THE once humble caravan is on a roll, creating a trifecta of growth
from which the whole of Australia is benefiting.
Newly released Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show continued and
significant growth in caravan registrations, aligning with comparable
growth in manufacturing and tourism trends.
In fact, caravan registrations have soared by five percent, making them
the leader of all RV types.
There are now 554,540 caravans registered, with campervans registrations
hitting 60,899 ... a 4.3 percent increase.
The overall 4.9 percent rise in RV registrations for the year ending
January 2016 follows a 5.4 percent hike over the previous year.
The continued growth sees a total 615,439 caravan and campervans now
registered to explore Australia's many landscapes and regions.
Also, the nation's caravan and motorhome manufacturing industry continues
to buck the trend of other industries with its continued growth in recent
years, culminating in its highest production levels in 37 years.
Increasing production
to meet continued consumer demand
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While other manufacturing sectors are experiencing a decline, caravan and
motorhome builders are increasing production to meet continued consumer
demand.
The comparable growth in registrations indicates that RVs are not
gathering dust in the manufacturers' yards either, rather they are being
bought and registered by consumers, which bodes well for the Australian
economy generally.
Australia's caravan and camping industry contributed $8.6 billion in
visitor expenditure to the economy in 2015, with much of this occurring in
regional areas to support local communities.
In a trifecta of positive growth, the industry is also the fastest growing
commercially-operated accommodation sector with an average annual growth
of 5 percent.
In short, manufacturers are producing increasing numbers of RVs, consumers
are buying and registering them in greater numbers and caravan and camping
tourists are out there enjoying the great Australian holiday more than
ever before.
The Caravan Industry Association of Australia described it as the "perfect
storm", creating far-reaching opportunities for the entire country.
"It isn't just the caravanning and camping industry that wins here, it's
the local communities who benefit from jobs created and the vast range of
businesses that service the visitor economy," a spokesperson said.
"And of course, tourists continue to enjoy the unique Australian
experiences that the caravanning and camping lifestyle delivers."
The backdrop to all the positive growth is low fuel prices and
historically low interest rates, encouraging discretionary expenditure
from domestic consumers.
The association said this was further supported by the declining value of
the dollar contributing to more Australians holidaying at home.
It was creating a "robust era" in caravanning and camping which had the
potential to introduce new consumers, including those from existing
markets who may have previously holidayed internationally.
