German BVCD – cautious optimism for the rest of the season

In Germany, the prospects for the camping sector are oriented towards cautious optimism. An analysis carried out by the BVCD (the federal association that groups German campsites) shows varied perspectives depending on the region they belong to. In general, at the moment we cannot speak of a positive balance, and only after the autumn period will it be possible to draw conclusions, even if the bad start of the year can hardly be fully compensated.

The season had also started very well, with the number of overnight stays increasing by 23% in February. With the arrival of the lockdowns caused by the pandemic, however, the sector has shown decidedly negative numbers. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, the campsites recorded a total of 58% fewer overnight stays in the first five months of the year. As mentioned at the beginning, however, the situation varies greatly depending on the area. Bavaria, a leading area for outdoor tourism, had lost about 87% of overnight stays at the end of May, while Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia recorded a limited decline of around 9%. Surprisingly, Thuringia was the only federal state able to end with a positive sign, recording around 9% more overnight stays. In total, compared to 2019, the decline was 11%.

The current trend is that of a strong expansion, but according to the BVCD only a fifth of German campsites report “sold out”. For the months of July and August, 40% of facilities expect to do better than last year, while 20% expect lower results. In general, however, 75% believe that the losses recorded in the spring cannot be offset by the good performance of the last part of the season. The main thing is that there are no new lockdown related to Coronavirus, because this could cost jobs.

“Obviously we don’t know how the pandemic will develop, whether there will be a second wave and what restrictions will apply,” said Gunter Riechey, president of the BVCD. “Our campsites make every effort to respect the rules and I ask all guests to do the same. Given the conditions, I think there is a good chance that the losses suffered in the first half of the year can be recovered, even if in some regions this will not be possible”.