Camping: One of Europe’s Fastest-Growing Travel Segments
Summary
This panel marks the first-ever camping tourism session in the ITB Berlin Congress history, bringing together leaders from across the European camping ecosystem — campsite chains, vehicle manufacturers, booking platforms, and quality associations — to discuss why camping has become one of Europe's fastest-growing travel segments. The session opened with a keynote from Uwe Frers, CEO of PinCamp (a joint venture between Germany's ADAC and the Netherlands' ANWB), who framed camping's meteoric rise with hard data: 1 million motorhomes registered in Germany alone (growing 10% per year for the last decade), 2.2 million total camping vehicles in Germany, and 45 million overnight stays on German campsites in the most recent year — a record, growing at 4.
2% versus Germany's overall tourism overnight stay growth of just 0.3%, making camping grow 15 times faster than the average. The economic multiplier effect is striking: for every euro spent on a campsite, campers generate €11 in broader local economic activity, totaling €20.
8 billion in economic value from camping alone, with the vehicle manufacturing sector adding another €15 billion — combining for an estimated €33–35 billion total sector value. Johan Söör (CEO of First Camp) described his chain's rapid consolidation model, growing from 20 Swedish campsites 8 years ago to 91 sites across 6 countries, now the largest chain in the German-speaking world, but with only 8 German sites out of 3,000+ total — illustrating the consolidation runway still ahead. Simone Pokrandt (Leading Campings) contrasted this with their model: 48 independently owned 4.
5–5 star campsites united by quality and innovation, not standardization, serving a premium segment where guests book 'experiences' — fine dining, wellness, design — not just pitches. Roman Bauer (MeinPlatz) highlighted that motorhome drivers spend an average of €150 per person per day (€300 per couple) at their destination, debunking the low-budget camping cliché, and described MeinPlatz's road-trip routing platform covering 2,500 sites, with a major new app launch planned for August at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, enabling integrated booking of ferries, campsites, dining, and activities in one flow. Giel Hendrikx (Booking Experts) spotlighted digitalization as a key challenge: fewer than 8,000 of Europe's 26,000 campsites are currently bookable on platforms — a massive gap versus the hotel industry.
He emphasized digital check-in as the most-requested feature from campsite operators. The panel also discussed 'coolcation' — Scandinavian campsites seeing 15% annual growth in German visitors as climate change makes northern destinations more attractive — and climate resilience as a real operational and investment priority for sites facing flooding, heat waves, and hailstorms.
Key Takeaways
- •Germany registered 1 million motorhomes last year, growing at 10% per year for the past decade — a rate unmatched by any other tourism sector. Total camping vehicles in Germany alone reached 2.2 million.
- •German campsites recorded 45 million overnight stays last year (a new record), growing at 4.2% year-on-year versus 0.3% for total German tourism overnight stays — camping is growing 15 times faster than the national average.
- •Every euro spent on a campsite generates €11 in broader local economic activity. Total camping economic value is €20.8 billion; combined with the €15 billion vehicle manufacturing industry, the sector totals approximately €33–35 billion.
- •Roman Bauer (MeinPlatz) stated that the average motorhome driver spends €150 per day, meaning a typical couple spends €300 per day at their destination — firmly rebutting the low-budget camping narrative. Entry-level motorhomes cost €50,000–€60,000.
- •Fewer than 8,000 of Europe's 26,000 campsites are bookable on digital platforms, compared to near-universal hotel online booking. Uwe Frers (PinCamp) called this a structural challenge requiring urgent improvement.
- •First Camp (Johan Söör) grew from 20 Swedish campsites 8 years ago to 91 sites across 6 countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany, Switzerland). They predict the camping market will undergo hotel-style chain consolidation over the next few years. In Germany, only around 80 of 3,000+ campsites belong to any chain or group.
- •Johan Söör reported 15% year-on-year growth in German guests visiting Swedish campsites, driven by the 'coolcation' trend — tourists shifting to northern destinations as southern Europe becomes hotter. Scandinavians also increasingly stay home rather than traveling south.
- •Leading Campings (Simone Pokrandt) operates 48 premium 4.5–5 star independently owned campsites and sees a clear shift: guests no longer book a pitch, they book an experience — wellness, fine dining, large plots for dogs and children, and multigenerational family stays.
Transcript
We can start. Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first camping tourism session in the history of the I2B Congress. So, we are very glad to be here today. I have many guests as you can see and time is short. Um, first we will hear a little um um >> keynote >> keynote by U FA. is the CEO of Pin Camp and uh Uber please go ahead and show us what you have to present. My name is Fangshal. I'm the CEO of the German Camping Association and uh after UV will present his presentation. I will uh pre...
