Motorhome market continues to boom

Figures for the first three months of 2016 show that every country in Europe, except Austria, is experiencing an increase in motorhome sales, with Germany, France and the UK leading the way. According to the NCC its members are reporting that increasing numbers of buyers are new to the sector.

Registrations of new motorhomes in the UK increased by 20.4% in the month of March 2016 compared with March 2015. A total of 2,352 units were sold in what is a peak month for the sector. New motorhome registrations for Q1 2016 as a whole, compared with Q1 2015, were up at 19.5%, to a total of 3,042 units with an estimated retail value of more than £150 million. The German market continues to lead the way with 8,863 Q1 registrations, up 24.1% on the same time last year, with France second at 5,037, up 14.6%. Even the moribund Italian market, which had completely collapsed after being the third biggest in Europe, showed modest increases, at 1,401 registrations, up 9.9%.

All this is on top of a 21% increase in new, UK motorhome registrations during 2015, taking it back up to 10,572 registrations and near the heights the market reached in 2007. Many of companies are reporting near-record new motorhome sales levels in 2016, including Newark-based Brownhills, which enjoyed a 26% increase in Q1 this year.

NCC director general John Lally said, “We believe that strong demand for motorhomes will continue for the foreseeable future and we could see record levels of new motorhomes registered in the UK soon. As manufacturers increase production capacity and build even more attractive and innovative products that can be used year round, consumers, from young families to retired couples, will keep being drawn to the motorhome proposition. The Freedom to Go campaign is also working to draw more entrants to the market.

“Staycations are due to have another good year too, boosted by the preference to take shorter breaks. In fact short holiday trips of 1-3 nights account for two-thirds of English holidays, are on the rise and are exactly the type of break a motorhome really enables. Whether it’s a last minute weekend away, supporting an outdoor activity like mountain biking, or indeed the longer annual summer holiday, motorhomes make it all possible.”

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