Rising costs at caravan camps

Press, 15 August 1978, Page 19

Rising costs at caravan camps

During the past three years the cost of spending a fortnight at a caravan camp has increased by up to 112 per cent. Even so, a week at a caravan camp can still rate amongst the cheapest forms of family holiday available. In a private survey recently published in “New ’ Zealand Caravan and Camping” magazine it i was shown that the cost i of spending two weeks at a caravan camp had risen from $44 in 1976 to $73 last year. This year the price could be a hefty $ll2. The costs were for a family of two adults and three children under 12. A quick flick through the A.A. Outdoor Guide for the last three years will reveal how costs have risen at just about every motor camp — in some cases by as much as 112 per cent, in others by only 8 per cent. If you are appailed by those figures, consider the alternatives: For the same representative family a motel could cost between $224 and $4OO for a twoweek stay. Dinner, bed and breakfast at a private hotel could have cost $560 in 1976 and up to $7OO last year. The dearest hotel in town could cost $6OO with meals extra. With these figures in mind, caravanning is obviously still well worth a

second look, even if it does cost more today than ever before.

Apart from reflecting cost increases in the genera! economy there is a further force at work helping to lift caravan camp prices: campers clearly expect better and more sophisticated facilities such as showers and hot water; more and more caravanners are demanding self-containment facilities which require special sumps and other camp fitments.

It is this improvement in facilities which is propping camp costs up. New buildings, kitchen blocks, shower and toilet blocks are expensive, so is their upkeep. Heating, fuel bills, electricity charges at commercial rates, the installation of power points and water reticulation all cost money and it is the customers who are demanding it should be spent.

In many cases it is putting the costs of running campsites out of the reach of private individuals or even private concerns. It is no accident that the camps which invariably have the best facilities are the municipal camps. There are exceptions of course but many camp sites run by local bodies are done so on a non-pro-

fit, or even loss system, something which private individuals or companies are not very attracted to. Whilst New Zealanders are compounding their campsite cost problems a rather useful unwitting benefit is accruing — New Zealand camp sites are fast becoming recognised as amongst the best in the world. Although different people from different countries look for different things when they go carabanning it is rare to hear criticism of New Zealand sites. By far the most common reaction from overseas visitors touring this country by caravan, motor caravan or tent is one of delight and surprise at the very high standard of facilities found at camp sites throughout the country. So, while it may be costing the locals more and more each year to pursue their chosen way of holiday it does mean that our overseas visitors are kept extremely happy.

CARAVAN FEATURE