The value of camping
For every family, taking time out from daily life to enjoy a holiday together is an important part of building and nurturing the close relationships that are essential to a happy family life. This may be as simple as a weekend away or a long-term planned escape.
Caravanning and camping is the best value a family can get out of a holiday, combining variety of activities and the ability to create a real home away from home together, with the sense of community so treasured in caravan and holiday parks.
The ability to easily customise your holiday according to your needs is extraordinarily valuable. Campers and caravanners come in groups of all shapes and sizes, and this is indicative of a holiday as flexible as they come.
Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s research says that 85 per cent of Australians have gone caravanning or camping in their lifetime and with industry growth at an all time high (caravans are the fastest growing motor vehicle by registrations), this number is only set to grow. Not only is a camping holiday good value but research shows it will actually make families happier.
“There is more to the value of camping and caravanning than the cost,” says Caravan Industry Association of Australia CEO Stuart Lamont. “Camping and caravanning provides Australian’s with the opportunity to connect, not only with each other but with the world around them. And that’s something guaranteed to make you smile.”
A 2011 report from the UK titled Real Richness concludes that campers are more happy, energised, optimistic and satisfied than non-campers, and those families that go camping feel closer and wealthier. In the report, 79 per cent of children who had never camped said they would like to, and 88 per cent of campers said it was something every child should experience.
The report also found that campers have a higher than average fitness level for their age, that children were happier when camping, and suggested that camping makes parents happier too – 80 per cent of kids who camp said they felt their parents were less stressed when camping.
Camping families are happy families; no wonder Australia is the Lucky Country.
