In times when long-distance travel is only possible to a limited extent due to the corona pandemic, the market for campers is booming. In July alone, 16,112 motorhomes and caravans were newly registered in Germany, according to the Caravan Industry Association (CIVD).
It has never been more within a month. In the first half of the year, the number of new registrations was 70,551 vehicles, which is 15 percent higher than in the previous year. In just seven months, the total number from 2018 has already been exceeded.
However, the cliché that old people are the main buyers cannot be confirmed. On the contrary: “Even young people now find caravanning really cool,” says Wolfgang Speck to “Welt”.
He is a board member of Knaus Tabbert including the company's own rental platform "Rent and Travel". There were 11,000 bookings through August 2020. Half of the bookings come from the age group 18 to 34, he reports.
With the motorhome on vacation: Despite diesel an environmentally friendly variant
The new holiday trend is also convincing when it comes to sustainability, even though the majority of the car, which weighs tons, roll on the streets with a diesel engine. A study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Ifeu) found that vacation trips with motorhomes or caravans release fewer climate-damaging emissions than air travel or tours by car including hotel accommodation.
Accordingly, the CO2 emissions on arrival and departure are high due to size and mass. The low consumption of the accommodation on site more than makes up for this. This was calculated, for example, based on a trip to Rügen and a trip to southern France.
So if you set off with the camper, you not only enjoy great individual freedom, but also make a small contribution to the benefit of the climate. Surf tip: Check out Amazon September offers! The top deals in the ticker of FOCUS Online