More women driving RV travel

To mark International Women’s Day, new data has emerged indicating more female travellers are enjoying camping and caravanning in Australia's great outdoors.

Latest figures from the Tourism Research Australia National Visitor Survey reveal that in the year ending September 2018, 5.2 million caravan and camping trips were taken by women – up by more than a million trips compared to similar stats taken in 2013.

Total nights spent camping by women were also up over the 12 month period – from 18.5 million nights caravan and camping in Australia in 2013, to 24.4 million in 2018.

According to the most recent survey, the largest age group of women camping was 30-54, which made up 49% of overall trips, followed by the 55-plus group (29% of trips).

The most popular activity amongst women while caravan and camping was dining at local eateries, with three million women making the most of restaurants and cafes in the areas they visited. This was followed by outdoor activities which included going to the beach, sightseeing and bushwalking.

Anecdotal evidence also suggests more women are taking major or active roles in the Australian RV industry, from senior executive positions to consumer advocate roles.

NSW’s Horizon Motorhomes, which has previously highlighted the growth of female RV travelers, is this year promoting gender equality in the workplace, with a profile of Horizon's production manager, Melissa Robbins on the company's website.

Women-only RV travel communities are also on the rise, driven by online groups like Rolling Solo Australia, which is holding its 3rd annual ‘Stuck in the Middle’ all-female camping trip this year from October 18-25, on West Australia’s Coral Coast.