There are few things Brits love more than a good cup of tea - but camping may just be one of them, or better yet, both can be enjoyed together!
Nowadays with the rise of glamping and staycations there are even more opportunities for people to enjoy holidays within the UK and we're certainly not wasting them. According to the Great Britain Tourism Survey (2015), 15.39 million camping and caravanning trips were taken, averaging 4.2 nights in duration (64.7m total) and £162 in spend. 74.2% of trips were within England, 17.0% in Wales and 8.7% in Scotland. The total value to the economy was £2.5bn.
Those figures are up 3.2% on 2014 when 14.91 million trips averaging 4.1 nights were recorded.
However, those figures aren't quite as transparent as you'd expect, as they also include static caravan hire. The real figures for 2015 are broken down in more detail in The GB Tourist report, and include:
Touring caravan trip statistics
- 4.24m trips (80.0% England, 10.9% Wales and 9.1% Scotland) up 3.2% vs 2014
- 19.7m nights (4.6 nights on average) up 7.1% vs 2014
- Worth £664m (an average of £34 per night) up 5.6% vs 2014
Camping trip statistics
- 4.38m trips (82.1% England, 11.8% Wales and 6.1% Scotland) up 11.7% vs 2014
- 15.0m nights (3.4 nights on average) up 13.6% vs 2014
- Worth £574m (an average of £38 per night) up 11.2% vs 2014
Glamping trip statistics
- 0.24m trips (66.7% England, 29.2% Wales and 4.2% Scotland)
- 1.1m nights (4.6 nights on average)
- Worth £51m (an average of £46 per night)
Glamping figures were not separated out in the 2014 figures provided by The GB Tourist report.
This more accurate data puts the total value to the economy at £1.29bn, excluding motorhome trips which are categorised under personal transport and not easily separated out. It's worth noting that the majority of these trips are tourism/holiday related, but there is also a growing trend for work related stays. 110k touring trips and 190k camping trips were work related during 2015, including accommodation for contract workers.
Our recent survey of 6,457 campers provides some more insights!
The number of trips campers take
According to the survey, on average people planned to take three camping trips each year.
How many nights campers spend on average in a campsite
78% of the people we surveyed spent three nights or more on average when camping.
How much campers spend
On average, our campers had a typical budget of £405 for their holiday.
Popular camping locations
Being beside the sea is a particularly popular choice, with 47% of responses rating it as their favourite place to camp. 15% of people chose the hills or mountains, and 14% chose by a lake.
The most popular months for camping
Unsurprisingly, the most popular months were August (chosen by 60% of campers), followed by July (49%). The least popular months were January, February and December, with less than 2% of those surveyed planning to camp in January.
Kudos to that tiny minority!
Booking in advance
The majority of campers book a few months in advance (28% of responses), and a further 25% of people always book ahead by at least a few weeks. A surprisingly large 12% don't book ahead at all - blame the weather for that?
The most important campsite facilities
64% of our campers thought that showers and toilet blocks were essential facilities. BBQs, family friendly campsites and the availability of electric hook-ups were the next most popular.
How do you compare?
Your comments about this article
Alan
I was trying to find a site where I can take a tourer onto a site and leave it there. I would hope they would store it over winter and over the season I could just go to it as and when I wanted to. I am willing to pay an annual site fee to include electric and gas. Can you advise as I am a novice in this area
Have a look at our listings of 250+ sites offering seasonal pitches Alan :-)
- Why go camping?
- Camping statistics
- How to plan a camping trip
- Equipment and gear: what to take camping
- How to choose a campsite
- Camping etiquette and campsite rules
- Choosing a pitch and setting up camp
- Breaking camp
- How to keep warm when camping
- How to avoid midges, wasps and other insects while camping
- Camping with dogs
- Camping with campfires
- Camping tips, hacks and tricks
- Beware carbon monoxide poisoning
Download our list of everything of you need to remember for the perfect camping trip!
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