Stuart Lamont, CEO of the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, acknowledged the challenges facing the industry, including rising customer expectations, productivity hurdles, and technological advancements. He emphasised the need for businesses to embrace new technologies and enhance productivity to remain competitive. Lamont expressed confidence in the industry's ability to transform these challenges into growth opportunities.
The conference also saw the release of the Caravan and Camping State of Industry 2026 report, which provided valuable insights into visitor trends, caravan park performance, RV manufacturing, and traveller behaviour across Australia. Despite economic pressures such as cost-of-living increases and cautious consumer spending, the report highlighted the sector's resilience. Notably, caravan parks generated a record $3.3 billion in revenue nationally, supported by higher occupancy rates and sustained demand for domestic travel.
Domestic caravan and camping tourism remained robust throughout 2025, with 17.3 million overnight trips, 57.9 million visitor nights, and $12.6 billion in visitor expenditure. Regional Australia continued to dominate, accounting for 87% of all caravan and camping trips. The 30-54 age group emerged as the largest travel segment, contributing 43% of trips, while travellers aged 55 and over accounted for more than 40% of visitor nights.
For caravan park operators, occupancy growth was a key performance indicator, with cabins reaching nearly 70% occupancy nationally, powered sites climbing to 58%, and unpowered sites experiencing significant growth. Additionally, RV registrations increased by 4% to 937,701 vehicles, reinforcing the long-term demand for caravan and camping infrastructure, accommodation, and services.
The conference underscored the industry's resilience and adaptability in the face of economic challenges, highlighting a collective commitment to innovation and growth within the Australian caravan sector.
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