Bookings are pouring in and the players believe that the climate debate can give the industry a boost.

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (S) visited Böda Camping in the summer of 2017 and took the opportunity to try out a hammock.

The climate debate, the hot summer of 2018 and the weak Swedish krona have meant that Swedes have chosen to wait and see when booking their sun holiday this year, according to travel companies Apollo, Ving and Tui. The changed situation for charter travel is opening up the Swedish camping scene. Johan Söör, CEO of the camping chain Nordic Camping & Resort, has already seen an increase in bookings for the summer of 2019.

”"Summer 2018 was strong and the effects of that are still alive for 2019. We clearly see that many guests now want to have their vacation at home. The weak currency is playing a role, but so is the climate debate. Compared to January last year, our pre-bookings for the year have increased by 35 percent."”

The Swedish Camping Association, SCR, has also seen an upward trend in the number of guest nights at Swedish campsites. Over the past ten years, the number has increased by two million. A trend that does not appear to have slowed down in 2018, where the forecast shows a continued increase.

Eva Svärd, marketing manager at SCR, believes that the increased interest is due to increased comfort and climate conscience.

”Camping is a completely different thing now than it was just ten years ago. The standard of both vehicles and campsites has been raised, which makes camping easier and more comfortable. But I also think the climate debate is playing a role. It is clear that driving around in a camper van also has an environmental impact, but it is smaller compared to flying.”

The Böda Sand campsite on Öland has also seen an increase in bookings for the summer season. Anna Barkevall, CEO of Böda Sand, also believes that the climate debate will affect travel trends more than the industry anticipates.

”"I believe that people will travel more in Sweden and that guests will place higher demands on the facilities they choose to stay at. We see a smarter consumer today than ten years ago and who cares about their climate impact during their vacation. People want to do the right thing for themselves today, they want to make good choices."”

The camping industry has an annual turnover of around SEK 4 billion and both SCR and the players believe the future is positive.

”"It is truly a future-oriented industry with stable growth of between 4 and 5 percent annually. The industry is basically completely insensitive to economic cycles with good margins. We also do not see any slowdown in younger visitors, but it is constantly being filled with younger generations of campers," says Johan Söör.

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