THE FUTURE OF PARK LIFE
The bushfire crisis of 2019 coupled with the global pandemic was a double whammy that no one saw coming. Australia’s tourism sector has literally buckled under the pressure of zero international visitors and decimated Christmas, New Year and Easter periods as lockdowns and border closures twisted the knife.
The caravan park industry, which relies heavily on peak times for financial survival, took a huge hit, with revenue falling 33 per cent — roughly $405 million — in January to July 2020, compared to the more than $1.2 billion generated in the same period a year earlier. In April alone it plummeted by $208 million compared to 2019 according to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA).
JobKeeper payments has kept this industry afloat, but its leaders have adapted, pivoted and are now enjoying a huge boom in demand as international borders remain firmly shut and the caravanning lifestyle enjoys an unprecedented renaissance for old hands and newbies alike. Here, we chat with parks and industry representatives as well as travellers about how the industry has fared thus far, and what the future looks like.
SURVIVAL INSTINCT
Without the regular stream of tourists, park operators had to get creative about making money. Some were
