Caravanning sets records: tourism and the local economy in Germany benefit in the long term

Stuttgart / Frankfurt am Main, 19 January 2026

Caravanning has established itself as a mainstay of domestic tourism and is having a noticeable economic impact in numerous regions. More and more people are spending their holidays in their own country and consciously choosing destinations beyond the established tourist centres. This development is strengthening Germany as a tourist and business location, which is impressively reflected in record numbers of overnight stays and tourist revenue.

The demand for caravanning holidays remains high. According to a survey by the German Economic Institute for Tourism (dwif), 2024 saw more overnight stays at German campsites and motor caravan sites than ever before. With around 55 million overnight stays at campsites, a new record was set. In addition, the dwif recorded around 19 million overnight stays at sites outside campsites – another record. The figures not only illustrate the continuing high appeal of mobile holidays, but also demonstrate their growing importance for the development of tourism in numerous regions in Germany.

Caravaning tourism provides economic stimulus

The relevance of caravanning tourism is also clear from an economic perspective. According to the study, holidaymakers’ spending reached a new record high of around 20.8 billion euros per year. This significantly exceeded the result of the previous comparative survey (2023: 19.5 billion euros). Around 7.2 billion euros of this amount went directly into the holiday regions, strengthening local businesses in retail and food services, as well as local service providers, among others. Places away from major tourist hotspots and rural areas in particular can benefit from the growing interest in nature- based destinations. In addition, many caravanning holidaymakers travel several times a year and often take weekend and short trips to take a break from their stressful everyday lives.

Motor caravan sites offer potential for tourist destinations

From the perspective of the CIVD, this development offers considerable potential for the future. Daniel Onggowinarso, Managing Director of the CIVD, emphasises: “The recent records in overnight stays underline the potential that caravanning has for tourism and economic stability in Germany. Regions outside the traditional tourist centres in particular are increasingly benefiting from the fact that caravanning holidaymakers are specifically targeting less frequented areas. This creates new economic opportunities locally and strengthens local structures in the long term. Local authorities and private providers have the opportunity to make an enormous contribution to tourism development with low-threshold investments in their caravanning infrastructure, while at the same time opening up new economic prospects for their region. Caravanning should therefore be given even greater consideration in the tourism strategies of tourism destinations in the future.”