Book that continental pitch early this year!

Jim

Jim

Ringleader
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Posts
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Sutton on Sea, UK
Funster No
1
MH
Adria Panel Van.
Exp
Since 1988
The European Motorhome industry continues to expand, with new registrations of leisure vehicles reaching 221,000 in 2024, reflecting a 5.2% growth from 2023, according to the European Caravan Federation (ECF).

Key Growth Figures:​

  • Germany led the market with 96,392 new registrations (+6.7%).
  • France followed with 33,783 registrations (+7.6%).
  • UK saw 28,011 registrations, marking a strong 10.4% increase.

Motorhomes Drive Growth, While Caravan Registrations Decline​

  • Motorhome registrations soared to 160,467across Europe (+9.6%).
    • Germany: 74,718 (+9.1%)
    • France: 26,396 (+10.3%)
    • UK: 16,567 (+36%)
  • Caravan registrations dropped 4.7% to 60,865.
    • Germany: 21,674 (-1%)
    • UK: 11,400 (-13%)
    • Netherlands: 7,192 (+6.1%)

Strong Tourism & Sustainability Initiatives​

Caravanning remains a vital part of tourism, with 54.5 million overnight stays on campsites and 13.5 million overnight stays on motorhome sites in Germany in 2023. Tourism revenue from caravanning hit a record €19.5 billion.

The full 2024 overnight stay data will be presented at Caravan Salon Düsseldorf 2025.
 
Done 😉

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Rebooked our pitch at Imperium for next year at Villajoyosa the day after we arrived, €100 non refundable deposit now so let’s hope we can make it back.
 
Jim said:
With such strong sales in Germany, I'm sure anyone still waiting for motorhome prices to drop is going to be sorely disappointed. I think new prices are staying where they are or going higher.
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We're in Costa Brava, I reckon 75% of MOHOs here are German then Dutch, a few Spanish and a couple of Brits
 
Ditcha said:
Just the one year Ger we have booked for the next 4 years 😎🌞
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You’re a lot younger than us though … 🤣

Apparently someone tried to book for a few years, but AB wouldn’t allow it.

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Great for the industry in general...Spain's busiest period remains the winter for campsites on the Med coast..other times northern regions benefit ...as we live close to the Med we don't motorhome here....it's just too busy...quite uncomfortable to be honest...but July and August in the northern regions is very pleasant indeed....a different type of visitor with different values...mostly family groups..
 
Think it’s going to be find a new hobby soon as ther won’t be any room and the wilding free camping spot will all have hight barriers and no overnight parking signs put up
There was so much litter left it putting me off a bit this motorhome camper malarkey
WB
 
Ditcha said:
Just the one year Ger we have booked for the next 4 years 😎🌞
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Blinking heck Dave, that’s some forward planning 😂😂😂

Here’s me thinking that booking for next Christmas in January for the one year was being well organised. 😳😳

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I was told by someone who is interested in these things that reception were telling him some pitches on Camping Mar Menor are booked up to 2034, yes nine years!!!! 🙃
 
Jim said:
Motorhome registrations soared to 160,467across Europe (+9.6%)
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Perhaps misleading statistics here?
That's new mohos, that the salesmen sold. We don't know the total number in use, or how many were scrapped or retired to low use only. If none were scrapped it's not 9.6% more, it's 9.6% more than last years increase.

Hypothetically, if say the average age is 8 years (to include the 20+year oldies too)... and the uptake was generally even... (which it isn't, it's accelerating) there would be perhaps 6.25% more vehicles on the road, increasing this number by the 9.6% sales rise moves the expansion to c6.9% . So the total number increased by 0.6% more than expected - IMHO not a news item. :cool:
Unless all new vans have to be driven to Beni to get some sort of street cred, like VW's doing the NC500...:unsure:

Similarly 2024's 36% increase in UK registrations is after 2023 which was an appalling sales year, due to short supply of base vehicles. This is hardly news.
 
Bertilak said:
Perhaps misleading statistics here?
That's new mohos, that the salesmen sold. We don't know the total number in use, or how many were scrapped or retired to low use only. If none were scrapped it's not 9.6% more, it's 9.6% more than last years increase.

Hypothetically, if say the average age is 8 years (to include the 20+year oldies too)... and the uptake was generally even... (which it isn't, it's accelerating) there would be perhaps 6.25% more vehicles on the road, increasing this number by the 9.6% sales rise moves the expansion to c6.9% . So the total number increased by 0.6% more than expected - IMHO not a news item. :cool:
Unless all new vans have to be driven to Beni to get some sort of street cred, like VW's doing the NC500...:unsure:

Similarly 2024's 36% increase in UK registrations is after 2023 which was an appalling sales year, due to short supply of base vehicles. This is hardly news.
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That went right over my head can you explain it again please
WB
 
Last years number of new vans was 109.6% of 2023's number.... (that is what salesmen's bonuses are based on, so is quoted by the industry).
Not 9.6% more vans in the road. It doesn't say how many old vans are in use, perhaps they don't know.
(-this total number is what causes congestion at the sites, and affects users like us).

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Bertilak said:
Perhaps misleading statistics here?


Similarly 2024's 36% increase in UK registrations is after 2023 which was an appalling sales year, due to short supply of base vehicles. This is hardly news.
Click to expand...

2023 saw motorhome sales increase, it wasn't an appalling year at all. I believe it was 2022 that saw the massive slump of motorhome sales; 16% I recall. So the 36% increase comes on top of a previous year increase.

Given the present economic climate along with the massive price increases in motorhomes, then a whopping 36% rise in sales on last year, is, in IMO, newsworthy, which is why I posted it.

2023​
  • United Kingdom: Caravan registrations declined by 5.0%, while motor caravan registrations increased by 3.3%.
 
As I previously stated elsewhere, using these statistics there has been over 1m new European registrations since we started motor-homing in 2018. Looking around on our travels I’d say that’s what we are seeing…..

The last motorhomes in use statistics published by the ECF were in 2020 and showed 2.4m. Assuming very few motorhomes die that suggests a 35–45% increase over the last 7 years, there’s your congestion!!

Motorhomes unlike cars die very slowly!!!
 
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The booking 'frenzy' which we have witnessed this winter in Benidorm and the surrounding area is unprecedented.
There is a whole new 'younger' generation post COVID of European retires buying motorhomes, mainly top range, and wintering in Spain.
10 plus years ago it was rare to see a Dutch motorhome, they mainly were in Caravans, that has changed and only a very few of the older generation are still tugging but certainly none of this new generation are using Caravans.
The increased demand for winter pitches to a certain extent is being met by new developments, however the infrastructure as always is under a lot of strain.
As an example, a new site with hundreds of pitches fully booked for the foreseeable future are running on site generators and have been for the last 2 winters.
Is it time for a rethink to our winter plans?
I think so.
 
Prices seem ridiculous still when visiting dealers. They have 100s of vans not sure who's buying them u suppose people must be. Seems a big gamble to me laying out all that money or getting it in finance with the way things are going.
 
Interesting reading .,..I cannot imagine the Spanish regional governments know why there has been such an increase in numbers...the campsites and camperstops are rubbing their hands together...and encouraging others to build more....but the numbers Jim has put out will continue to swamp the Costas...
By the end of this month there will be a return to normality.... everyone breaths a sigh of relief...height barriers will be installed in some abused areas which forces next season's visitors to find new places....abuse these areas..and so on..

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Driving down to Sicily in October, will be our 2nd time with the van going over to Europe. Last year went to Netherlands soon as we picked up 1st van. Plan on a few nights near Riva de Garda, maybe I should reserve but really wanted to just go with the flow and stay wherever depending on weather.
 
There might be a few people reappraising their plans after last months weather in Spain. Ironically we had the best weather we've ever had in Morocco this time, but are planning flying away next winter to add a bit of variety.

Each to their own but I dont really get the point of parking up a motorhome on a site for long periods.
 
jongood said:
There might be a few people reappraising their plans after last months weather in Spain. Ironically we had the best weather we've ever had in Morocco this time, but are planning flying away next winter to add a bit of variety.

Each to their own but I dont really get the point of parking up a motorhome on a site for long periods.
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Yeah it’s been v poor weather the last few weeks! 😢

We love the ‘parked up’, site based winter time! It’s contrasts well with the six months of touring either side of being parked up for winter. 🤪
 

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