The recreational vehicle market is growing despite the Covid-19 pandemic, and Germany is booming

The Coronavirus pandemic has not stopped motorhome registrations. The data published by the European Caravan Federation (ECF) show that, from September 2019 to July of this year inclusive, in the main 10 European countries, overall sales increased by 3.2 percentage points. This was possible above all thanks to Germany, which is by far the nation with the highest absolute numbers and which recorded a sensational + 20.7%. Other countries, such as Italy, France, Spain and Belgium, show the negative sign. Not to mention the United Kingdom (-30.9%) which is the market that is suffering more than any other in this historic moment.

In any case, the expectations are all aimed at optimism. For example, in Italy the Associazione Produttori Caravan e Camper (APC, which brings together all the main manufacturesr) reports that even in August the signs are more than positive. “In June we made + 50% on June 2019, in July +114% on July 2019 and in August +104% on August 2019”, declared Simone Niccolai, recently re-elected as head of the organization, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Salone del Camper in Parma. “In the first 8 months of the year, sales increased by 3% compared to last year”. And it is reasonable to think that in other European markets, things have not gone too differently.

In total, in the 10 main countries, 126,391 vehicles were registered in the period September-July, over 59,000 of which in Germany alone. However, the ECF also paints an overall picture, albeit limited to the period January-July 2020, which includes caravans. Here, putting all the European countries together, we arrive at a negative sign, with a loss of 1.2 percent compared to the same period last year. To weigh, in particular, are the trailers, which counting for a third of the total have recorded a loss of 10.6%, compared to + 4% of motorhomes. However, the Düsseldorf and Parma fairs are showing good results in terms of public interest, with satisfaction from the dealers, and therefore suggest that at the end of the year the numbers will be overall positive.