DÜSSELDORF— More than 254,000 visitors from 65 countries gathered at Messe Düsseldorf in Germany for ten days for the 62nd CARAVAN SALON from Aug. 26-Sept. 3, 2023, with 37% of visitors being first-timers.
The caravanning industry drives nature-oriented tourism and injects more than 15 billion Euros per year into the German economy. It is a form of vacationing that is steadily growing.
CARAVAN SALON features the world’s largest selection of mobile leisure vehicles. This year, more than 750 exhibitors from 37 countries showcased their innovations and current models in 16 exhibition halls as well as an outdoor area at the fair whose theme was, “More Style. Less Limits.”
Set on approximately 2.7 million square feet, leisure vehicles of all sizes and price ranges, mobile homes, awnings, and roof tents were on display at CARAVAN SALON. In addition, there were exhibitors who helped plan trips.
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“With 254,000 visitors from 65 countries, CARAVAN SALON 2023 made a very positive statement,” Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf, the show’s organizers, said. “In view of the challenging general conditions, we are more than pleased that we were able to achieve such a successful result.”
The challenging conditions Wienkamp refers to are supply chain, personnel shortages and bottlenecks in logistics that had been putting a strain on the delivery of caravans.
The gathering is an international one. “It is particularly pleasing that an increasing number of specialists and experts from Asia, Australia and the U.S. have once again come to Düsseldorf to find out about the new products and innovations in the industry. CARAVAN SALON is therefore the most important meeting place in the industry for trade visitors and end consumers alike, and as it turns out, no one wants to do without this live format and personal contact,” Stefan Koschke, Director of CARAVAN SALON, said. “Despite a difficult economic environment, we succeeded in attracting visitors with a very high level of interest in this form of vacation and concrete purchase intentions. Caravanning is a topic that now appeals to people from all walks of life, and a major image change has happened. You can sense in the halls that people are now more than ever longing for freedom, flexibility and nature. Caravans and motorhomes embody and combine these elements like no other form of vacation.”
More Than Just Caravans
“CARAVAN SALON is increasingly evolving into a key travel trade fair where people are seeking far more than caravans and other vehicles. This also became clear at our stand. Especially in demand were tips for hiking and for city trips,” Dr. Heike Döll-König, Managing Director of Tourismus NRW, said.
With the motto “Outdoor Happiness in NRW,” 11 exhibitors presented the camping and caravanning destination North Rhine-Westphalia at the joint NRW pavilion. Nine tourism regions were featured here.
“This year’s CARAVAN SALON showed us that there was a demand for more combined offers concerning caravanning and camping with outdoor offers including hiking and cycling. Of course, we have a lot to offer with our quality initiative ‘Wanderbares Deutschland,’ but it would be desirable for many more destinations to join in. With the two well-received specialist events organized by the German Hiking Association together with its partners, we have noticed that CARAVAN SALON offers a good platform for professional exchange and makes industry trends visible. The German Hiking Association is very pleased that its expertise in sustainability, trails and hiking is valued by the trade fair with its 140th anniversary,” Ute Dicks, Managing Director of the German Hiking Association (DWV), said.
Other exhibitors commented on the expanded interest of attendees as well. “CARAVAN SALON, as one of the world’s biggest trade fairs for mobile travelling, is still a relevant format for us to meet and exchange ideas with dealers, partners, and customers as well as interested parties,” Christian Bauer, President of Hymer GmbH & Co. KG, a camper van and motorhome company, said.
Feedback from exhibitors and visitors will help in planning next year’s gathering. “This feedback is important so that we can further improve our processes and thus offer an even better service. We try to critically evaluate ourselves every year. And the positive response from the majority of the participants shows that we are on the right track,” said Koschke.
Reach CARAVAN SALON at info@mdna.com
