Twenty-four million nights are the expected number of stays of the 610,000 registered recreational vehicles (motorhomes, campers, and vans) in France between June and September 2023, according to the barometer of motorhome tourism published by the European network of stopover areas and campsites Camping-Car Park.
According to a recent study, an increasing number of motor home owners choose motorhome rentals for discovering and traveling to France, with 90% expressing this desire (up 8 points from last year). The most attractive regions for these travelers include Brittany, which is expected to receive 4.36 million overnight stays this summer, followed by Nouvelle-Aquitaine (3.8 million), Occitanie (3.4 million), and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (3.3 million). The criteria for choosing destinations among motor home owners include cleanliness (78%), tranquility (78%), and quality of services (71%).
Among the reasons for choosing France this summer, respondents cite the desire to discover or rediscover the country (79%), ahead of supporting local businesses (31%) and visiting relatives (20%). On the ground, the most popular activities are visiting towns and villages (84%), walking (79%), and cycling (72%).
Motorhome tourism tends to be more popular in June and September than in July and August. This is likely because 86% of those surveyed were 55 or older and no longer had school-aged children.
The economic contribution to the communities and businesses in the areas that host an RV park between June and September is estimated at 1.3 billion euros. This is an average expenditure of 56 euros per day per a couple of RV owners, including 12 euros for accommodation.