DÜSSELDORF — More than 254,000 visitors from 65 countries gathered at Messe Düsseldorf in Germany for ten days for the 62nd CARAVAN SHOW from August 26 to September 3, 2023, with 37% of visitors for the first time.
Outdoor tourism is a driving force for outdoor tourism and injects more than 15 billion euros per year into the German economy. It is a form of vacation that is experiencing constant growth.
CARAVAN SALON offers the largest selection of mobile leisure vehicles in the world. This year, more than 750 exhibitors from 37 countries presented their innovations and current models in 16 exhibition halls as well as in an outdoor area of the show, which was themed “More style. Fewer limits”.
Covering approximately 2.7 million square feet, recreational vehicles of all sizes and price ranges, mobile homes, awnings and rooftop tents were on display at the CARAVAN SALON. In addition, exhibitors were on hand to help plan trips.
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“With 254,000 visitors from 65 countries, CARAVAN SALON 2023 achieved a very positive outcome,” said Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf, the trade fair organizer. “Given the difficult general conditions, we are more than pleased to have been able to achieve such a result.”
The difficult conditions mentioned by Wienkamp are the supply chain, the lack of personnel and the bottlenecks in logistics which put a strain on the delivery of the caravans.
The trade fair is international. “We are particularly pleased to see that an increasing number of specialists and experts from Asia, Australia and the USA are coming to Düsseldorf to discover new products and innovations in the sector. The CARAVAN SALON is therefore the most important meeting place in the sector for trade visitors and end consumers. Nobody wants to do without this live format and personal contact,” says Stefan Koschke, Director of the CARAVAN SALON. “Despite a difficult economic environment, we were able to attract visitors who were very interested in this form of holiday and had concrete purchase intentions. Caravanning is a topic that now interests people from all walks of life and a major image change has taken place. You can feel in the halls that people are yearning for freedom, flexibility and nature more than ever before. Caravans and motorhomes embody and combine these elements like no other form of holiday.”
More than caravans
“The CARAVAN SALON is becoming a must-attend tourism trade fair, where people are looking for more than just caravans and other vehicles. This was also evident at our stand. Tips for hiking and city trips were particularly in demand,” said Heike Döll-König, Managing Director of Tourismus NRW.
Under the motto “Outdoor happiness in North Rhine-Westphalia”, 11 exhibitors presented the camping and caravanning destination of North Rhine-Westphalia at the joint North Rhine-Westphalia pavilion. Nine tourist regions were presented there.
“This year’s CARAVAN SALON showed us that there is a demand for more combined offers between 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 if many more destinations would join in. With the two well-received specialist events organised by the German Hiking Association and its partners, we have seen that the CARAVAN SALON offers a good platform for professional exchange and highlights industry trends. The German Hiking Association is very pleased that its expertise in sustainability, trails and hiking is recognised by the trade fair that is celebrating its 140th anniversary,” said Ute Dicks, Managing Director of the German Hiking Association (DWV).
Other exhibitors also highlighted the growing interest of visitors. “The CARAVAN SALON, one of the world’s largest trade fairs for mobile travel, remains a relevant format for us to meet and exchange ideas with dealers, partners, customers and interested parties,” said Christian Bauer, President of Hymer GmbH & Co. KG, a motorhome and caravan company.
The feedback from exhibitors and visitors will help us plan next year’s edition. “This feedback is important so that we can continue to improve our processes and thus offer an even better service. We try to evaluate ourselves critically every year. And the positive reaction from the majority of participants shows that we are on the right track,” said Koschke.
Join CARAVAN SALON at info@mdna.com