Camping Tourism Reaches All-Time High in Germany

The popularity of camping vacations is soaring, with new statistics indicating that overnight stays at campsites in Germany hit a record high in 2024. According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office, the number of overnight stays reached approximately 42.9 million, marking a 1.4 percent increase from 2023, when there were 42.3 million stays. This figure also represents a nearly 20 percent rise compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Over the past two decades, overnight stays at campsites across Germany have doubled, increasing from 21.4 million in 2004. In contrast, the total number of overnight stays in the country has only grown by about 50 percent during the same period. Despite the setbacks experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, when travel restrictions and accommodation bans were in place, camping has remained a favored holiday choice.

The surge in camping is also reflected in the booming market for motorhomes. The Caravaning Industry Association reported that the number of registered motorhomes in Germany exceeded one million in April 2024. Since 2015, the annual registrations of these vehicles have more than doubled, underscoring the growing trend.

However, this increase in demand has led to a rise in prices for camping accommodations. Recent reports indicate that the costs for overnight stays at campsites have risen at a rate higher than general overnight prices. In 2024, the cost for motorhome pitches was approximately 27.7 percent higher than in 2020, while the fees for camping sites increased by around 24.6 percent.

When it comes to travel destinations, the popularity of certain regions remains steadfast. The Schleswig-Holstein Baltic Sea was the most frequented location for campers in 2024, attracting 3.4 million overnight stays. Other popular areas included the Black Forest (2.6 million), the Lower Saxony North Sea coast (1.9 million), and the Bavarian Allgäu (nearly 1.8 million). Foreign tourists were particularly drawn to southwestern Germany, where they spent the most nights in the Black Forest, the Moselle-Saar region, the Eifel in Rhineland-Palatinate, Lake Constance-Oberschwaben, and the Bavarian Allgäu.