Caravan Parks, Holiday Houses & Other Accommodation in Australia: Market Size, Businesses & Forecast 2026

The Caravan Parks, Holiday Houses & Other Accommodation industry in Australia encompasses entities providing non-hotel short-term lodging, including managed holiday parks, camping grounds, cabins, and youth hostels. Backed by resilient domestic leisure travel, the sector has maintained strong engagement, recording 17.3 million caravan and camping trips in 2025 according to Tourism Research Australia. The industry is characterized by steady expansion, corporate consolidation of traditional parks, and substantial capital investments into premium accommodation options like glamping and high-end cabins. Total visitor expenditure in this segment reached $12.6 billion nationwide in 2025, underscor

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What does the Caravan Parks, Holiday Houses & Other Accommodation in Australia industry cover?

This industry consists of businesses primarily engaged in providing short-term accommodation in caravan parks, camping grounds, holiday houses, flats, and youth hostels. It specifically excludes conventional hotels, motels, and luxury resorts, focusing instead on self-contained or nature-based lodging options. Property operations used for long-term residential leasing are separated under distinct real estate codes.

• •Classified officially under the ANZSIC system to capture distinct non-hotel short-term stays.
• •Includes managed holiday park cabins, powered caravan sites, unpowered tents, and eco-lodges.
• •Excludes private residential properties managed through peer-to-peer residential leasing platforms.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The market structure exhibits a dual nature, combining a highly fragmented base of independent family-owned parks with rapidly growing corporate portfolios. Large institutional owners and member networks have consolidated prime coastal and regional locations to optimize operating efficiencies. These networks utilize centralized digital booking platforms and standardized loyalty schemes to retain customers.

• •Features major corporate portfolios like G'day Group, which operates over 330 properties nationwide.
• •Utilizes prominent cooperative marketing networks such as BIG4 Holiday Parks to unify independent operators.
• •Employs a mix of owner-operators, leaseholder models, and corporate asset managers across states.

What drives demand in the industry?

Domestic leisure tourism serves as the primary economic driver, heavily influenced by shifting consumer preferences toward regional and outdoor experiences. Rising road-trip volume among retirees, commonly called 'grey nomads', and younger families seeking affordable holidays fuels stable demand. Fluctuations in fuel prices and household discretionary income represent critical variables affecting overall travel distance and length of stay.

• •Driven by a total national caravan and camping expenditure of $12.6 billion in 2025.
• •Supported by specific state expansions, including Victoria's record $2.8 billion visitor economy in 2026.
• •Correlated with domestic vehicle choices, recreational vehicle registrations, and regional infrastructure upgrades.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

Competition within the landscape revolves around amenities, location premium, and guest experience curation. Large-scale corporate entities and listed entities compete directly against independent parks by funding water parks, modern communal facilities, and structured activities. Institutional investors are drawn to the reliable yield profiles generated by diversified regional property assets.

• •Ingenia Communities Group (ASX: INA) is an ASX-listed entity operating the extensive Ingenia Holidays brand.
• •G'day Group, backed by the Australian Retirement Trust, functions as the country's largest regional accommodation provider.
• •Discovery Parks operates as a dominant commercial brand under the broader G'day Group corporate umbrella.
• •Tasman Holiday Parks serves as a major private institutional operator expanding assets across Australia and New Zealand.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The modern outlook highlights a noticeable shift toward premium infrastructure upgrades, often referred to as 'premiumisation' or glamping. Operators are actively investing capital to retrofitting older caravan parks with luxury safari tents, multi-bedroom villas, and environmental initiatives. Digital transformation remains vital, with parks adopting dynamic pricing algorithms and contactless check-in technologies to mitigate rising operational costs.

• •Experienced an official 14% year-on-year increase in total caravan and camping trips during 2025.
• •Reflects elevated expenditure trends sitting comfortably above the pre-pandemic historical baseline of $10.2 billion.
• •Prioritizes corporate capital expenditure on sustainable energy grids and EV charging stations inside parks.

How is the industry regulated?

Operators face comprehensive regulatory frameworks governing land use, environmental zoning, and short-term commercial tenancy. Local government planning schemes dictate park density limits, waste management requirements, and water safety compliances. Furthermore, entities must satisfy strict national workplace safety and consumer law requirements relative to booking terms and refunds.

• •Governed by state-specific caravan park and camping grounds regulations, such as the Residential Tenancies Acts.
• •Subject to rigorous local council zoning, bushfire management, and coastal flooding environmental codes.
• •Monitored under national workplace compliance frameworks and public health safety standards for shared facilities.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• Tourism Research Australia Caravan and Camping Data 2025 ·
• Caravan & Residential Parks Victoria Industry Release 2026 ·
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ANZSIC 1292.0 ·
• Ingenia Communities Group Annual Report 2025 ·
• Caravan Industry Association of Australia State of the Industry 2026