"Glamping" caravanning: Campers are becoming more demanding
What images pop into our minds when we think of a campsite? Men sitting at folding tables in fine rib undershirts, drinking beer and maybe playing cards. Women who wipe the plastic slugs of the bar cabinet with dusters or peel potatoes and chop vegetables on the kitchen block. So far, these ideas have deterred some people who might warm to the form of vacation. But they are wrong. Studies show that campers are increasingly modernizing their lifestyle and going on vacation or the long weekend with high expectations.
In general, the clientele in the industry has changed significantly. Brawny hanging out in front of the caravan and commuting between the grill and refrigerator has long since given way to diverse sporting activities. High-quality mountain bikes, expensive running shoes and tense slack lines can be discovered far more often than the alcoholic camper tour in the countryside. The caravanning movement has also left the fairway of cheap holidaymakers behind. This shows, among other things, the great popularity of the increasingly popular Womo dinners. Restaurants try to keep their guests by serving multi-course meals to visitors in their own mobile four walls in the restaurant parking lot, the prices of which go beyond the previously usual financial framework for catering on vacation and leisure time.
THE MOTORHOME DINNER IS BECOMING THE HIT OF THE SEASON
"We are seeing an increasing number of caravanning vacationers who are willing to pay reasonable prices for high quality," says Marc Dreckmeier, spokesman for the CIVD (Caravaning Industry Association). This is proven by the menu of the Vineria in Nuremberg (Kleinreuther Weg 87, 90408 Nuremberg, website: www.vineria.de), a restaurant that specializes in these dinners served at the motorhome. There are oysters, each for just under four euros, salmon tartare for 20 and lamb sirloin or beef fillet for 30 euros. Wines are served from 15 euros, the available (parking) spaces are well booked. The hygiene concept is consistent, the waiters wear mouth and nose covers and gloves.
Attempts to bring good cuisine and sophisticated lifestyles into homes on wheels have already been made in the past. As a passionate hobby cook, Adi Kemmer, former editor-in-chief of a motorhome magazine based in southern Germany, had already developed special dishes shortly after the turn of the century that could be easily prepared on two flames in a camper van. Nevertheless, they were all demanding. He put them together in a cookbook for campers. Manufacturers, too, have repeatedly put top chefs at the pantry when their seasonal innovations are presented to show that sumptuous delicacies can also be served in the house on wheels.
SIX-DIGIT PURCHASE PRICES IN THE UPPER CLASS
When choosing a vehicle, there is also a tendency towards quality. The majority of campers buy price-consciously, but even a VW California well equipped and motorized costs 80,000 euros and more. And even in the absolute upper class, the demand is great. The manufacturer Concorde in Aschbach, Franconia, builds around 400 luxury liners a year. Unit price at least 200,000 euros, the upper limit is almost open. The brands Morelo and Phoenix, both of which have their corporate headquarters very close by, are in the top league and at similar prices. The latest Concorde model is the Liner 1090 CIO, a 15-tonne Mercedes-based truck with a full-size garage in the rear. Not for the usual Smart or Fiat 500, but for classic oldtimers like the Mercedes SL or a Porsche 356. Cost: just under 400. 000 euros. Without classic cars.
But you can also travel glamorously on a smaller footing. The high-quality camping buses from the small manufacturer La Strada or the Carthago offshoot Malibu offer top quality and chic lounge design and are therefore slightly more expensive than the products of the volume providers. Nevertheless, interested parties must be patient here, the delivery times are several months.
HARDLY ANY EXTRA IS TOO EXPENSIVE
The increasingly extensive special equipment is also meaningful. The often high prices hardly deter a camper from making the motorhome more comfortable and attractive with expensive extras. 1000 euros for an awning? Does not matter. 2000 euros for a satellite TV system? Are money well spent. And 3000 euros for solar cells on the roof and a self-sufficient ensemble of lithium batteries? No problem. Even fuel cells are available for around 4,000 euros, depending on the power level, and demand is great. And if you have everything in the end, you might be happy with a hydraulic jack system that automatically balances the mobile at the parking space and gives it a firm footing, even when things get tough on board. The willingness to spend money is widespread among campers.
On top of that, the demands on the parking spaces are higher. Many even now offer modern sanitary facilities for use, including underfloor heating and individual bathrooms. Even wellness areas with saunas and whirlpools can be found here and there. The overnight fees vary widely, some places are free, others may charge 20 euros and more. The reactions of the users are very different, as the comments in the relevant camping apps show. “But it's always the same who nag and want all the comforts for free,” says the operator of a parking space on the Kiel Canal. “They are in the minority, but the loudest when it comes to ratings.” The satisfied majority of mobile visitors, on the other hand, are reluctant to comment.
EXPENDITURE OF 50 EUROS PER PERSON PER DAY
Even the costs of everyday vacation life are no longer at home with Schmalhansens. On average, every motorhome camper spends around 50 euros a day during their holiday trip in Europe, more than half of which is for groceries and visits to restaurants. On-site shopping costs EUR 10.40 per day, followed by leisure, culture and sport, local transport fees and the cost of the parking space. Those who stay on a regular campsite even spend almost 30 euros on food and restaurant bills. This emerges from the German Tourism Quality Monitor created in 2017.
At the same time, camping is a far cheaper type of holiday for families compared to a hotel holiday. Children can quickly connect to campsites, nature with all its activities usually begins right outside the front door and the entertainment options in some places hardly need to hide behind the renowned holiday hotels. The only difference is that a soft drink from the refrigerator does not cost two euros per glass, but significantly less. (ampnet / mk)
