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THERE seems to be no let-up in Australia's love affair with caravans
and other recreational vehicles ... and the recent Melbourne Leisurefest
proved it.
Major shows throughout the country have reported brisk business and happy
exhibitors as wannabe grey nomads and younger families clamour to place
orders for new RVs.
And to meet the demand, the caravan and RV industry has already stepped up
production and continues to break records, with the first half of 2011
showing a 13 percent increase on the record figures achieved last year.
Local RV and caravan manufacturers achieved their highest production for
30 years in 2010, and figures for the first six months of this year showed
the surge in production continues unabated.
The interest in RVs was certainly evident at the Melbourne
Leisurefest which attracted another 30,000-plus crowd to its ever-growing
display at Sandown Racecourse.
Leisurefest patrons defied forecasts of rain to enjoy what turned out to
be mild and dry conditions for all but one morning of the four-day expo.
Organised jointly by the Caravan Industry Association of Victoria, Boating
Industry Association of Victoria and Victorian Automobile Chamber of
Commerce, the event was substantially bigger than last year.
CIA chief executive officer Robert Lucas said the generous size of the
Sandown site had allowed for an additional 2000 square metres of displays
while retaining ample free parking areas.
"Since Leisurefest expanded to incorporate boats and four-wheel-drives in
2008, it has continued to grow as more and more exhibitors sign up and
existing exhibitors expand their space allocations," he said.
"As for the weather, Melburnians in particular are not put off by a few
clouds – they just rug up a bit and enjoy the mild conditions while they
have a good and relaxed look at whatever their particular area of interest
happens to be."
Mr Lucas said Leisurefest continued the strong interest in the CIA’s shows
this year, which reflected the strong demand for caravans, RVs and the
related lifestyle.
"When you put together our Caravan and Camping Supershow at Caulfield,
plus the Melbourne and Bendigo leisurefests and our brand new Border RV &
Camping Expo at Wodonga, we will have well over 120,000 people visit our
shows this year," he said.
"There was strong interest across all three sectors – boats and
four-wheel-drives as well as caravans and RVs – which ensured the overall
success of Leisurefest as a large and diverse attraction on the
recreational calendar."
Mr Lucas said there was a strong trend this year to online ticket sales,
with many patrons taking up the strongly promoted online discounts which
in turn kept people flowing smoothly through the three entry gates with
the minimum of delay.
Leisurefest will return to Sandown next November.
