Hiring a campervan or caravan is one way to go.
For families worried about lockdowns but looking for their next big holiday, Camplify, the booking platform dubbed the Airbnb for campers, has hundreds of vans for hire across Australia.
The Newcastle-based company has seen interest in camping and caravanning ramp up over the past few years and Camplify founder Justin Hales told SmartCompany that the broader trend is for an increased interest in travelling via campers and caravan due to a lack of international travel options during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He says interest had been ramping up over several years but has accelerated because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He acknowledges that it’s not grey nomads driving demand. The average age of people caravanning are in their mid-thirties and predominately couples, groups of friends or young families.
Although the business has slowed because of the lockdowns in Victoria and NSW, with interstate travel currently paused, he is optimistic about the future.
Mr Hales is excited about the prospects, adding that the business was looking to the New Zealand market when the Delta variant struck. He said: “We’re super excited that, when Aussies can travel, that’s going to be a safe place to go.”
To hire on Camplify, you simply select the location where you want to go camping and all the listed vans in the area will pop up.
The average caravan price is about $120 per night for a family van, $60 for camper trailers and $150 for motorhomes. You need to put down a deposit which is returned a few days after you return the hire.
The Caravan Industry Association reported that caravaners and campers took 14 million trips in 2020 – not including those pitching tents. Those trips were worth $23.1 billion to the Australian economy.
“I still think we’re a long way from quarantine-free international travel that’s affordable for families,” said Mr Hales.
When people in Victoria and NSW can venture more than five kilometres from home, Mr Hales thinks people will want to spend time with their families, and the quickest and easiest way is via camper.
Explore more: camplify.com.au
