By Dennis Amor
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your say
CARAVAN parks and campgrounds in Australia are rolling out the changes
to help combat tough economic times, according to a new report.
Leading business information analysts IBISWorld said the holiday spots
were being forced to reinvent themselves and become more family friendly.
With a record number of Australians holidaying overseas, international
visitors being driven away by the strong Australian dollar and rising site
and rental fees, it has been a tough time for holiday parks.
The report said they were being forced into improving facilities for
families and other specific tourist groups, with a particular focus on
cabin and on-site caravans.
Many caravan parks have now installed jumping castles, bouncing pillows,
specialised playrooms and even go-kart tracks for children in a bid to
attract a bigger slice of the family holiday market.
The report pointed out that they were offering new quality facilities at
lower tariffs than competing hotels and motels, while still enjoying
attractive profit margins.
IBISWorld believed the industry had survived the recent economic slowdown
in better shape than other tourist accommodation providers by offering a
combination of low-cost and high-quality accommodation.
The report suggested that park operators should try to try to lure
backpackers away from hostels.
The industry is estimated to generate $1.31 billion in revenue during
2011-12, up 1.1 percent for the year. This was expected to increase
marginally over the next five years.
Another IBISWorld report released earlier this year warned that the rising
cost of fuel was posing a major threat to Australia's caravan parks and
camping grounds.
And it predicted that the number of parks would continue to fall as
valuable land was converted to more profitable uses such as hotels and
resorts.
