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The rise of motorhomes: an alternative engine for tourism in the face of the coronavirus crisis

 

The motorhome and adapted van industry has seen a boom for years, as shown by the 9,000 new registrations of this type of vehicle made in 2019 in Spain -with Catalonia at the top, with 2,300-, compared to 1,500 in 2014. However, beyond the exponential growth of the sector, with the arrival of Covid-19 and the consequent sanitary restrictions, this type of tourism associated with freedom and contact with nature has received the final impulse to be a touristically relevant segment.

This is assured by a study prepared by the Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Tourism Research (LMRT) of the Girona University (UdG) after interviewing around 400 van tourists that, last summer, landed at the Costa Brava.

Among other conclusions, the research indicates that, of the total of those interviewed, 50% felt conditioned by the coronavirus when opting to spend the summer on four wheels compared to other options: Especially in the cases of people who had a direct or immediate experience with the disease.

On the other hand, and regarding the chosen destination, 30% of those surveyed stated that they would not have chosen the Costa Brava if they had not found themselves in a pandemic context. The proximity of the destination with respect to the place of residence, mobility to points of interest close to the chosen destination or carrying out cultural activities were some of the aspects that the study indicates as the main reason for motorhomes to opt for along the Girona coastline.

The results of the research have been collected by Catalan campsites, which plan to specialize in this type of tourism on the rise due to the coronavirus crisis. So much because, according to the study, 80% of the overnight stays made by the van tourists They were in campsites – only 20% did so in areas set up as free camping areas and motorhome parking – as well as the fact that 99.3% of those interviewed assured that they would travel again next year with your van or motorhome, regardless of the health situation.

 «It is a type of tourism that in recent years has been increasing and that now, with Covid-19, has been consolidated. It is an upward trend that has come to stay, ”says the member of the Board of Directors of the Catalan Camping Federation and vice president of the Girona Camping Association, Josep Maria Pla, who points out that the majority of Catalan camping centers are relatively adapted to the needs of motorhomes.  «They have specific areas with points for the evacuation of sewage, electrical connection or clean water loading. Now what we must do is expand those services, with more specific areas, with more overnight rates Even with works at the entrances and exits of some establishments so that the motorhomes can maneuver well. Our sector is very dynamic and when it sees an opportunity to improve its services, it ends up taking advantage of it, ”adds Pla.

And it is that, as pointed out by the Girona Campings Association, Â «it is an opportunity to bring this type of tourism closer to the world of camping and for users of camper and motorhomes end up becoming campers. ‘Undoubtedly, the increase in this type of customer would help us to maintain activity beyond the summer season, as these vehicles are equipped to be used all year round, even in winter, Pla concludes.

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