After two years or so of being restricted from heading overseas, international travel is now well and truly back … and it seems grey nomads are among those heading to the airport!
Back in those distant pre-Covid days, many long-term caravanners and motorhomers used to break up their Australian odysseys with a quick holiday to Bali and elsewhere, or by taking an extended adventure in New Zealand, Europe or North America to see how the other half travelled.
Now, after 24-plus months of being ‘forced’ to travel in Australia exclusively, it seems there is a pent-up demand among grey nomads to hit the skies … and then the road. Australian company ‘America & Canada Motorhome Tours’ says there has been a dramatic upsurge in interest in recent months.
Motorhomers enjoy beautiful scenery in Banff, Canada.
“During the pandemic, our website was receiving around 10 hits per day, last week we had 100 per day,” said company founder, Graeme Smyth. “Bookings are coming in which is very encouraging … pre-Covid we were operating six tours per year and we’re now getting back towards that number.”
He says his motorhome convoys cover a designated route with pre-booked stops at RV parks along the way. This offers independent-minded grey nomads a lot of freedom during the day, as well as the security of being part of a group.
Many of the American stops are in national parks and in bush settings, and Graeme says grey nomads also enjoy the fact there is less driving than there would be in Australia as there is generally less distance between scenic locations.
“We generally drive around 300 kilometres per day and suggest participants take eight hours to cover the ground as there’s plenty to see,” he said.
For Australian grey nomads heading to North America, Graeme says the biggest initial concerns centre around security and driving on the ‘other side of the road’.
But not everything is different.
“There is a Happy Hour at the RV Parks on a nightly basis!” he said.
good more room for people travelling and spending in Australia.