Recent research carried out for the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) highlights a huge resurgence in interest in the great outdoors and pent-up demand for travel. This has meant the number of Brits considering a touring holiday has grown by 20% in the two years to April 2022 and the number of Brits owning a leisure vehicle is predicted to grow by over 40% by 2030.
The Caravan and Motorhome Club, the UK’s No. 1 rated touring club, now has a record number of households in membership, over 380,000, which equates to over 1.1 million members. The demand for leisure touring shows no signs of abating and the Club offers its members access to over 2,700 stunning campsites across the UK and Europe to help fuel their wanderlust.
Harvey Alexander, Director of Marketing and Membership Services for the Caravan and Motorhome Club said, “It’s fantastic to see the booming interest in leisure vehicle holidays and people enjoying time in the great outdoors. We recently surveyed our members and over 65% of members new to touring said they loved the pastime and would continue touring for ‘as long as possible.
“Touring is a really affordable option - the Club works with a number of partners and constantly brings its members great offers, covering a wide range of interests and activities. In 2021, members saved over £3.8 million on holiday essentials and great days out. The Club helps its members to get away for less, helps them to get more from the great outdoors and also provides them with ways to make savings on everyday items when they are at home.”
CEBR research highlights:
The recent cost of living crisis is not dampening enthusiasm:
· Nearly a third of those interested in touring holidays said rising fuel costs haven’t affected their holiday choice.
· Owners of leisure vehicles feel more in control of the cost of their holiday and manage to spend less on their touring holidays than other adults, with caravan owners expecting to spend the least. However, Club research shows that members spend £420m annually in the local rural tourism economy when on holiday. This is money spent on shopping, eating out, visitor attractions, etc. With the predicted increase in the numbers of leisure vehicle owners this £420m annual spend is expected to increase and boost income for rural economies.
Increase in number of people wanting to buy leisure vehicles:
· The report finds that campervans are set to become the most popular leisure vehicle for buyers - 8% of adults in the UK said they would be likely to buy a campervan over the coming five years. It is forecast that campervans are set to make up nearly a quarter (24.5%) of all leisure vehicles at the end of the decade, up from 16.7% in 2022.
· The CEBR further estimates that the number of leisure vehicle owners will grow by a further 43% by 2030.
· A total of 7% of UK adults say that they are either fairly or very likely to purchase a touring caravan over the coming five years, and over 30% of these say they are very likely to purchase one.
· A similar share of adults state that they are interested in buying a motorhome, with 7% saying they are likely to do so, with over 22% of these saying they are very likely to purchase one.
Take a touring holiday – it’s good for you.
· Nearly three quarters of adults in the UK (74% of those surveyed) say that holidays improve their wellbeing, according to CEBR. This share is even higher when looking at owners of motorhomes and those interested in purchasing one, of which 81.2% say that being on holiday improves their wellbeing.
· Some 63% of the UK adult population as a whole feel less stressed on holiday compared to up to 75% of leisure vehicle owners or those looking to purchase one.
· This was also reflected in a recent CAMC survey where members were asked what they liked about touring holidays. Top of the list was seeing new places and having new experiences (94%), closely followed by spending more time outside (91%). Being more active (81%) and feeling less stressed (85%) scored highly together, while over half of respondents (56%) said they enjoyed spending more time together and a third (31%) said they enjoyed a healthier diet when away on a touring holiday.
Touring holidays help us to digitally detox:
· Leisure vehicle owners are more likely to reduce the time spent on digital devices than the wider adult population. It found that most UK adults (66.9%) spend less time on their digital devices when on holiday. However, a much higher proportion of motorhome owners (78.9%) and caravan owners (77.9%) think they spend less time on their digital devices when on holiday.
Leisure touring results in more family time:
· Owners and prospective buyers of leisure vehicles are more likely to say that they spend more time with their families when on holiday than the general adult population.
· Up to 81.0% of adults who either own a leisure vehicle or say they are likely to buy one in the coming years say they spend more time with their families when on holiday, compared to 55.6% of UK adults who say they spend more time with their families when on holiday.
We are more active on touring holidays:
· Leisure vehicle owners are more likely to get more exercise when on holiday compared to the general adult population. Up to 64% of adults who own or want to buy a leisure vehicle say that their level of exercise increases when on holiday. Compared to only 46.5% of the wider adult population.
A likely explanation for increased exercise among touring holidays is the nature of the trips, which typically take place in more rural and outdoor areas that lend themselves to activities such as cycling and exploring. This also provides an explanation why leisure vehicle owners are more likely to reduce the time they spend on digital devices while on holiday.
TV presenter and journalist, Matt Allwright, adds: “I love kayaking and being able to go away in my campervan, I can pitch and paddle and it’s a great way to spend time in the great outdoors, get some exercise and switch off from everyday worries and lose myself in being active and enjoying nature."
