Camplify has today released a research report highlighting that 2020 is no doubt the year of the local road trip. With COVID-19 restricting international travel, Australians have hit the roads to travel domestically and within their own states, as Camplify reports a 125% increase in Winter camping holidays compared to last year. 

Camplify’s report outlines key travel trends among Australians during May and June 2020 compared to May June 2019, as state borders began to reopen and lockdowns started to lift. Whilst the travel industry continues to feel the pain of COVID-19, confidence to travel began to increase and continued to do so very rapidly. By the end of June bookings had increased by 1,125% compared to two months prior, when lockdown restrictions were in place, suggesting Aussies were eager to get back out there and travel. 

Having missed the Easter Holidays due to COVID-19 shutdowns, Aussie families were eager to hit the road once restrictions were lifted. This resulted in an incredible 115% increase in demand for winter camping bookings in June compared to 2019. The vast majority of which were organised for the July school holidays. These trends led to a massive increase in bookings on Camplify across the board. Both Hard and Soft floor camper trailers, which are usually less popular during the Winter months, saw some of the largest increases in booking rates (almost 200% compared to 2019).

As one of the first states to make announcements about lifting restrictions, WA saw a surge of early bookings in May. This equated in over a 1,200% increase in bookings compared to April. SA and NSW also saw increases of 711% and 543% in bookings respectively in May. When local travel restrictions were lifted in Queensland, bookings increased by 140% in June, accounting for almost a third of Camplify bookings across Australia. 

Whilst caravans continued their dominance as Australia’s favourite type of van, accounting for the majority of Camplify bookings throughout May and June, Campervans saw a massive increase of 148% from last year. With overseas holidays on-hold, many families are planning their first domestic camping trip, with the majority of first timers opting for a campervan or motorhome. This translated into a 120% increase in ‘Drive’ holidays in June compared to 2019. ‘Tow’ holidays also saw significant YOY growth, largely driven by the high proportion of caravan bookings.

The average age of people searching on the site has decreased significantly. Almost 30% of users now fall within the 25-34 category and there has been significant growth in the 21-24 category. (This is compared with the same period in 2019 where almost 50% of hirers were aged between 35-55). 

Camplify Founder and CEO Justin Hales commented: “Camplify’s mission has always been to make vanlife accessible to all. With overseas travel now on-hold for the foreseeable future, making camping accessible to Australians has never been more important.”

“We have already seen huge demand for road trips across the country, with families looking for socially distanced holiday options, particularly within their home states. We know Aussies love a good holiday, and local caravan or campervan breaks offer a great way for people to safely venture out and reset amongst nature once again. With self-contained caravans and campervans socially distanced by design, we understand that this style of travel offers holidaymakers an extra feeling of safety and control. 2020 is definitely the year of the Australian road trip due to its flexible nature.”

With the average RV owners on Camplify earning between $400 to $2,500 per week, the van sharing platform offers a great way for locals to boost their income by participating in the tourism industry. 

 

“With over 711,000 registered RVs in Australia*, and many only used for 4-6 weeks of the year, van sharing is a great way for families who might have been hit hard during this period to make a little extra income, and build that nest egg back up again” recommended Hales. 

To explore vans available to hire now or to find out more about joining the RV sharing economy, head to www.camplify.com.au