by Tom Leaning
The newly renamed Caravan and Motorhome Club has recorded its best performance ever in 2016 in terms of retaining and attracting new members. The Club has also reported an encouraging start to 2017 with a record number of occupied pitches in the first quarter, up 8 per cent from 2016.
According to the Caravan and Motorhome Club, 2016 Club membership performance was the best since 2009 in terms of both retention and acquisition, with 87 per cent of members remaining with the Club and 52,000 new members joining. This trend in new members joining the Club seems to be continuing into 2017.
With four out of ten of its new members being motorhomers, it is clear this area of the market is having a significant impact on membership numbers. With the record pitch occupancy in January, February, March and April swiftly following the very high number of nights stayed on Club sites for November and December last year, caravanning and motorhoming is now a year-round pursuit.
Interest in motorhome holidays is at an all-time high and Harvey Alexander, Caravan and Motorhome Club director of marketing said: “Having recently returned from a Just Go motorhome re-location holiday, driving a motorhome from Italy to the UK, I’m well placed to extol the virtues of this type of holiday and recommend it as a great and cost effective introduction to touring holidays. There is nothing better than having the freedom of being able to travel when you want, have a break when you want and experience the great outdoors, particularly when you have a young family like I do.
“It is no surprise that our latest figures are recording a bumper year, fuelled by the growth of motorhome members. These figures are backed up by our recent research released in The Inspiring Adventure Report, which states that touring holidays are set to enjoy a boom over the next decade with spending increasing by more than a third. We know that our million members are becoming increasingly varied and motorhomes play an important role – all share a passion for the freedom of exploring and enjoying adventures. As a trusted membership organisation with 110 years’ experience, we are proud to offer caravanners and motorhomers alike great value and high quality sites with fabulous facilities for all the family to enjoy.”
In its recent Inspiring Adventure Report, the Caravan and Motorhome Club also predicts that more than 16 million caravan, motorhome and camping trips will be made next year – the highest since 2006 and in the next five years the number of trips taken will increase by 400,000.
The Club is also expecting the number of caravans and motorhomes in the UK to rise from 755,000 touring today to top more than 800,000 for the first time by 2022. Brits are forecast to spend some £3.6 billion on touring holidays by 2030 – a rise of 37 per cent per cent on current levels.
