Caravan and Camping Consumer Sentiment, September 2026
Money is tighter and the mood has dipped. Yet, most caravanners and campers still plan to go. Their strategy: change the way you travel!
Research by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia. Survey conducted in August 2026.
Almost three in four caravanners and campers, 72 per cent, plan to take a caravan or camping trip in the next 12 months.
That figure comes from the latest consumer sentiment survey by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, which tracks the views and travel plans of caravan and camping consumers.
This edition was taken in a difficult six months for Australians: cost of living continued to put pressure on household budgets, inflation remained above the Reserve Bank of Australia's target band, and new uncertainty about fuel prices and supply emerged following the conflict in the Middle East.
The answers show people are adjusting their holidays to fit the situation, preferring to spend less than to travel less.
The mood
Respondents scored their mood from 0 to 10.
January 2026
August 2026
Share of respondents. Source: Caravan and Camping Consumer Sentiment, September 2026, Caravan Industry Association of Australia.
75%
Three in four respondents report a positive mood, a score of 7 to 10, down from 78 per cent in January. Most of the change is at the bottom of the scale, where very negative scores rose from 3 per cent to 8 per cent.
61% say caravan and camping holidays are good value for money.
The value question
Value measures fell between January and August.
January 2026
August 2026
Share of respondents. Source: Caravan and Camping Consumer Sentiment, September 2026, Caravan Industry Association of Australia.
61%
The share who rate caravan and camping good value for money fell from 74 per cent in January to 61 per cent in August. It is still held by a clear majority.
65%
The share who rate caravan and camping better value than other holiday types fell from 78 per cent to 65 per cent. Like good value for money, it is down 13 percentage points and still held by a clear majority.
The decline is consistent with the cost of living pressures seen elsewhere in the survey, and is likely part of a broader rethink of discretionary spending rather than something specific to caravan and camping.
Travel sentiment
More people plan to cut back, and fewer plan to travel more.
January 2026
August 2026
Share of respondents. Source: Caravan and Camping Consumer Sentiment, September 2026, Caravan Industry Association of Australia.
The share planning to reduce their travel budget rose from 17 per cent to 29 per cent. The share planning to take fewer holidays more than doubled, from 9 per cent to 20 per cent.
29% and 20%
More people plan to trim the budget than plan to take fewer holidays, highlighting that many want to keep travelling even if it means spending less doing it.
The deciding factors
For the past 18 months, natural weather events were the leading consideration when people decided whether to travel. Cost has now overtaken them.
81% are likely to look for travel deals and discounts because of the cost of living.
The adjustments
Faced with the rising cost of living, people are far more likely to look for ways to make a trip cost less than to cancel it. Looking for deals and discounts is the most common response, at 81 per cent.
77% trust travel recommendations from friends and family a lot or completely. For artificial intelligence platforms, it is 11 per cent.
Special topic
Nearly half of respondents, 45 per cent, have used an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to research or plan travel. Among those who have, 79 per cent have used it for a caravan or camping trip.
Trust is another matter. When it comes to recommendations, people still turn to people.
Method
The Caravan and Camping Consumer Sentiment survey is run twice a year by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia and is in its fifth year. This edition is an online survey of caravan and camping consumers, with results reported as at August 2026. Responses were weighted by age, gender and location to match the Australian caravan and camping population. Most charts compare the August 2026 survey with the one before it, in January 2026.
Things to keep in mind. The survey describes caravan and camping consumers, not the Australian population as a whole. The AI findings come from the January 2026 survey sample. Where this story links a change in mood or plans to economic conditions, the two occurred over the same period. The survey does not show that one caused the other.
Questions about the research? Get in touch at [email protected]
The full report
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© 2026 Caravan Industry Association of Australia. Photographs are from the report and are used with permission.
