Big blow to caravan park industry

The Australian caravan park industry has been "decimated" by the COVID-19 crisis, with revenue down by 90 per cent in April according to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia.

"The recent release of April 2020 Caravan Park Accommodation figures shows a devastating blow to the industry with $208 million in losses for April," the Association said in its latest update.

"Over Easter alone, an estimated 300,000 Australians had their camping trips cancelled, a significant group that deliver direct investment and life into regional Australia. This revenue has been stripped out of the hands of mum and dad operators throughout the country," the CIAA said.

The peak body said occupancy rates fell by 75 per cent in cabins, 82 per cent in powered sites and 89 per cent in unpowered sites, as stay-at-home orders and non-essential travel bans issued in late-March put a stop to caravan and RV holidays.

"Daily rates across the states also fell, leading to revenue per available site being $12 for cabins, $2.70 for powered sites and $0.59 for unpowered sites," the CIAA said.

"All states were impacted, however the revenue reductions were worst in NSW, where caravan parks revenues decreased by 95 per cent compared to April 2019."

However, with some states now easing travel restrictions within their borders, the CIAA said the caravan industry is best placed to drive and lead the road to recovery for domestic tourism with over 710,000 registered RVs "set and ready" to go once cross-border driving holidays are permitted.

"The diverse eco-system of the caravan and camping industry means that it will be resilient through this time and be ready to offer Australians the self-reliant, 'back to basics' experience on short notice when the time is right," the Association said.

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