There is great expectation for the next edition of the Salone del Camper which returns to Parma, Italy from 10 to 18 September 2022: on 100 thousand square meters of exhibition space, all the news on the world of motorhomes, caravans, components and accessories will be presented.
Holidays in motorhome are not a temporary trend, but a lifestyle. The numbers prove it. According to the APC, the Caravan and Camper Manufacturers Association of Italy, new registrations in Italy grew by + 7.68% in 2020 and reached double digits in 2021, reaching + 11.92%.
The main brands have already confirmed they will be exhibiting at the 13th edition of one of the most important international events in the sector.
Some marketing activities for the Parma show have started, such as the Salone Del Camper Lab-Webinar which focused on the importance of investing in innovative and digitized parking areas.
“Tourism has undergone profound changes in recent years,” explains Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma. “It has become more and more of discovery and the ‘where’ has given way to the ‘how’, in particular to the desire to experiment and regenerate even by covering short distances. The camper is the ideal tool for this question and becomes an important driving force for the economy of the territories, even those far from the main tourist destinations. In this scenario, attention is growing for more compact models. In fact, a Van generation is developing which chooses this type of vehicle as its first or second car because it is agile and compatible but with multiple uses. The Salone del Camper has always intercepted emerging tourism trends and represents the potential of the recreational vehicle market “.
On the production front, Italy is confirmed as the third European producer of motorhomes, after Germany and France, with a production increase, in 2021, of 33.88% compared to 2020 and with exports exceeding 80%. A trend that follows the positive curve of outdoor tourism.
“The camper is becoming more and more a tool to enjoy free time all year round,” underlines Simone Niccolai, president of the APC, Association of Caravan and Camper Manufacturers.
“The camper manufacturers are doing everything possible, even making new investments, to satisfy the growing demand for campers and caravans from the various European markets. Among the vehicles most sought after by families are the attic campers, the youngest appreciate vans and semi-integrated. The caravan is ideal for those who can afford longer holidays. Even the luxurious motorhomes for those looking for maximum comfort at all times,” Simone added.
The Salone del Camper is the ideal showcase for those looking for the vehicle that best suits their needs. The different solutions can be touched by hand, by viewing in detail the proposals of the manufacturers. But not only that, because the exhibition area, which includes five pavilions, hosts four product areas.
The first is Caravan and Camper, which boasts the presence of the most important European companies that have confirmed their presence: Adria, Arca, Autostar, Benimar, Blue Camp, Caravans International, Carthago, Challenger, Chausson, Dreamer, Elnagh, Eura Mobil, Font Vendome, Frankia, Giottiline, Itineo, Karmann, Knaus Tabbert, Malibu, McLouis, Mobilvetta, Panama, Pilote, Poessl Freizeit und Sport, Rapido, Reimo, Rimor, Roller Team, Top Group, Vantourer, Westfalia Mobil, XGO.
The second is dedicated to accessories for vehicles and useful complements to make the holiday more comfortable. Among the companies in this sector have joined: AL-KO Vehicle Technology, Brunner, CBE, Dimatec, Dometic, Eberspaecher, Euro Accessoires, Fiamma, Garmin, Ges International, Indel B, Narbonne, SI.FI., Teleco, Truma, Vitrifrigo, Vecamplast, Webasto.
The third is for Shopping where there are products for outdoor life and for small spaces.
The fourth is itineraries and destinations, which intercepts all tourists looking for new travel ideas. Ideal itineraries for free tourism, ideas for proximity tourism, unusual weekends or more adventurous trips are presented. The itineraries are accompanied by proposals to make the holiday even more engaging, such as outdoor sports, from trekking to two-wheeled itineraries.
The Salone del Camper is, therefore, a milestone not only for campers, but also for those who love outdoor tourism.
Over 250 people, including administrators, entrepreneurs and the press, have signed up for the first LaB-Webinar approaching the Salone del Camper at Fiere di Parma.
“Why and how to create a camper parking area, how to communicate it and make it more and more digital,” said Ludovica Sanpaolesi, director of APC, Caravan and Camper Manufacturers Association, “immediately got to the heart of the topic, listing eight good reasons that demonstrate the usefulness of investing in parking areas starting from the numbers. There are 20 million traveling tourists in Europe, with a fleet of over six million vehicles including campers and caravans. A type of tourism that must be captured, because it is high spending, which loves discovering new territories, villages and small towns, buying and trying local products, enhancing restaurants, wineries and farmhouses that welcome them. Furthermore, the camper is far from the stereotype of a classic holiday and is used a lot for leisure time: it is estimated that on average the use is 79 days a year, being able to move easily even at the last minute on weekends, bridges, parties. Welcoming campers therefore also means seasonally adjusting tourism, anticipating and extending the season.
The territories that will try to intercept this tourism will therefore make an investment for the future,” Continued Ludovica.
Giorgio Palmucci, President of ENIT, stressed the importance of new and increasingly innovative and digitized structures for outdoor tourism, which in recent years has given breath to the sector. A need also shared by Ilaria Realfonzo, director of the Ministry of Tourism, who illustrated the opportunities offered by the PNRR for outdoor tourism.
Gianluca Tomellini, Vice President of AIASC, Italian Association of Camper Parking Areas, is also convinced of this, who focused on 4 fundamental key points for the newly designed parking areas, which must be: attractive, functional, digital and sustainable. They will have to focus on home automation, with video surveillance and automated access control via App.
Digitization is also part of the PNRR, so it becomes a priority to use this opportunity to increase the attractiveness of the tourism system through the modernization of infrastructures and the enhancement of accommodation facilities.
Four successful case histories presented. Roberto Iezzi, from the Tourism Department of the Abruzzo Region, presented the creation of a digital platform dedicated to itinerant tourism and the project of an App with routes that accompany the discovery of the area, connecting the rest areas.
Gabriele Baldaccini, Councilor for Tourism of the Municipality of Camaiore, Elizabeth Vargiu, Councilor for Tourism of the Municipality of Tempio Pausania, Franco Ceregioli, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Sarnano, underlined the important economic return had by the territory with the construction of a rest area at the gates of the city.
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