AUSTRALIA'S caravan parks have been accused of "fraudulently
misrepresenting" travellers who prefer to free camp.
Freedom Camping Australia's Phil Jones told a gathering of grey nomads at
Wagga Wagga in NSW that the caravan parks industry had been very vocal on
the issue.
"However, in doing that they are fraudulently misrepresenting those
travellers who are not their customers ... the 'freedom-of-choice'
campers," he said at the annual Stone the Crows Festival.
This had resulted in what he called emotive and often inaccurate media
headlines.
He dismissed industry claims that park customers spent nearly three times
more money in towns.
"As most non-caravan park campers spend around $650-$700 each week, this
must mean that caravan park customers are putting near $2000 a week into
the towns they stay at," Mr Jones said.
He believed there was a need for "no-frills sites at a no-frills" price,
but caravan parks were refusing to offer this product.
"Caravan parks consistently fail to acknowledge that most current caravans
and motorhomes are fitted out with toilet and shower facilities," he said.
'
'They fail to offer a discount
for those using their own facilities and for
solo travellers'
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"They fail to offer a discount for those using their own facilities and
for solo travellers, and fail to offer sites large enough for many modern
caravans and motorhomes."
A team of volunteers from Freedom Camping Australia is undertaking a
survey of a thousand free-camping travellers, asking them a range of
questions about their lifestyle.
"We are also inviting travellers to give us some idea of their financial
spending along the way," Mr Jones explained.
"We are inviting them to give us their details from at least seven days of
spending to get a good idea of the spending patterns and amounts being
spent in towns large and small along the way."
He said results so far were 100 percent opposite from every claim made by
the caravan parks industry.
The significant item discussed by nearly all free-campers had related to
accommodation.
"Caravan parks were so unpopular that many avoided them as much as
possible, preferring instead local town showgrounds, recreation reserves,
farm stays and national or state parks," Mr Jones said.
"Paying or not paying for accommodation was not the primary consideration.
"It was the fact that caravan parks consistently failed to acknowledge
that grey nomads have no need for children's playgrounds, water slide
activities or video entertainment rooms ... and yet they are expected to
pay for those facilities."
