Travellers Keeping Regional Australia Moving: Why Caravan and Camping Tourism Matters More Than Ever

Every morning across regional Australia, thousands of temporary residents wake up.

Some are in caravans.

Some are in motorhomes.

Some slept in tents.

Others are staying in increasingly sophisticated cabins overlooking beaches, rivers, lakes and bushland.

Then they start spending.

Coffee.

Breakfast.

Fuel.

Groceries.

Fishing gear.

Lunch.

Entry to an attraction.

A replacement tyre.

Dinner at the pub.

Another night's accommodation because they decided they like the town.

Individually, each transaction is unremarkable.

Collectively, they form one of regional Australia's most important tourism economies.

Regional Australia owns this market

The latest national figures demonstrate just how significant caravan and camping tourism has become.

Australians undertook 17.3 million domestic overnight caravan and camping trips during 2025.

They spent 57.9 million nights away and approximately $12.6 billion.

Most importantly for regional communities, 87 per cent of those nights occurred in regional Australia.

Approximately $8.6 billion of expenditure while travelling went into regional Australia.

Caravan and camping isn't merely associated with regional tourism.

It is one of its foundations.

One in three regional holiday trips

The figures become even more remarkable when isolated from metropolitan tourism.

Caravan and camping accounted for around one-third of domestic overnight holiday trips in regional Australia.

It also accounted for approximately one-quarter of the money spent on regional holiday trips.

That means the caravan traveller shouldn't be considered a secondary tourism customer.

For many towns, they are among the most important customers there are.

The travelling population

Recreational vehicles create something resembling a constantly moving population.

Unlike conventional tourists who fly directly to a destination, road travellers consume products and services throughout their journey.

The journey itself generates economic activity.

A traveller heading from Sydney to Queensland might spend money in half a dozen communities before reaching the intended destination.

The overnight stop becomes breakfast.

The fuel stop becomes lunch.

A roadside attraction becomes an unexpected purchase.

A mechanical problem becomes work for a local business.

Regional communities capture expenditure simply by being on the route.

Holiday parks are regional infrastructure

That makes caravan and holiday parks more important than they may initially appear.

A well-operated park doesn't merely provide accommodation.

It gives travellers a reason to stop.

Once they stop, the surrounding economy gets an opportunity to sell to them.

A park with good facilities can encourage visitors to remain another night.

Another night means another day of local spending.

That relationship explains why investment in accommodation capacity can have effects far beyond the park itself.

The modern park attracts more people

The evolution from caravan park to holiday park has broadened the market.

Not everybody wants to tow a caravan.

Not everybody owns camping equipment.

Modern cabins solve that problem.

Families can now join friends travelling with caravans while staying in self-contained accommodation.

Grandparents can bring the motorhome while children and grandchildren occupy a nearby villa.

Groups can gather in one location without everyone travelling in the same way.

That makes holiday parks particularly effective for family reunions, weddings, sporting events and weekend gatherings.

Regional destinations have become weekend destinations

The shorter holiday is increasingly important.

Cost-of-living pressures don't necessarily eliminate travel.

They can change it.

Instead of flying interstate for a week, a household might drive two or three hours and spend a weekend away.

That favours regional Australia.

Places within comfortable driving distance of major population centres can attract repeat weekend visitors throughout the year rather than relying entirely on long annual holidays.

The coastal advantage

Australia's coastal holiday parks occupy some extraordinary locations.

Many were established decades ago when the land had a very different commercial value.

Today, comparable beachfront or riverfront sites can be exceptionally valuable.

That presents both opportunity and risk.

As the commercial value of parks increases, pressure grows to maximise the financial return from the land.

Premium cabins replace older accommodation.

Prices rise during high-demand periods.

Facilities improve.

The park becomes more resort-like.

Economically, that can be positive.

Socially, communities need to ensure the traditional affordable holiday isn't completely engineered out of the market.

Councils have an important role

Council-owned parks are particularly interesting.

A council controlling prime holiday-park land potentially possesses a valuable revenue-producing asset.

Good management can generate income while attracting visitors who support the wider local economy.

But councils also have responsibilities that private operators don't.

Residents may reasonably expect public assets to remain accessible.

The challenge is finding the balance.

A holiday park can be commercially successful without forgetting why generations of Australians valued caravan parks in the first place.

Big business is moving into regional tourism

Large accommodation groups are increasingly investing in regional destinations.

This can bring significant advantages.

Large operators have national marketing reach, sophisticated booking systems, loyalty programs and access to capital for redevelopment.

A tired park can receive new cabins, pools, camp kitchens, playgrounds and other facilities.

That can attract more visitors.

But consolidation also changes the character of the industry.

The independent local caravan park increasingly competes with national tourism brands.

Regional communities will need to decide whether that evolution delivers the right mixture of investment, affordability and local identity.

Follow the caravans

There is a remarkably simple economic-development lesson here.

If recreational vehicles are regularly passing through a town but rarely stopping, ask why.

Is there enough accommodation?

Is the park attractive?

Can travellers park larger vehicles?

Are shops open when they arrive?

Is there something encouraging them to stay until tomorrow?

A town doesn't necessarily need a major new attraction.

Sometimes it simply needs to convert passing traffic into staying traffic.

The Regional Times View

The caravan and camping economy belongs disproportionately to regional Australia.

That makes its continued strength particularly important.

These travellers don't simply consume accommodation.

They consume towns.

They buy fuel, food, coffee, experiences and services as they move around the country.

Every extra night matters.

For regional communities seeking economic growth, the recreational vehicle travelling down the highway shouldn't be regarded merely as traffic.

It is a customer looking for somewhere to stop.