We are in the last quarter of 2020, and if we pull the film back a year, we would never imagine that so much could change in such a short time. COVID19 brought a threat to our existence as human beings, and with it also many changes in behavior, namely the one so widespread worldwide: the wearing of a face mask. If there is one sector that has been and continues to be severely affected, by the pandemic it is the tourism and travel sector. Even during the period when the pandemic appeared to be slowing down on the European spectrum (particularly in the summer), hotels throughout Europe’s many famous tourist spots experienced severe occupancy losses. However, the wave of changes causes different behavioral changes that can prove beneficial for other types of businesses.
This summer I spent about 2 months in the south of Portugal, where I am from. Certainly, it is the most touristic area in the country at that time of year. However, being able to observe a phenomenon that I would hardly observe in a common year, namely how often I observed it. The immense tourist complexes seemed to be having difficulties in their occupancy rates, but every day it was possible to see dozens of camping vans in the main road arteries of the region.
2020 certainly brought with it greater affluence to this type of tourism: that of caravans and camping vans. I did not want to miss the wave and I also decided to join the trend and spend some of the days that I was in the south of the country in my rented wheeled house. I say that it was an extremely pleasant experience that leads me to believe that this may be one of the great pillars of tourism for the future. I leave you with some reasons why I believe this.
1. Isolation
Social distance is undoubtedly the word of the moment. In a campervan, it is quite easy to guarantee this effect. It is just us, and our isolation is in our hands: just close the van door or park in places with few or no people.
2. Combo (car + home)
When we are doing a road-trip one of the most beneficial points is the fact that we have a house with wheels. We can sleep, cook, and take care of all our basic needs without having to be dependent on our schedule at booking.com. Basically, we can drive wherever we want, and park and choose our “home for the night”
3. Nature Connection
During this pandemic, there was also a shift in terms of travel destination preference. I feel that more and more people want to replace the big urban centers, with more peaceful places and closer to nature. A campervan also facilitates this connection since most of the most interesting road trip routes involve a lot of places and nature.
4. Minimal Lifestyle
Less is more is a trend that is gaining more and more fans around the world. Live simply, with less, while creating richer experiences. Doing a road trip in a campervan is perfectly suited to this lifestyle.
