Camping Statistics 2024 – UK & European Union

Camping is a popular outdoor activity in Europe, drawing both domestic and international visitors. Many people across Europe enjoy camping due to the variety of landscapes and the increasing focus on nature-based tourism.

Key Camping Trends in Europe 

• 91.97 million visitors stayed at Europe’s camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks, and trailer parks in 2023.

• The total number of nights spent in camping accommodations reached 407.33 million in 2023, a 3.2% increase from 394.76 million in 2022.

• European campers spent €7.79 billion in 2023, a 4.4% decrease from the €8.15 billion spent in 2022.

• France led with 148 million nights spent in 2023, generating a total spending of €2.33 billion.

• £12.2 billion in visitor expenditure contributed to the UK holiday park and campsite sector in 2023.

How many people go camping every year?

Europe’s camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks, and trailer parks welcomed 91.97 million visitors in 2023. 

• This represented a 4.6% increase compared to 2022, when 87.96 million visitors were recorded. 

• The total number of nights spent at camping facilities across the 27 European Union countries reached 407.33 million in 2023, showing a 3.2% rise compared to 394.76 million nights in 2022.

How much do campers spend on their camping trips?

Campers in the 27 European Union countries spent €8.15 billion in 2022, however, this decreased to €7.79 billion in 2023.

Which country had the most nights spent at campsites?

France recorded the highest number of nights spent at campsites among European Union countries in 2023, with 148 million nights, representing a 4.4% increase compared to 2022.

• Italy campsites remained stable with 55.15 million nights in 2023, showing a 76.6% increase compared to 2020.

• Spain recorded 47.08 million nights, an increase of 5.7% from 2022, and a 118.3% increase from 2020.

• Germany documented 42.27 million nights at campsites in 2023, showing a 5.2% increase from 2022.

Which country spent the most on camping trips?

France recorded the highest camping expenditure among European Union countries in 2023, with residents spending €2.33 billion. 

This reflected a 12.5% decrease compared to 2022 when tourist expenditure amounted to €2.53 billion.

• Germany followed closely with €2.24 billion in tourist spending on camping trips in 2023. This represented a 44.1% decline from €2.43 billion in 2022.
• The Netherlands had the third-highest camping expenditure at €761.33 million in 2023.

• In Spain, camping expenditure reached €583.89 million in 2023, showing a 20.8% increase compared to €490.27 million in 2022.

• Italy recorded €265.11 million in spending in 2023, a 44.5% decrease from €463.89 million in 2022.

Learn more about the Best Camping Destination Globally.

How did COVID-19 impact the camping industry in Europe?

Camping in the European Union (EU) countries experienced a decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The number of nights spent in EU tourist accommodations dropped by 56% from April to September 2020 compared to 2019.

• Camping was the least affected type of accommodation, with a 38% decrease.

• International tourists saw a sharper decline (-57%), while domestic tourism decreased by 26%.

• Slovenia recorded a 76% increase in nights spent by domestic tourists, followed by Austria with a 32% increase, and Belgium with a 25% increase.

• Greece saw the largest decrease in nights spent at campsites, with a 57% decline.

• Estonia, Lithuania, Croatia, and Spain also recorded reductions of more than 50%.

• Germany, Denmark, Czechia, and the Netherlands observed the smallest declines, at less than 5%

How has technology influenced the camping industry?

Technology has reshaped the camping industry by increasing accessibility, convenience, and the overall experience for campers.

• Nearly 50% of global campers now use mobile apps to plan their trips, search for campsites, and book accommodations. Websites like Camperguru offer detailed insights into their users’ preferences and camping destinations in Europe. 
  
  

How long do campers typically stay at campsites?

• 38% of campers stay for 2 to 3 nights
• 23% stay for just 1 night
• 18.5% stay between 4 to 6 nights
• 20.5% stay for over 7 nights
  
  

Camping Demographics: Who camps the most?

• 30% of campers are middle-aged couples
• 18.5% are families with older children
• 15.5% are senior couples
• Other categories include young couples (14.5%), families with babies (9.5%), solo travellers (8.5%), and single parents (3.5%).
  
  

What type of camping experiences are most popular?

• 19% of campers prefer the beach and relaxation.
• 16% focus on sports, hiking, and exploration.
• 14% enjoy nature and farm settings, while 12% are food and coffee enthusiasts.
• Other interests include history (11%), wine tasting (10%), family fun and pet-friendly activities (7% each), and winter sports (4%).
  
  

UK Camping Statistics 2023

The UK holiday park and campsite sector generated £12.2 billion in visitor expenditure in 2023, contributing £7.2 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy. 

• The sector supported 226,745 full-time jobs and accounted for 5% of the UK’s tourism GDP​.

• Visitors to UK holiday parks and campsites stayed 82% longer and spent 12% more than the average tourist​.

• In England, there were 4,754 holiday parks and campsites with 320,901 pitches in 2023. The sector generated £9.2 billion in visitor expenditure (equivalent to £5.45 billion GVA) and supported 170,429 jobs.

• Scotland had 401 holiday parks and campsites with 35,093 pitches. The sector generated £991.1 million in visitor expenditure and contributed £565 million in GVA, supporting 18,354 FTE jobs. 

• In Wales, 922 holiday parks and campsites offered 69,088 pitches. The sector generated £1.66 billion in visitor expenditure and contributed £945.9 million in GVA, supporting 30,726 FTE jobs.

• Northern Ireland had 92 holiday parks and campsites with 14,746 pitches in 2023. The sector generated £390.7 million in visitor expenditure and contributed £205.7 million GVA, supporting 7,236 FTE jobs.
  
  

UK Travel Resources

• UK (United Kingdom) motorhome hire
  
  

Market Share and Outlook for Europe’s Camping Industry

The Europe camping and caravanning market is projected to grow from USD 16.65 billion in 2024 to USD 23.61 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 7.23%, according to Mordor Intelligence.

This growth is driven by the increasing popularity of outdoor tourism, affordable vacation options, and the rise in road trips and RV camping.

• In Europe, camping grounds are projected to reach 30,000 sites and €9.4 billion in revenue by 2026.

• France had the most camping grounds in 2021 with 8,030 sites, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, and The Netherlands. France is expected to generate €2.7 billion in revenue from camping grounds by 2026, up from €2.5 billion in 2021.

• In Spain, revenue from camping grounds is projected to reach €567.8 million by 2026, an annual increase of 0.4% from €474.2 million in 2021. The number of campsites is also forecast to grow to 1,350 establishments by 2026.
  
  

Tables and Figures by Country

COUNTRY	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
Austria	2,162,267	2,162,267	1,518,831	1,380,487	1,788,234	1,718,120
Belgium	1,000,547	1,000,547	812,249	554,079	844,047	869,595
Bulgaria	24,979	24,979	10,752	11,337	11,786	9,226
Croatia	3,461,724	3,461,724	2,599,637	1,301,220	2,943,802	2,920,316
Cyprus	1,316	1,316	N/A	N/A	742	251
Czechia	1,481,391	1,481,391	1,329,579	1,386,891	1,402,511	1,356,372
Denmark	1,514,593	1,514,593	1,440,575	1,256,923	1,370,390	1,398,474
Estonia	11,746	11,746	2,448	4,001	9,599	7,458
Finland	871,503	871,503	983,852	883,095	918,811	884,182
France	32,208,772	32,208,772	23,530,862	18,023,538	25,559,466	24,685,424
Germany	13,122,974	13,122,974	9,125,693	9,701,407	11,169,948	10,804,915
Greece	471,491	471,491	286,109	208,472	475,668	456,413
Hungary	694,366	694,366	380,113	350,805	579,705	569,756
Ireland	400,906	400,906	415,302	252,963	357,962	423,132
Italy	9,486,995	9,486,995	7,446,665	5,291,589	8,724,883	8,585,415
Latvia	109,753	109,753	86,757	83,263	109,599	93,692
Lithuania	94,971	94,971	61,258	41,666	65,259	53,792
Luxembourg	287,363	287,363	178,118	121,560	219,208	215,229
Malta	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Netherlands	5,158,037	5,158,037	4,370,806	3,547,187	4,263,670	4,029,095
Poland	361,843	361,843	335,446	321,619	415,662	434,057
Portugal	1,896,405	1,896,405	1,191,067	986,047	1,733,883	1,695,463
Romania	109,235	109,235	84,350	N/A	111,106	90,924
Slovakia	142,022	142,022	92,550	111,751	130,054	136,608
Slovenia	790,786	790,786	602,328	450,474	713,912	N/A
Spain	10,016,337	10,016,337	7,621,770	4,490,348	8,304,799	7,867,359
Sweden	6,093,520	6,093,520	5,400,691	4,358,208	6,047,561	5,887,314
European Union -27 countries	91,975,842	87,963,788	69,907,808	55,814,875	78,272,267	75,883,285

Nights spent at Camping Grounds, Recreational Vehicle parks and Trailer parks

(by International + Domestic Visitors)

COUNTRY	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
Austria	8,329,554	7,853,302	6,379,591	6,001,577	7,141,286	6,949,638
Belgium	3,451,572	3,288,305	3,045,600	2,223,897	3,045,340	3,224,778
Bulgaria	128,463	69,169	84,882	73,742	75,680	63,536
Croatia	21,643,526	21,397,570	17,500,753	9,139,206	19,173,976	19,275,307
Cyprus	3,454	12,098	N/A	N/A	2,392	2,312
Czechia	3,599,823	3,697,290	3,375,093	3,442,673	3,422,013	3,300,992
Denmark	12,177,916	12,751,345	11,952,357	10,853,437	11,036,831	11,122,876
Estonia	16,756	15,116	3,954	6,683	15,110	12,279
Finland	1,771,896	1,798,849	1,961,689	1,732,373	1,908,989	1,853,050
France	147,988,263	141,684,193	115,561,795	90,900,614	128,601,630	125,007,340
Germany	42,274,696	40,177,003	32,937,634	33,953,049	35,756,382	34,557,794
Greece	2,141,101	1,839,804	1,277,883	899,117	2,109,923	1,963,946
Hungary	1,974,404	1,955,928	1,199,500	1,106,099	2,028,014	2,002,122
Ireland	2,030,927	2,734,347	1,476,868	1,036,201	1,580,501	1,764,720
Italy	55,145,552	55,050,851	45,554,138	31,216,993	54,598,600	54,623,060
Latvia	171,949	157,356	127,833	128,492	166,923	158,891
Lithuania	237,742	116,007	136,382	70,590	138,555	111,760
Luxembourg	1,301,117	1,204,985	904,965	668,220	982,435	1,090,928
Malta	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Netherlands	28,103,407	26,462,570	25,410,022	20,648,123	21,874,729	20,747,568
Poland	1,120,061	1,144,144	1,085,276	975,061	1,280,596	1,257,909
Portugal	7,188,459	6,763,850	4,941,876	4,237,513	6,941,638	6,840,808
Romania	258,229	257,450	222,946	269,527	330,640	242,566
Slovakia	350,854	296,613	218,311	263,010	323,426	342,304
Slovenia	2,248,857	2,353,004	1,776,279	1,419,250	2,037,068	N/A
Spain	47,076,021	44,543,506	34,697,032	21,569,075	40,721,436	39,158,714
Sweden	16,592,664	17,135,979	15,456,560	12,818,862	16,747,364	16,062,028
European Union -27 countries	407,327,263	394,760,634	327,289,219	255,653,384	362,041,477	353,602,180

Expenditure (in Euro) at Campsites, Caravans, or Trailer Parks

(by European Residents)

COUNTRY	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
Austria	339,482,925	231,901,713	131,531,009	88,568,855	114,983,829	131,455,289
Belgium	196,165,180	148,591,336	139,818,923	90,067,837	163,793,702	167,369,492
Bulgaria	13,932,116	5,147,690	6,860,458	5,255,630	3,294,932	1,432,449
Croatia	15,804,434	13,174,529	11,240,340	N/A	12,210,110	5,375,349
Cyprus	1,752,602	908,013	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Czechia	80,333,547	85,621,363	54,452,929	43,492,330	60,819,001	52,616,069
Denmark	N/A	151,055,273	111,978,500	136,276,237	414,415,617	200,376,790
Estonia	3,845,788	5,648,511	5,755,485	1,813,001	7,277,235	4,569,476
Finland	39,812,762	55,341,968	36,486,839	52,229,582	42,040,476	44,874,234
France	2,334,930,255	2,629,749,487	2,360,378,423	1,889,218,036	2,287,181,224	2,381,796,762
Germany	2,237,640,866	2,427,275,416	1,572,032,036	1,084,370,390	1,985,937,798	2,012,254,400
Greece	5,148,243	10,213,727	8,823,118	2,382,592	7,891,742	6,844,404
Hungary	32,950,481	34,968,871	20,224,265	13,155,238	25,096,775	25,101,829
Ireland	99,316,579	137,731,661	28,989,704	18,717,966	115,618,396	77,236,859
Italy	265,108,144	463,895,417	267,031,014	282,201,141	277,163,631	240,540,782
Latvia	14,238,539	5,258,584	7,501,503	2,940,476	10,783,100	6,450,664
Lithuania	3,578,574	3,517,853	2,223,563	1,583,753	2,127,914	4,051,399
Luxembourg	21,284,790	25,082,242	14,315,109	13,016,083	15,885,073	8,869,263
Malta	2,956,965	N/A	N/A	N/A	1,713,900	N/A
Netherlands	761,330,465	726,354,141	594,684,224	176,533,606	257,689,139	383,100,859
Poland	75,601,775	86,880,398	58,893,180	44,405,283	79,308,862	78,730,859
Portugal	31,115,658	23,441,669	15,394,221	16,940,314	30,012,482	16,971,092
Romania	20,852,289	19,039,856	11,199,507	7,541,045	14,188,600	17,774,065
Slovakia	12,064,209	N/A	8,082,960	N/A	7,979,368	8,926,095
Slovenia	63,587,881	52,836,519	50,375,281	22,359,308	39,894,396	37,485,151
Spain	583,889,835	490,271,379	388,116,542	219,814,098	372,973,427	359,045,418
Sweden	N/A	309,007,403	335,359,694	210,221,546	227,149,855	171,543,158
European Union -27 countries	7,792,664,199	8,149,644,108	6,242,940,105	4,433,450,023	6,577,440,409	6,444,809,995

Camping Statistics by Country

• Camping Statistics in the USA
• Camping Statistics in Canada
• Camping Statistics in Australia
• Camping Trends
  
  

References

• EUROSTAT: Arrivals, Nights Spent, Expenditure, Pandemic Impact
• MI: Europe Camping and Caravanning Market Outlook
• CG: European Camping Statistics 2023
• UKCCA: 2024 Economic Benefit Report