The German caravanning industry did extremely well last year, despite faltering supply chains

In the second year of the Covid pandemic, caravanning remained highly popular among German holidaymakers, as the sales figures for new caravans and motor caravans show. German sales of new caravans and motor caravans topped 100,000 in 2021, the second time this figure has been achieved since the record year of 2020. Over the course of 2021, 106,138 new caravans and motor caravans rolled out of German dealer showrooms, a decline of 1 percent relative to the record sales of 2020. Had it not been for faltering supply chains, sales would have been even higher. Owing to the Covid pandemic, there have been shortages of semiconductor components, as well as key raw materials such as steel, wood, plastic and adhesives – all of which has led to delays in vehicle production and delivery.

Motor caravans – Germans’ favorite vehicle

Despite delivery problems, sales of new motor caravans rose 4.3 percent in 2021, reaching a new record high of 81,420 units sold. This is the eleventh consecutive year of record sales for this sector. Annual motor caravan sales have more than doubled over the past ten years alone.

Sales of new caravans declined owing to shortages of components and raw materials

Faltering supply chains and raw-material shortages aside, the impact of preponed purchases owing to the VAT reduction in 2020 was felt most strongly in the German caravan sector, where sales declined 15.2 percent in 2021 relative to the robust sales in 2020. A total of 24,718 new caravans was sold during the period.

“In the wake of the worst economic downturn in the history of the Federal Republic in 2020, the following year saw the most severe shortages of raw materials since the Second World War. Despite these severe problems, the German caravan and motorcaravan industry achieved outstanding results, namely sales of more than 100,000 new caravans and motor caravans in each year,” noted Daniel Onggowinarso, Managing Director of Caravaning Industrie Verband (CIVD), in making his altogether very positive assessment of the industry’s performance in 2021. “What’s more, had it not been for endemic worldwide supply bottlenecks, sales would have been even stronger. The hindrances to production occasioned by this situation will undoubtedly persist in 2022, and perhaps even longer than that. However, we remain optimistic, given the high demand for caravans and motor caravans in the German market. Given that caravanning is a flexible and independent way to take a holiday, its appeal to German consumers is growing – particularly in light of the current situation,” Mr. Onggowinarso noted optimistically at the beginning of the New Year.