Camping Boom or New Normal? What Operators Need to Know Now

At the recent industry event of the “dwif-Impulse” series entitled “Camping Boom or New Normal?”, fresh market data on the development of camping tourism was presented. Our PiNCAMP CEO Uwe Frers was also present as an expert in the online webinar and answered the industry’s most pressing questions about the future.

Although the analyzed data primarily sheds light on the German market, the findings are significant for campsite entrepreneurs in Germany as well as across Europe. Germany is by far one of the largest source markets for European camping tourism. What is emerging on the German market therefore directly sets the direction for international occupancy rates and guest preferences.

1. The German Market: Record Demand Meets Scarce Supply

The figures from the German Institute for Tourism Research (dwif) impressively prove that camping was not a short-term trend, but remains a solid pillar in tourism:

• New record high in overnight stays: In 2025, Germany recorded 44.7 million camping overnight stays.
• Decoupling of supply and demand: While the number of camping overnight stays grew by 25% since 2019, the supply of sites grew by only 5% over the same period.
• Strong growth driver: Nationwide, the camping segment grew by +24.9%, nearly four times as fast as the overall commercial accommodation market (+14.0%), reaching a market share of 9% of all overnight stays.
• High economic power: In 2025, caravaning vacationers generated a total revenue of almost 23 billion euros in Germany, of which 7.8 billion euros remained directly as local value creation in the vacation regions.

2. What Does This Mean for Campsite Entrepreneurs?

For operators of campsites, the priority is to adapt the existing offer even more specifically to modern guest needs and to make optimal use of capacities:

• Quality over quantity: The four most important booking criteria for German campers are cleanliness at the pitch (72.8%), a clear price-performance ratio (67.5%), proximity to nature (59.8%), and safety (56.5%). Those who score points here secure repeat guests.
• Infrastructure for larger vehicles: With 981,010 registered motorhomes and 780,600 caravans, the total count on German roads has reached record levels. The average pitch size increased to 76.3 sqm. Investments in spacious plots, easy access routes, and EV charging stations pay off directly.
• Closing structural gaps: Relevant revenue opportunities lie in glamping offers, opening up winter camping, as well as sites in the 5-star luxury segment or with a low share of permanent camping.
• Digital presence against alternative markets: Platforms like PiNCAMP highlight the huge demand for flexible pitches. Only with digital visibility and easy online bookability can operators redirect this demand to their own site.

3. What Insights Can Partners Adopt?

For our partners, the evaluation of the German source market provides valuable impulses for their own site management:

• Specifically capture guest flows from Germany: The huge German vehicle fleet of nearly one million motorhomes is looking for vacation destinations domestically AND in other European countries. Operators who adapt their equipment to this target group secure reliable booking figures.
• Rental accommodations and glamping as entry-level offers: The dwif survey shows: 36.5% of campers have already used rental accommodations and 15.0% glamping. High-quality rental properties attract holidaymakers who do not own their own camping vehicle but would like to camp comfortably.
• Standardization in safety and hygiene: Since German holidaymakers demand cleanliness (72.8%) and safety (56.5%) as top priorities across Europe, transparent quality and hygiene standards create high trust. Visibility of these standards through classifications such as ADAC or ANWB is of particular importance to German campers.
• Continuous digital bookability: International holidaymakers prefer to plan their trips digitally in advance. Through direct bookability and reliable Wi-Fi on-site, operators meet the expectations of modern European travelers.

Shaping the Future of Camping Together

PiNCAMP directly connects the high demand in the source markets with your campsites. We ensure that your offer is digitally visible, can be booked in real time, and addresses the right target groups.

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