I’ve just received a press release from The Camping and Caravanning Club. It’s packed with some brilliant stats: over 21,000 Magnums sold (the Classic still reigns supreme), lattes outselling Americanos in Nottingham, and even site teams battling hosepipe bans with watering cans to keep flowerbeds alive. It’s a fun snapshot of how we all spent the hottest months of the year – you’ll find the full release below.
Summer of Why not: Club celebrates a sunny summer camping season
The Camping and Caravanning Club has had a successful summer as campers have taken advantage of four heatwaves in quick succession and ideal camping conditions.
Ahead of the autumn equinox, which marks the end of astronomical summer and the beginning of astronomical autumn, the Club has looked back and noticed new trends in the way campers have booked, searched and spent their holidays.
Campers have tended to book later than in previous years and used more Club special offers. Over the period from March through until July, Club members booked more pitches than they did in the same period last year. Looking at the different UK regions, the top sites booked more frequently than last year included Tarland, Nottingham, St Neots and Kingsbury.
Campervan holidays are also growing, with bookings 9% up on last year. Roof tents are also growing in popularity.
From the most popular ice cream to most searched trends, here are some of the Club’s summer statistics:
- Just under half of campers who booked in July and August planned their trips for the same month, showing a clear trend toward last-minute summer getaways.
- More than 21,000 Magnum ice creams sold in Club Site shops, with the Magnum Classic being the most popular choice*
- At Nottingham Club Site’s café, a latte was the most popular coffee order, with sales 16% higher than for the humble Americano*
- “It’s too hot!” – heatwave” searches in August peaked at 34,000 on the 10th, as we loved (or loathed) our fourth official heatwave of the summer
- 1000s of watering cans filled and emptied – for Club Sites in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex, site teams had to look to ingenious water storage options and work extra hard to keep their planted areas looking rosy as hosepipe bans were introduced from mid-July onwards.
Madeleine Birch, the Club’s PR and Events Manager, said: “It’s been an amazing season. Across the Club’s UK site network, campers have taken part in activities ranging from spotting golden eagles near Tarland to watching boats on the River Great Ouse at our St Neots Club Site.
“We have seen people booking much closer to their travel date, spurred on by the promise of sunshine and lazy days on the campsite. And with more warm weather on the way into the autumn, there’s plenty more to enjoy this season.”
To book a Club Site break visit www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk.
*Club Site shops sales data.