Even in the second “Corona year”, travel and vacation operations were very limited.
Although overnight stays at Austrian campsites have fallen by around 2019 percent compared to 11, the Austrian Camping Club (ÖCC) is pleased that the number of overnight stays in 2021 has increased again by around 2020 percent compared to 6. A total of around 6 million camping overnight stays were registered last season. "Free, flexible, close to nature - that's how most people describe the advantages of this travel option and many campers did not want to do without it in 2021 either," explains Tomas Mehlmauer, President of the Austrian Camping Club (ÖCC). Carinthia (plus 9 percent), Tyrol (plus 3,8 percent) and Salzburg (plus 4,8 percent) in particular were frequently visited by campervan, motorhome and the like.
The growing enthusiasm for the camping lifestyle is also reflected in the fact that, of all the types of accommodation, camping is the only one to show an increase in the number of overnight stays compared to 2020. In the tourism year 2020/21, however, not only did the number of overnight stays increase, but there was also a significant increase in the number of campsites in Austria - campers can now choose between 647 campsites throughout Austria, 45 places more than in the previous year (source: Statistics Austria).
Due to the pandemic, forecasts for the 2022 camping season remain uncertain, but Tomas Mehlmauer remains confident: "A big advantage of camping in times of pandemic is that physical distance can be easily maintained and campers spend most of their vacation in the fresh air." When planning a vacation, the regulations should be checked and checked again shortly before departure so that nothing stands in the way of the camping adventure. "The advantages of camping - especially the flexibility and the feeling of freedom - are appreciated by more and more people. We are particularly pleased that this is also reflected in the ever-increasing number of memberships in the Austrian Camping Club," says Mehlmauer.