand in Caravaningbranche has changed considerably in one place: More caravans were sold 30 years ago. This development has been reversed about ten years ago, today almost twice as many motorhomes as caravans are sold. “The trend goes to motorhome,” says Ratz from CIVD. Neverless: The sales figures also increase with caravans.
