Camping boom

OVERNIGHT stays in alternative holiday accommodation in Spain, ie tourist flats, campsites, rural tourism establishments and hostels, increased by 23.7 per cent in January with regards to 2022, according to statistics published by hotelier association Hosteltur.

Overnight stays in campsites recorded an increase of 8.5 per cent this year, with more than 45.4 per cent of plots occupied.

The figures also show that 79.6 per cent of overnight stays in campsites were made by non­resident travellers. Germany was the main source market, accounting for 38.3 per cent of international campers, and the Valencia Region was said to be the preferred destination.

By tourist areas, the Costa Blanca in Alicante was top of the list with 352,315 overnight stays in January and the highest occupancy rate, 84.4 per cent. By cities, the top three destinations were Benidorm, Cartagena (Murcia) and Velez­Malaga (Andalucia).

In general, 72.3 per cent of overnight stays in January in all tourist accommodation corresponded to hotels.

British visitors accounted for the largest percentage with 23.3 per cent, followed by Germans (17.2 per cent) and French (5.9 per cent).

The Canary Islands were the most popular destination with eight million stays, followed by Andalucia with more than 3.1 million.

INFLATABLE mattresses are by far the best solution for camping fans who need a little more comfort when sleeping out in the wild or staying at a campsite, but how to choose among the many models and types available?

The Spanish Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) has analysed the various options and published a set of guidelines to help select the best mattress according to each camper’s needs.

Inflatable mattresses are usually made out of PVC and are blown up by hand or with a pump, but some models are self­inflating, with an inner layer of foam that expands when the valve is open. This is an important point to look out for if you don’t want to spend a tiresome hour working away with a foot pump.

Certain models have a laminated structure with two layers, including one made out of polyester fibres. This reinforces the structure and could be important depending on the type of ground you plan on sleeping on.

There are also models with different heights. Those with a single height are ideal for open­air camping as they weigh less and are easier to set up, but are also smaller and can deflate faster than those with double height.

In addition, double­height mattresses are more similar to a bed are therefore much more comfortable, and usually have an electric pump to inflate them within minutes with no effort.

ACCORDING to data from the Spanish Association of the Caravanning Industry and Trade (ASEICAR) new caravan registrations continue to decline.

A total of 406 new motorhomes and campers were sold in February 2023, which represents a decrease of 31 per cent compared to the same month in 2022 (589).

The same applies to caravans, which fell from 139 in February 2022 to 123 last month (­11.5 per cent).

As for the second­hand market, sales of motorhomes and campers are also down compared to a year ago: 1,424 compared to 1,610 (­11.6 per cent). The same is true for caravans: 474 compared to 524 in February 2022 (­9.5 per cent).

The slight stabilisation of the economic situation and a slight improvement in the manufacture of caravanning vehicles is encouraging some customers to reactivate their interest in buying motorhomes, campers and caravans.