The trend towards Australians choosing to hit the road in a caravan or motorhome rather than head to the airport for an overseas holiday is gathering pace … but they are also increasingly looking for value for money.
Interestingly, the Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s 2025 Consumer Sentiment Report also showed a clear shift towards shorter, more frequent trips rather than extended holidays.
Peter Clay, the CIAA’s GM – Research and Insights, said weather events were a growing influence on travellers’ plans … alongside fuel prices and general cost-of-living concerns.
“Rather than cancelling plans, consumers are seeking budget-friendly options, travelling in off-seasons, hunting for deals, and staying closer to home,” he said.
The caravanning lifestyle continues to hold huge appeal. PIC: Crusader Caravans
“Our industry’s strong value perception positions us well to serve these cost-conscious but travel-determined Australians … by emphasising this value, offering flexible options, and adapting to evolving consumer needs, we can continue to thrive even as economic pressures shape travel decisions.”
Some 76% of respondents to the CIAA’s poll indicated that caravan and camping holidays in Australia offer good value for money, while 77% considered them to provide a superior price-to-performance ratio compared to other holiday types.
“With ongoing cost-of-living pressures influencing travel decisions, caravan parks have an opportunity to attract visitors by emphasising flexible pricing structures, offering discounts or packages, and investing in amenities that enhance the overall guest experience,” the report said. “Additionally, diversifying offerings to include premium options such as glamping or eco-friendly accommodations can appeal to those seeking affordable luxury … by aligning with consumer expectations and adapting to shifting travel trends, caravan parks can strengthen their position as a preferred holiday choice for both domestic and international travellers.”
Claudia Schmitz, CIAA’s Insights and Data expert, said that while most travellers saw caravan and camping as great value for money generally, the ‘Value’ scores for individual parks wasn’t keeping pace with other categories.
“This suggests that as costs rise, some guests are questioning whether they’re getting what they pay for,” she said. “Meanwhile, location and service quality have emerged as the real satisfaction drivers – parks that nail these aspects are seeing more positive reviews and repeat visits.”
Latest survey findings showed that respondents are actively managing their travel budgets in response to ongoing economic pressures. The most popular money-saving tactics include hunting for travel bargains (81%), choosing off-peak travel seasons (75%), selecting budget-friendly caravan parks (69%), using loyalty programs (65%), cutting other expenses to preserve travel funds (62%), and embarking on shorter journeys (54%). Notably, cancelling or delaying planned trips ranked as the least favoured approaches, indicating Australians prioritise travel experiences despite financial challenges.
There was also a significant increase in those booking closer to travel dates (from 37% in previous survey to 45%) and willing to travel shorter distances (from 44% in previous survey to 54%) demonstrates adaptation rather than abandonment of travel plans.
“This presents clear opportunities for caravan parks offering value-based pricing, loyalty programs, and seasonal promotions,” the CIAA report said. “With 69% of respondents specifically seeking budget-friendly caravan options – up 10 percentage points since July 2024 – parks effectively communicating their value proposition are positioned to capture this cost-conscious but travel-determined market.”
At 64% of respondents, extreme weather events now top the list of factors influencing travel decisions in the coming months, followed by cost-of-living concerns at 56%, and fuel prices at 39%.
Crusader Caravans CEO Serge Valentino said demand was surging once again, echoing levels seen during the pandemic, as more people sought affordable getaways with the freedom to explore.
“Caravanning lends itself beautifully to the impromptu nature of short stays,” he said. “There’s no accommodation or flight bookings needed, you just hitch up your caravan and go, allowing you to travel off-season and stay as far or as close to home as you wish.”
WIN ONE OF THREE SKID ROW TRAILER SKIDS
Grey Nomad members are being given the opportunity to win one of three Skid Row Trailer Skids (each valued at $199). The ingenious Australian-designed device could come to the rescue of nomads who find their trailer or van stuck on sand, mud, or worse.
Manufactured from high-grade polypropylene, the ‘skid’ has been designed for use with or without the jockey wheel to accommodate different conditions in the retrieval process. The device is very compact (77cm x 39cm x 21cm), making it easy for grey nomads to store, and it weighs just 3.8 kilograms.
Click here to find out more.
As Grey Nomads, we look for only two facilities at a caravan park: clean ablutions and a level site. We don’t want jumping castles, swimming pools, par 3 golf etc. As such, around $30 daily would seem a reasonable maximum fee. Pingrup WA is a shining example.
I accept that younger holiday makers with children would think otherwise.
Perhaps there is a place for a two tier option at CV parks: basic and delux with daily fees set accordingly.
spot on great reply
Fully agree with you guys
Unpowered sites are also too expensive. And there should be a discount for solo travellers.
Hi John
$30 a night powersite, we would lose money.
Electricity, water rates, rubbish sewerage, rates including fire and emergency services rates.
Liability insurance, general insurance.
Cleaning costs including sundries. Staff wages. Damages cost
Park licences, maintanence bills.
Gst
Thank you.
Perhaps you need to look at how the park is being managed and whether you have to many staff members who aren’t being productive. $30pn should be ample, especially when you are providing a small piece of land and a bathroom.
trouble with that thinking is so many people set up and every thing electric is turned on I seen one older person leave the ac on all day with the windows open for the dog
Have pay as you go electricity meters & coin operated showers
Agreed
You may also add council and water rates, electricity, insurances for property and liability, maintenance’s including buildings and gardens, staff wages and on costs, possible loan costs, the list goes on. Yes the business needs to pay these and expect a return on their investment.
Cant just turn on and off staff
Biggest pro lem is that park owners paid ridiculous amounts for parks and we are expected to subsidise them!
Absolutely correct.
Why not charge the well healed oldies with their giant caravan & landcruisers $60 & the struggling young families $30. LOL.
The struggling young family’s shouldn’t be travelling in a caravsn if they can’t afford to do so.
That is simply BS. People of all walks are entitled to travel how they wish.
The cost of parks to some people, myself unCluded is a better option.
I think the young ones get a fair go with from our governments. If the young ones are travelling with a caravan they are doing a lot better than the us so called oldies when we were young. We could only afford a tent. LOL
Agree. You hear cases where people have sold up or otherwise to live the dream on the road. No more gardening, rates, insurances, electricity etc etc. Wherever they stay someone/business/council is paying all or a lot of these costs. Yes we have to pay to cover these costs.
Kandanga Country Club $25 powered site. Restaurant and cold beer.
A very reasonable cost!
ROBYN. Respectably replying, we stayed at Nebo on our way back from Bowen only 2 weeks ago and for P/W site 15$ per nite. Gues what, they still make a proffit. We would have used 3$ of power & didn’t hook to water, so maybe 2$ of water!!!
If you had 100s on grey nomads staying in a park for 3 months straight
Im sure $25 a night for a couple is fine
But if a park is seasonal they may pay staff for weeks and have few campers
So park actually looses money for months just to be open
I like your thinking John, there should be more of them all over Australia
I totally agree I am a solo pensioner and just want a quiet spot to park up so I do look for cheaper no frills parks
I agree
Absolutely vans nowadays are fully self contained.we only need toilet and shower. Why can’t CP divide their park into 2 zones.
No prob with discussion
How do I stop the different tier person using extra things they don’t pay for ?
I am a full-time Solo traveller, my caravan and ute are my home. I like to stay at Caravan Parks, Showgrounds, Sports grounds and Free camps. At 73 years of age, I find that I DO NOT use the playgrounds, jumping pillow or pool/water parks. I only require electricity, water and amenities. Most caravan parks charge site fees based on two people, with additional charges for each additional person or child. Yet, rarely is a discount offered for the Solo/Single traveller. Due to this inequity in charging fees, I find myself staying at free camps, donation camps, low-cost showgrounds or sportsgrounds. There are some non-branded, smaller parks that I do frequent, as they do not gouge the solo traveller.
I understand the major caravan parks are trying to cater to the travelling families with children. That’s great, but don’t penalise the Solo traveller and Grey Nomads. Solo Seniors generally only have one pension, while the senior couple usually have two pension incomes. I for one would gradly sign a Stat Dec stating that I will not use the play facilities provided for children, including the pool, in return for a discounted rate.
I am a member of two Caravan Park groups; however, I doubt that I will be renewing at least one of them, as even with the 10% discount, the rate is too high for what I use as a Solo Traveller.
I have a Toyota HiAce and I require a small parking area. Sometimes I book powered to update my WiFi and download photos.
Why do I have to pay the same amount as the huge caravans with fridges.. airconditioning… TV..washing machines and stoves and other stuff?
Surely these huge caravans could pay more than the simple solo traveller or backpacker who doesn’t have luxury gadgets..and prices be lower for the smaller travellers..
Just saying….
Maggi it shouldn’t matter, I’m a single pensioner for health reasons and live in a van but yes we shouldn’t have to pay the same as family or a couple on a pension.
Who do you think the caravan parks are going to take a solo person on a discount rate or a family paying more for the same site ????
We have done a number of trips around Australia firstly with a tent and then with a camper trailer. For the most part we preferred to stay in caravan parks but all we required was an ablution block and power to run a camping fridge and to have a couple of lights going for a few hours each night. It really grated on us that for a powered sites we were paying exactly the same as someone with a massive power guzzling caravan or motor home. Tell me how that is fair!
At one park I stayed at, I paid $25 pn. That was unpowered but you could plug into the power, swipe your credit card and pay for the power you use. After 2 days, when I unplugged, the credit card was charged $2.78. That was two years ago so power prices have gone up so would be bit more now. Paying for what you use, to me and probably you, is a good deal.
agree . I’ve generally found those with the $150,000 + fancy self contained units will still use all the amenities which are primarily for the true campers, and have every electrical appliance going 24/7.
Also, solo means 1 person not 2 so nightly rate should be charged as such.
I’m hearing you Jim, I’m in the same position single pension only living in Hervey Bay, thanks to some lovely people I’m staying on a 10 acre house block for $150 a week, would love to stay at others for gardening/work in return. Need more kind hearted people around Australia Trevor.
What a great idea. I am sure many people would love to have you stay in return for a bit of gardening.
I agree. Solo travellers are struggling
Totally agree. Am in same spot as the caravan is my home now. Some places offer a stay for 7 and only pay for 6. I usually stay 2 weeks at the tiwns I go to
I agree with you as a solo traveller why should we pay for 2 people and also I don’t want power but have to pay sometimes and don’t use it so I also look for free sites
U pay for site and they give u 2 persons for free
Hi, yes we are caravaning 3 to 4 months but have seriously noticed how the west cost is so busy you must book well in advance and be prepared to pay up to $80 to 90 a night for powered site. Again I have said before we are at the mercy of the big corporate companies who bought all the caravan parks.
Superannuation funds are the problem, awash with money, they look for steady cash flow and older caravan parks are very attractive with valuable land and return on investment .Upgrades and cabins are tax deductible along with increased fees charged aiming at a big spending clientele. Travelling nomads don’t fit their business profile..
Not all finished with BIG supers as we were well and truly past half our working years when it began.
Well said Clare, I’m a year off retirement age. Yes you are right, unless you had a government position, super was not available until made compulsory. At least the younger generation will have some retirement funds, that’s if they don’t draw on it before hand.
,7th week on the road now, free camps, donation camps and one showground before home, suits me fine
What if you are self contained, payment by for the land site a night!
In Broome charging $90-120 a night and
a lot of caravan parks have a minimum stay of a couple of nights
Where’s the freedom in that
Many have small caravans or camping trailers with a very low energy demand due to solar power and lithium batteries. It is very hard to understand why they should pay the same as a huge caravan with air-conditioning, ovens, TV and heaps of domestic appliances. A few years ago, we had a small soft-floor trailer tent and we paid the same fees as a huge 3.5 tonne caravan using about 20 times more power than us.
Start charging according to the power and water use and not just site.It is now very hard to find a decent un-powered sites for people who are not willing to provide charity to people with hug caravans.
my thoughts as well.Good reply
All your comments are valid/justified and indeed annoying. However, from the point of view of the CV operators and particularly in remote locations, it is impossible, impractical and a logistical nightmare to calculate the fees according to so many variants such as: size of van or camping trailer, single traveller or couple or family with kids, no. of elec appliances, with or without use of playground facilities etc.etc.
In the current economical environment, CV park operators are under pressure to at least keep profit margins constant and charge ‘Unrealistic fees’ to cover ridiculous increases of insurance premiums, rates and utilities. They will try to cut corners and overheads such as dealing with ‘AI style’ booking systems and installing a separate power and water meters for every powered site.
As CV park customers, we have the right to object to the constant increase in cost of living, (incl. CV park fees), by choosing to stay in free camps whilst promoting the advantages even free campers contribute to local businesses.
My wife and I are grey nomads, travelling with our van as often as we can. I totally agree with your viewpoints as to logistics involved. I don’t think we put ourselves in the CV park operators’ shoes often enough. Yes, costs are sky-rocketing, but most parks we frequent provide a couple of basic options.
And yes, we vote with our feet – if we have had an underaverage experience we will respectfully point it out to the CV operator. If it’s received in a gruff manner, that is it; we don’t visit that park again.
A huge problem, however, is the increasing closure of free camping areas, because of disrespectful bogans not having the common decency to clean up after themselves, not taking their rubbish with them, but leaving the local councils to foot the bill.
This is a huge shame, costing all of us, respecting our beautiful country and our fellow travellers, dearly.
I fully agree. These large Caravans use heaps more power than smaller vans..and also heaps more land when they come with a boat..a second vehicle and other extras…and the small van gets charged the same..
I think you will find many of the 3.5 tonne caravans are set up for off-grid. This means they have large battery setups and don’t actually use all that much power.
Ovens are gas, TVs are 12v and if things are managed properly all other gadgets are able to be used off-grid via an inverter using the battery setups, which is charged by the solar panels. Some are even able to use the AC off their battery setups.
Why do they plug into 240V in caravan parks & run their air-conditioning 24/7 though?
Everyone that stays in a CP uses 240V power that they are paying for.
No-one uses gas or solar.
Just because I have a big van, doesn’t mean I’m going to use more power than a smaller van. Also, how do you know how much power a person will use to charge them accordingly?
How can a park tell how much power u use ?
U could stay in van for 24 hours with aircon rumming while huge caravan had ppl using power for 3 hours
I travel with my wife four months a year. We find the price charged by caravan parks simply exessive for what we need. We don’t use play facilities provided by caravan parks for children, and we are self contained. We use caravan parks on average once a month simply because they are overpriced for our budget. We use mostly free camps, showgrounds, sportsgrounds, donation camps, and will continue to do so for as long as this price structure continues.
Spot on Pablo!
We’ve been travelling for 7 years. Did not have a home to sell and live off our pensions and do exactly as you do Pablo. We can’t afford a lot of parks especially coastal areas and have noticed since covid prices have increased substantially. I don’t know how families can afford to stay at places with all the bells and whistles. They could end up half empty.
What odd research- ignoring the massive elephant in the room. That being – 20 years ago & earlier, camping grounds were mostly small independent businesses, with character & personality. Owner operators are now almost nonexistent as 2 main companies have been on a massive spending spree that ramped up exponentially during covid lockdowns when the 2 greedy investment companies saw cash cows just waiting to be milked. Why hasn’t any state or fed govt investigated this duopoly and clear land banking?
In many places it’s now far cheaper to drive a car between motels rather than spend tens of thousands on a caravan or motorhome, only to be utterly price gouged. As others say, there should be more variation in fees.
I avoid like the plague, spending money with Big 4, Discovery, Tasman, G’day (& any other brand names misleading consumers into not realising they’re all owned by 2 main companies; southern based multi million dollar investors with staff who don’t give a toss about travellers, just their rule-obedience & wallets).
How could anyone ‘research’ the industry, but ignore the anti-competitive duopoly, and the boom in people instead choosing to ‘free camp’, despite safety risks? It reduces credibility to zero.
We said Fiona yes greed is all it is and uts about time Government looked at it
Not all GDay parks are owned by companies. We are a small family owned and operated park and we have recently joined GDay to hopefully encourage GDay travellers to take advantage of their membership and stay with us when in our area.
Agree however gday parks are not owned by big company’s
Travelling and camping in Australia is being utterly destroyed, councils are closing affordable and free camping areas we have had for decades, forcing campers into highly overpriced caravan parks, packed in like sardines, they have completely lost the meaning of camping and caravaning.
Average prices range between $60-$80/night out of season to $85-130/ night during school holidays.
Some larger caravan parks are earning $70,000-$160,000 per week for nothing but a booking and a 8m x10m plot of grass.
We have been travelling full time for 13 months, we are about to stop because of the outrageous cost, no money left for cafes or restaurants, we will seek our travel in the future overseas.
Australia is cooked.
Hi i recently stayed at a big 4 caravan park in bulandelah and I believe they have the right formula for all travellers seeking an even playing field. You pay a flat price for the site and then each site is metered so you pay for the power that is used. I also believe caravan parks should offer an incentive to reduce the rates if you extend your stay . The other park i do like is the nrma caravan park at short point merimbula they offer one end of the park for families pools slides cabins and clamping while the other is budget friendly also for families plus dog friendly.
As a pensioner and traveller, I find paying more then $40 a day prohibitive. Was going to travel to Longreach but at $50 a day, is way too much. The showgrounds were forced to charge the same as the caravan and parks. Cannot understand as during the busy seasons, these are full anyway.
They don’t offer stay one week and pay for 6 days, I normally stay for 2 weeks.
Can understand families wanting more, but I don’t and should be offered a discount.
Just about to leave a beautiful park in Blackall, been staying here for more then 2 weeks.
I have stayed at a central Australian c/van park a few times now and every site is classified as unpowered so everyone pays the same rate,which is very reasonable,if you want power you pay separately which I stayed for 5 days and didn’t even use $10 using everything.
We are traveling the WA coast atm, what a nightmare. Trying to find some accommodation at caravan parks is like winning the lotto. We don’t book in advance as we don’t know where n when we are going each day as we are just taking our time and looking down tracks to see as much as we can. We spent the other night in an ‘overflow area’ they called it, the bitumen carpark, as the park was full,No camp kitchen or sheltered area and they charged $60 . We asked if we could fill up a 20lt drum with water and was told there was a pay station at the information center. Rip off big time. We free camp as much as we can to make up for this type of expense.
The pricing is getting seriously ridiculous. If I am paying over $40 per night I want as a minimum a dump point and clean amenities. We recently stayed at a park that should have been condemned. It’s time inspections were done and charges accordingly. We recently stationed on the Gold Coast. Bad enough was the $80+ price tag. Yes it had facilities but mostly geared towards kids and being wintered weren’t swimming. We wanted an extra night and because it was school holidays they wanted $240 for the night!!! They used dynamic pricing as the reason. It park was 1/2 empty. What a load of garbage.
Most caravans these days are fully self sufficient. So why do some parks charge up tp 80 dollars a night to park your van on a small block of dirt. Most older caravaners
dont use or want jumping castles or playgrounds ect. So instead of ripping us oldies of charge us for what we use.the ones on the coast are the worst. Some inland are ok. The chains like big 4 are a complete rip of never stay at them
Caravan parks have out priced themselves. I now always look for a free camp option
No such thing
Anything over $30 is off-limits for us we don’t want any jumping castles or anything like that. We just want somewhere to plug-in, a level site and available shower and toilets. There’s a place for the expensive ones on the coast for families but there’s a bigger need for less expensive places all over Australia for retirees.
Don’t know how old that survey data but heading up the coast nth qld and parks are half empty and we get great discounts by simply asking. Even in Airlie Beach, called a few days ahead, got in easily, even got a 4 for 3 discount. And more caravans on the road..? Crap. They’re overseas now for winter.
At a CP now, 30 pn or stay 7 pay for 5.
If you want to see your face on the amenities floor with manicured lawns overlooking a beach. Expect to pay. Some of you little princesses need to dial down your expectations, then you’ll get your 30 a night.
Yes
Caravan parks for self contained caravans will have a big cost saving for traveler’s. No need for ablution blocks, kitchens etc..
Water, electricity and a dump point is all we need when doing the lap.
The cost of caravan sites determins me if I stay or not.
At Broome, it was $80 a night, and shoved into a corner not able to put your annex out.
We only stayed two nights to never return again.
$80 is wAy too much a nite thats more than renting a brick n tile house a week .. cmon make it affordable to go camping and yeh i rocked up to a large park one nite and had no booking and i had to stay on the side of the rd as i hadnt booked online ffs !! I camped around australia in the 80s and it was affordable and you could jus rock up and find a spot and it was like $8 a nite not $80 ..
Older people don’t use jumping pillows but the elderly couple camped next to us have had their caravan air-conditioning going 24/7 for the past two weeks.
Parks are no longer the attraction. They are more a transit convenience. Less paraphenalia, paperwork and militairianism would suit many.Let me pick an empty place to stay sans booked sites.