Unified Body for the Caravanning and Camping Industry Starts
On 12 July 2014, Caravan Industry Association of Australia, the new entity resulting from the merging of Caravan, RV & Accommodation Industry of Australia and RVM Australia, formally commenced operations.
The creation of a single national body is a significant development – one that was 22 years in the making. CEO Stuart Lamont (Pictured above) says the new organisation presents a chance for the industry to take an even more proactive role in its own development and will work to ensure the growth of the industry as a whole. “Caravan Industry Association of Australia will have a single and powerful national voice that we will bring to discussions with both media and government,” Mr Lamont said.
Caravanning and camping in Australia is an important industry, representing seven billion dollars of expenditure annually. As such, it is important that Caravan Industry Association of Australia leads the way nationally on several fronts.
Five pillars will form the basis of Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s operations. These are:
• Marketing of the industry to consumers
• Research on and for the industry
• Lobbying and advocacy on behalf of the industry
• Training and education, including the hosting of the 2015 World RV Conference in Melbourne
• Compliance and accreditation
Following the termination of the T-Qual accreditation program last month, Caravan Industry Association of Australia is committed to creating an industry-led accreditation program to help fill the void and boost consumer confidence. “Our whole-of-industry approach will result in much needed, unified accreditation and compliance activities that will encourage consistently high standards of quality across both the parks and trades sectors of the industry,” Mr Lamont said.
The new organisation will also act to fill the void in research caused when, in June 2010, the ABS Survey of Tourist Accommodation ceased to report caravanning and holiday park industry statistics. “To make up for the limited data being made available to government on the size and success of the caravanning and holiday park industry, Caravan Industry Association of Australia will be forging ahead with a number of research activities,” Mr Lamont commented.
Part of the new organisations goal is to alter perceptions of caravanning as a lifestyle for the over 50. Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s research in fact shows that the largest user group is 35-49 year olds with approximately 50 per cent of all travel in the sector. This fact points to a greater involvement by younger people, especially young families and signals not only the prosperity of the industry to come, but the energy behind it.
“We have set ourselves many goals for the first year of operation, and with the industry behind us, we are confident we will succeed.”
Caravan Industry Association of Australia looks forward to building a stronger relationship between industry and government moving forward.
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