Over 250K ‘Optimistic’ Visitors Attend 2024 Caravan Salon – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
DÜSSELDORF, Germany – More than 250,000 satisfied visitors and exhibitors marked the 10 days of Caravan Salon 2024, according to a release, which also featured a record number of 778 exhibitors from 35 countries presenting recreational vehicles, equipment and accessories for every taste and budget in 16 halls and on the outdoor area.
In addition to motorhomes, caravans and camper vans the range included vehicle technology, components and attachments, tents, mobile homes, caravanning and camping accessories & equipment, outdoor apparel and gear, tourism destinations as well nature regions, campsites and RV pitches.
Marius Berlemann, managing director at Messe Düsseldorf, the host venue for the show, said the “heart of the caravanning and camping industry beats here in Düsseldorf.”
“No other trade fair location worldwide unites the interests of manufacturers, dealers and visitors as perfectly as Caravan Salon,” Berlemann stated. “Positive midsummer vibes prevailed throughout our exhibition halls and outdoor space. This optimistic mood also had a very positive impact on the business deals concluded by our exhibitors. Visitors praised the unique, personalized advice and information at the stands. Accordingly, the very large majority of the 778 exhibitors reported excellent sales. Once again, more than 250,000 people from 69 countries visited our exhibition center in order to experience caravanning close up. We also view the high visitor attendance levels as a confirmation of the successful collaboration between exhibitors, the Caravaning Industrie Verband and our trade fair company. Caravanning is a perfect fit for today’s world and stands for a flexible as well as attractive form of traveling. It embodies freedom, individuality and proximity to nature.”
Caravan Salon has also developed into an important dialogue platform and forum for the exchange with political and tourism decision-makers. The conference series “Destination Future”, which is specifically geared towards the needs of camping travel destinations and tourist regions, struck a chord with experts and specialists. Attractive special shows and a varied stage program for both beginners and experienced camping fans perfectly rounded off the Caravan Salon ranges and were received with great enthusiasm by the visitors. It is particularly positive to note that many specialists and experts also travelled from Asia, Australia, South America and the U.S. to Düsseldorf and to find out about the industry’s new products and innovations.
Bernd Löher, president of the Caravaning Industrie Verband (Caravaning Industry Association/CIVD), was very satisfied with the course of the trade fair.
“The biggest Caravan Salon ever has more than fulfilled the high expectations. Registering more than a quarter of a million visitors, the exhibition halls and outdoor premises were very busy and the mood among the trade fair visitors was positive throughout,” Löher said. The good visitor numbers impressively underline the unabated enthusiasm for mobile holidays. One look at the exhibition center sufficed to realize that the caravanning community is extremely varied, uniting people from all age groups and social classes. In addition, the trade fair again attracted important individuals from politics, business and science, who learnt more on site about how caravanning has already developed into an indispensable driver for business and tourism in Germany and how this positive trend can be promoted further in future.”
Löher added that the 63rd edition of Caravan Salon, Messe Düsseldorf once again offered an “ideal stage for the impressive line-up of products and services – not least due to an optimized hall concept.”
“This trade fair concept went down very well with visitors because caravans and motorhomes are products that people wish to see, touch and experience – creating a deep emotional connection,” he said. “Special thanks go to the exhibitors who not only attended in record figures but also brought an unrivalled selection of products and innovations to Düsseldorf this year again. In view of the difficult economic and political circumstances that industry and trade had to work under in the most recent past, this cannot be taken for granted and shows once again that the caravanning sector is perfectly able to deal with the challenges of our times. This means Caravan Salon also confirms its role as the lighthouse of the industry again this year.”
The majority of Caravan Salon exhibitors were also very satisfied:
“CARAVAN SALON was a resounding success. Visitor numbers in our halls and the interest in our products exceeded expectations. We are very pleased with the positive feedback from our dealers and customers. Caravan Salon Düsseldorf provides us with the ideal conditions to present ourselves and to inspire more people with our innovative products and for this exciting type of holidaying,” said Gerd Adamietzki, chief sales officer at Knaus Tabbert.
Dr. Holger Siebert, managing director of Eura Mobil GmbH and Trigano Deutschland KG, added: “Many exhibitors travelled to this year’s Caravan Salon and were skeptical about the overall economic situation and motorhome enthusiasts’ willingness to invest. These concerns were refuted: the customers came and purchased. The poor availability of previous years and the scarcity of vehicles are a thing of the past, which had an easing effect on price levels. Motorhomes have not become more expensive. This attractive price situation and the numerous visitors have resulted in higher sales for nearly all 10 Trigano Haus brands. The premium brand Eura Mobil registered particularly high sales of the new products, the Xtura long-distance motorhome and the new integrated Integra Line GT on a Mercedes chassis.”
“We look back on an accomplished start to the season at this year’s Caravan Salon. As manufacturers, we at Hobby are delighted – like our dealers – that so many buyers will soon be on the road with their new Hobby caravan or motorhome. With new exterior design and extensive fittings we succeeded in convincing many motorhome customers. In the caravan segment our brand Beachy thrilled young customers with new features and great colors. The proven Hobby caravan portfolio in turn went down very well with many camping enthusiasts. Together with our sales partners we look back on ten successful days. Our special thanks go to the entire team of Messe Düsseldorf, whose impeccable organization made this success possible in the first place,” commented Holger Schulz, sales manager at Hobby.
Hymer GmbH & Co. KG draws a thoroughly positive balance of Caravan Salon 2024 for their brands Hymer and Eriba. Christian Bauer, chairman of the board, emphasized: “We look back on a successful trade fair. The consistently high footfall and excellent atmosphere testify to the unbroken interest in mobile travelling and our vehicles. In many of our conversations the focal themes of self-sufficiency, furnishings, design and functionality emerged as key customer interests. Our trade fair motto “‘Travel the Difference” specifically addresses these demands and resulted in great interest in our innovations. We develop RVs with creative ideas and forward-looking concepts that perfectly meet camping fans’ expectations. As the world-leading trade fair for mobile travelling, Caravan Salon provides us with an ideal platform for in-depth exchange with potential buyers, dealers and partners. Here, we were able to bring our vehicles to life and gain valuable insights into future developments.”
According to Bernd Wuschack, managing director sales, marketing and customer service at the Carthago Group: “Summing up, we can look back on a positive Caravan Salon this year. The challenges have not become any easier over the past twelve months, which is why we came to Düsseldorf with mixed feelings. But we continue to register very high levels of interest in caravanning as a form of holiday and in our products. Our innovations like the Malibu genius and both the Carthago chic e-line and the C2-tourer were of particular interest to visitors in Hall 16. In addition, we are delighted at the good overall sales result. This motivates us and gives our trade partners the necessary momentum for the important post-fair period. The excellent cooperation with Messe Düsseldorf and optimum framework conditions were the guarantee for positive trade fair results.”
Marco Lange, managing partner of la strada Fahrzeugbau GmbH, remarked: “We welcomed a very high-quality clientele who were, however, not quite as decisive as in previous years. We are very satisfied with visitors’ very strong interest and the economic result of our trade fair appearance is also satisfactory overall for la strada.”
Alexander Wottrich, co-CEO of Truma Group und Markus Heringer, managing director customer, operations and services of Truma Gerätetechnik, said: “Great conversations, high visitor attendance and a positive mood – this is what this year’s Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf meant for us. Camping as a form of holiday is just as popular as before and this can be clearly felt at the professionally organized trade fair in Düsseldorf. We feel that visitors come to find out about innovations, but service is also an important factor. For Truma, this Caravan Salon was a very special one because we not only launched new products such as the 2nd generation of our Aventa rooftop air-con systems, but also celebrated our 75th company anniversary. Thanks very much to Messe Düsseldorf for the great surprise and the birthday cake.”
“Caravan Salon remains the world’s leading trade fair for us suppliers. In Düsseldorf, it is very obvious how much of a positive impact our nature-based form of holiday has on people of all ages and backgrounds: individual, unique and future-oriented. The start of the season in Düsseldorf was fantastic and I am confident we have a very successful time ahead of us in our caravanning industry,” says John-David Pozzi, managing director of Fiamma SpA GmbH.
Ute Dicks, managing director of the German Hiking Association (DWV), commented: “By moving the Travel & Nature area to Hall 7, Caravan Salon has significantly increased the visibility of outdoor options for hiking and cycling paired with camping and caravanning bringing these closer to trade fair visitors. The extensive conference program entitled “Destination Future 202”’ – featuring specialist expertise from the German Hiking Association and cooperation partners – was also presented for the first time. Sustainability, digitalization, climate change and the challenges facing hiking trails and hosts along the way were discussed from a variety of perspectives and highlighted in a creative way. A special occasion for the German Hiking Association was the 20th anniversary of the “Wanderbares Deutschland” quality trail, which was appropriately celebrated in Düsseldorf. Many thanks to Messe Düsseldorf and all those who joined us.”
“Nordis Verlag was an exhibitor at Caravan Salon for the first time. Together with the camping associations from Sweden and Norway, we introduced visitors to the topic of “Camping in Scandinavia” in Hall 7 and also actively participated in the lecture program on stage. We were delighted with the response and enquiries made at our joint stand, and the new design of Hall 7 was also a hit. We look forward to participating again in 2025,” said Jörn Backhaus, managing director of Nordis Verlag GmbH.
The next Caravan Salon will be held from August 29 – September 7, 2025, in Düsseldorf, Germany. For further information on visiting or exhibiting at Caravan Salon 2025, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; Telephone: (312) 781-5180; E-mail: [email protected]; Visit www.caravan-salon.com and www.mdna.com. Follow us on https://www.linkedin.com/company/mdnachicago/
