Packed parks: Unprecedented December demand
CIAA reported record December occupancy across caravan & tourist parks. CEO Stuart Lamont explains what's driving their popularity.
December 2025 was a landmark month for Australian caravan holiday parks.
New data from our association shows record December occupancy across all accommodation types, highlighting just how popular caravan holiday parks have become.
The latest print edition of AccomNews is out now. Read it HERE
In December 2025:
- National cabin occupancy hit a record 64 percent, up one percentage point on December 2024.
- Powered site occupancy rose to 49 percent, up two points year-on-year, while unpowered sites reached 26 percent occupancy—both December highs.
- Regionally, the Gold Coast led cabin occupancy at 87 percent, followed by the Sunshine Coast (83 percent) and NSW Central Coast (80 percent). Perth recorded the highest powered site occupancy at 85 percent, ahead of the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast (both 77 percent).
The December quarter of 2025 (three months to December 31) also set new Q4 benchmarks across all categories, with national cabin occupancy averaging 67 percent, up three points from the previous year.
These numbers aren’t just statistics—they’re evidence of the growing appetite among Australians for caravanning and camping experiences that connect them to our unique landscapes and communities.
A major driver of this surge has been our Road to a Million campaign, launched in early October 2025. Promoting nearly 1300 caravan holiday parks nationwide, the campaign offers a simple but powerful incentive—every night stayed in a participating park earns an entry into the draw to play for $1 million.
The further you travel, the more entries you receive, encouraging caravanning consumers to enjoy the delights of a caravanning and camping holiday while pumping money into regional communities.
So far, more than 74,000 Australians have entered Road to a Million, generating over 400,000 booked nights and strengthening long-term engagement with the camping lifestyle.
Real-time survey results show the campaign’s impact, with over 60 percent of entrants saying it put caravanning and camping front of mind. Over 35 percent said it influenced them to choose caravan holiday parks over hotels or apartments, while one in five said they would pick camping instead of an overseas holiday.
Families like Tania Mitchell’s are at the heart of the story.
“Caravanning has given our family the chance to spend quality time together and explore parts of Australia we’d never otherwise see,” Tania explained.
“It’s great to see campaigns like Road to a Million getting more families out on the road and supporting regional communities.”
While the grand prize certainly grabs attention, Road to a Million is really about re-acquainting Australians with a holiday activity that is quintessentially Australian, creating lasting memories and supporting regional economies in the process.
As CEO of the peak national body, I couldn’t be prouder of our industry. The December records and ongoing engagement with Road to a Million highlight not only the strength of caravanning and camping but also its role in shaping how Australians holiday and explore their own backyard.
The data referenced in this column was first published in Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s Accommodation Insights – December 2025 report.
This article was written by Stuart Lamont, CEO of Caravan Industry Association of Australia for AccomNews.
This article first appeared in the Summer edition of AccomNews. Click below to explore.
