Excellent Mood at CARAVAN SALON DÜSSELDORF

Now that CARAVAN SALON DÜSSELDORF (27/8 to 4/9/2016) is at its mid-point, exhibitors and organisers have come to an extremely positive conclusion: “Our exhibitors are reporting very avid interest among visitors and brisk business; the models presented have gone down extremely well. By the end of Wednesday we succeeded in welcoming 110,000 visitors over the first weekend despite the hot summer weather. With these figures we are still below our projected numbers but look to the coming days with optimism,” explains Stefan Koschke, Director at CARAVAN SALON DÜSSELDORF. The percentage of first-time visitors at 38% was worth highlighting, he said, adding that the new hall structure had proven its worth. The Caravan Center, the RV park at the trade fair's P1 car park, is again enjoying great popularity. The pre-registration options of the new reservation system were used extensively. CARAVAN SALON DÜSSELDORF is still open until Sunday, 4 September, from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm daily.

The excellent mood in the caravanning industry was confirmed over the first five days of the trade fair. This is also reflected by a survey polling the views of exhibiting CIVD members.

More than two-thirds of caravan manufacturers stated they had sold more vehicles than last year at the same point in time for all other exhibitors business is on a par with last year’s level.

Just as outstanding are the results posted by motor home producers thus far. 64% of them started the trade fair with rising sales, 24% are on the same level than last year and just 12% of the motor home exhibitors has sold fewer vehicles than last year at this mid-point.

With a 17.2% plus against the same period of the previous year the German caravanning industry posted record sales of EUR 4.53 billion in the first six months of 2016. This means the German caravanning industry has continued on its course for success in the first half of 2016. Sales of new vehicles soared by 22.9% to an outstanding EUR 2.48 billion. The motor home segment also accounted for the lion’s share of sales in this first half of the year. Turnover was up by an extraordinary 24.2% to EUR 2.03 billion over the first six months. Caravan sales rose by 17.6% to EUR 443 million over the same period.

The constant rise in demand for recreational vehicles was not only reflected in the number of new vehicles registered but also by the second-hand vehicle market. Specialist retailers generated sales worth EUR 1.63 billion with second-hand motor homes and caravans between January and June 2016, which corresponds to a 9.9% increase over the previous year. And even the accessories business went up by an impressive 14.7% to EUR 422 million in the first six months.

“We are delighted with these outstanding sales figures meaning the German caravanning industry has posted record results for three consecutive years now,” rejoiced Hans-Karl Sternberg, General Manager of the Caravaning Industrie Verband e.V. (CIVD).