Camping fires but buyers cautious of big ticket items at NSW Caravan, Camping & Holiday Supershow

Camping had a lot of family fans at the Sydney Supershow at Rosehill

The NSW Caravan, Camping, 4WD and Holiday Supershow at Rosehill Racecourse (Parramatta, NSW) saw strong interest from visitors but more cautious buying behaviour. The Supershow attracted 76,368 visitors - down on 80,000 plus attendance  projections after the initial  25,000 visitor rush on the first weekend.

The current state of Australia's economy and recent interest rate rises could be some of the issues on the minds of buyers, making them more hesitant to commit to purchasing leisure products. The NSW Supershow once again showcased the best of the caravan, camping and 4WD industries over nine days (29 March - 6 April)

“Camping products and smaller items were strong purchases for visitors this year, exhibitors with caravans and motorhomes, however, experienced greater caution from customers when committing to purchase at the show,”  Barry Baillie, CEO, Caravan and Camping Industry Association of NSW (CCIA) said today.

Camping tents and equipment were popular with families with exhibitors such as Kangaroo Tent City, Rays Outdoors, Anaconda, Amazon Outdoors and Oztent reporting outstanding sales.

Sixty percent of those participating in the caravan and camping sector are families between the ages of 15 and 44 years who holiday and travel in groups of three or more. This is usually during school holidays.

According to industry research, the majority of families travelling on a touring holiday choose to stay in cabins or go camping in coastal holiday parks. Attendance figures reveal great interest in the caravan and camping industry, but the current state of the economy and recent interest rate rises could be some of the issues on the minds of buyers, making them more hesitant to commit to purchasing leisure products.

As ambassador of the event, cricket legend Glenn McGrath attended the NSW Supershow on both weekends to browse exhibits, meet fans and purchase some products for his next touring holiday.

With more than 100 erected tents in one location, Tent City at the show was a popular stop for visitors with many exhibitors recording high interest and sales. Caravan and motorhome dealers and manufacturers also reported good interest from visitors over the nine day event.

Offroad campers get attention

From 29 March through to the 6 April, Rosehill Racecourse was home to over 500 exhibitors displaying caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers, tents, 4WD vehicles and a range of accessories and holiday destinations.

“To satisfy the needs of the touring family, all States of Australia are represented at the NSW Supershow – perfect to organise the next holiday away" Supershow Organiser and Commercial Manager of the CCIA, Ms Sylvia Franklin said.

"Tent City at the NSW Supershow showcased a range of camping tents and equipment all in one location to make the browsing experience even easier for families visiting the show”, she said.

An Aussie invention, the Oztent is a camping tent that can be erected in 30 seconds and was one of the many camping products at the NSW Supershow.

Inventor of the Oztent, Joe Viglione, says that the idea for the ‘30-second tent’ came to him after being dissatisfied with other tents he had borrowed from friends.

From humble beginnings, the Oztent is now exported to nine countries around the world and has recently secured export to the United States.

The Oztent is a simple Australian invention that has successfully taken on the world and reshaped the camping market.

Northstar shows a Toyota based camper

Oztent and many other unique gadgets and products for the caravan and camping industry were showcased.

The NSW Supershow again supported the McGrath Foundation with volunteers asking for visitor donations to raise funds for the sponsorship of breast care nurses throughout Australia. 

Around $20,000 for the McGrath Foundation was raised from visitor and exhibitor donations at the NSW Supershow.

The Penrith Caravan, Camping and Holiday Expo at Penrith Panthers is the next major event on the caravan and camping calendar which will be held from 12 to 14 September 2008. For more information, visit

www.penrith.supershow.com.au

Caravan and camping industry encourages consumers to start 'Travel’n Green'

The Caravan and Camping Industry Association of NSW (CCIA) launched a new environmental initiative - Travel’n Green - at the NSW Caravan, Camping, 4WD and Holiday Supershow at Rosehill Racecourse.

Travel’n Green is based on the CCIA’s Gumnut Awards certification program which recognises holiday parks and manufacturers and dealers who integrate environmental best practice within their businesses.

Travel’n Green is a consumer focussed initiative which encourages the general public to be more environmentally sensitive on their caravan and camping holidays.

Caravans in every configuration

“Our member parks and manufacturers and dealers have embraced the Gumnut Awards program and now with Travel’n Green, we hope to tell consumers about how they can positively contribute to the environment during their caravan and camping travels”, Barry Baillie, CEO, Caravan and Camping Industry Association of NSW said today.

With the tag line - Protecting your caravan, camping and RV experience – Travel’n Green is a three stage program where participants progress through the Bronze level to become a Travel’n Green Gumnut Supporter; through the silver level to become a Travel’n Green Gumnut Ambassador; and through the gold level to become a Travel’n Green Gumnut Champion.

Travel’n Green serves to educate and increase awareness amongst caravan and camping travellers about how they can help to create an environmentally sustainable touring industry.

For more information on Travel’n Green, visit www.travelngreen.com.au

For more information
contact: Garth Morrison
Editor Go See Australia and Go See New Zealand Directory
Email: garth@contact.com.au