Camping vacations are booming

Really practical: the accommodation travels with you

More and more holidaymakers are enjoying relaxing days on a campsite in this vast country. The focus is on experiences close to nature and individual comfort. The industry is booming.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

New lifestyle: significant increase in the number of overnight stays in the camping sector - the industry is delighted with record results over the past 30 years. And the positive trend continues.

Camping is booming! With the best result in 30 years, the industry can look to the future with confidence. At the start of the new season - campsites have been open in many places in Lower Austria since mid-April - a record result can be celebrated. Around 55 operators were able to record 293,000 overnight stays last year, which corresponds to a nationwide share of overnight stays of around four percent.

293,000 overnight stays were recorded at campsites in Lower Austria last year.

(Bild: ADAC/WKNÖ)

The best result since 1993: "This means that the pre-corona figures were exceeded by 32,000 overnight stays or twelve percent," says Karl-Heinz Kaiser from the Chamber of Commerce. The increase was mainly due to guests from Austria (39.5 percent). In addition to Germans with an increase of 4.5 percent, holidaymakers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia together recorded an increase of 25 percent, according to the industry spokesman.

Politicians are called upon to plan and implement joint, affordable marketing campaigns. There are still many unresolved issues here.

Karl-Heinz Kaiser, WKNÖ-Sprecher der Campingplatzbetreiber  

And more and more tourists want to follow the new lifestyle trend. More and more vehicles suitable for everyday use, which offer everything you need for your vacation, as well as vehicles with roof tents and classic tents are being purchased. "The era of standardized camping tourism is giving way to a growing need for individual and distinctive travel experiences. In addition to traditional campsites, some of which offer glamping, i.e. rental accommodation, alternative offers such as motorhome pitches and sites close to nature have established themselves and are experiencing increasing demand," says Kaiser.

Concerns for the future
Despite record results, modern, up-to-date framework conditions are required for the camping industry in Lower Austria: Equal treatment in the guest registration system including overnight stay taxes, competitiveness and inclusion in the state's tourism strategy.