Spain, at the bottom of Europe in motorhome areas, a booming business ignored by municipalities and communities

According to the Spanish Association of Caravanning Industry and Commerce (Aseicar), Spain needs between 2,000 and 2,500 more motorhome areas to meet the demand of itinerant tourists, of whom 65% are foreigners and spend an average of 150 euros per day .

Motorhomes and camper vans are in fashion. This summer more than half a million people will choose this type of home vehicle to go on vacation in Spain, of which almost 350,000 will be foreign tourists and will spend an average of 17 days to visit our country between July and September, according to forecasts by the Association Spanish Association of Caravaning Industry and Commerce (Aseicar).

In total, it is estimated that the movement of motorhomes in summer will exceed 170,000 vehicles with an average daily cost of 150 euros, although the annual movement can reach 350,000 vehicles and more than a million people traveling with the house in tow throughout the national territory, according to Aseicar data. Most of them choose motorhome parking and overnight areas, which offer fewer services than a campsite but are also cheaper.

Although in recent years there has been a great proliferation of areas for motorhomes (in 2010 there were only 180 and now there are 1,100) there are still many more in Spain. Aseicar estimates that between 2,000 and 2,500 areas of this type are needed to serve the Spanish customer and the rest of the motorhome owners from Europe. In Germany alone there are about 4,500 areas for motorhomes, 6,000 in France, 3,500 in Italy and 2,000 in the Netherlands, according to data from Aseicar, which every year receives many complaints from associations and caravanists due to the lack of areas and specific regulations. in Spain to park and spend the night.

"The sector is experiencing a moment of prosperity that has an unquestionable impact on the country's economy. For this reason, we want the different administrations, especially some regional and local ones, to decide to increase these motorhome areas to promote this tourism, both national and foreign. We want that in Spain caravaning begins to be given the same value as in leading countries such as France or Germany", claims the president of Aseicar, José Manuel Jurado.

According to Aseicar, these areas attract new tourists, generate economic benefits in nearby businesses and deseasonalize vacation periods. Some autonomous communities have known how to see and understand this need and have clearly opted for itinerant tourism by creating new areas, such as Galicia (more than 100), Catalonia (90) or Castilla y León (80). However, other autonomous communities such as Madrid, a visiting area and transit area for thousands of motorhomes, barely have eight areas and none in the vicinity of the capital.

"Incomprehensibly, the private initiative has not finished realizing the new business opportunity that motorhome areas represent," insists Aseicar, who recalls that until a few years ago it was impossible to access the center of large cities by motorhome due to the prohibition to park or due to the lack of adequate parking spaces for its size.

Now, municipalities such as Córdoba, San Sebastián, Logroño, Pamplona and Alicante, among others, have set up specific areas in central areas for parking and overnight stays for a maximum of 48-72 hours. Many of these areas are priced between 10 and 20 euros per day and most of them have running water, drains, electricity connection and close access to public transport.

The mobile fleet in Spain is also lower than that of other European countries. According to Asicar, in our country there are 332,200 registered vehicles between caravans (234,000), motorhomes (83,000) and camper vans (15,200), much less than in Germany or France, considered caravanning paradises. In Germany alone there are 610,000 motorhomes and 704,000 caravans, while in France there are 530,000 motorhomes and 547,000 caravans.

The sale of motorhomes and camper vans has stagnated in Spain, but that does not mean that interest in this type of vehicle has waned. Quite the contrary. Demand continues to grow, but supply is scarce due to the supply crisis and the lack of components for the manufacture of residential vehicles, exactly the same as in the automobile sector.

According to Aseicar data, 609 new motorhomes and campers were sold in May, which represents a decrease of almost 27% compared to the same month of 2021 (834). Caravans also suffer a decrease, going from 283 registrations in May 2021 to 216 in the same period this year (-23.7%). At the moment, only the sale of camper vans is resisting, which is experiencing a slight upturn (8 more units), since there is currently more stock at dealerships than motorhomes, which has led some customers to opt for the purchase of this type vehicular.

The fall occurs even in the sale of second-hand caravanning vehicles. Motorhomes and campers go from 1,831 in May 2021 to 1,764 last month (-3.7%), while caravans go from 739 to 662 (-10.4%).

The lack of vehicles also affects motorhome rental fleets, which are having serious difficulties in increasing units for the upcoming summer holidays. According to Aseicar, the rental fleet in Spain is around 9,000 vehicles and the average rental price ranges between 150 and 190 euros per day in high season (90 to 150 in low season). Every year there are about 25,000 travelers who choose to rent in Spain and there are three million overnight stays (120 average rental days per vehicle per year).

We have selected the best-selling motorhomes and camper vehicles in Spain, according to data from the DGT collected in 2020. Some cost more than 80,000 euros, but there are also for less than 50,000.