Mobile leisure is a hit

Mobile leisure is a hit: once again over a quarter of a million visitors at CARAVAN SALON 2026

The CARAVAN SALON 2026 came to a close in Düsseldorf on a very positive note.

The 65th edition continued the trade fair’s success story: More than 259,000 caravanning enthusiasts came to find out about vehicles, accessories, technology, destinations and new forms of mobile travel. The outcome of the CARAVAN SALON 2026 sends a strong signal at a time of a significantly more challenging economic climate, noticeable reluctance to make major investments and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. It shows that caravanning continues to fascinate people – and that the CARAVAN SALON is the market’s most important meeting place. No other event brings the community together on such a scale and to such a high standard. In Düsseldorf, caravanning enthusiasts can compare vehicles directly, experience accessories, discover travel destinations and receive personalized advice. At the CARAVAN SALON 2026, a record number of 834 exhibitors from 41 countries presented leisure vehicles, equipment and accessories to suit every taste and budget across 15 halls and the outdoor exhibition area. The high quality of the sales discussions was especially featured by the exhibitors. With a third of all visitors, the trade fair once again attracted a pleasing number of newcomers.

“The CARAVAN SALON has once again impressively demonstrated its importance for the entire caravanning industry. Particularly at a time when economic conditions are challenging and many people are more cautious about making major purchases, a strong industry gathering is of particular value,” says Marius Berlemann, Chief Operating Officer of Messe Düsseldorf. “It is encouraging that around 50 per cent of all visitors travelled to Düsseldorf with a specific intention to buy. With its unique combination of product diversity, international reach, innovation and the visitor experience, the CARAVAN SALON reaffirms its leading position. It is in Düsseldorf that the crucial discussions take place, and it is here that the direction in which the caravanning industry is heading becomes clear. I would like to extend my very special thanks to the Caravaning Industry Association, as well as to all exhibitors and partners, who, through their commitment, passion and innovative spirit, breathe new life into the CARAVAN SALON year after year. And above all, I would like to thank all the visitors whose enthusiasm, curiosity and great passion for caravanning make this trade fair what it is: the vibrant meeting place for the community and a unique celebration for everyone who loves freedom on wheels.”

Director Stefan Koschke adds: “The CARAVAN SALON’s appeal extends far beyond Germany and Europe, as it is also unique worldwide as a B2B meeting place. This year’s show attracted a large turnout, particularly from the USA, Australia, South America and numerous Asian countries.”

With its diverse themed areas and exciting supporting program, the CARAVAN SALON demonstrated just how colorful and varied the world of mobile travel is today. Whether it was StarterWelt, Self-conversion Adventure, Travel & Nature, Equipment & Outdoor, roof tents and off-road, or the conference program – there was something to suit a wide range of interests and needs. The CARAVAN SALON presented itself in a challenging market environment characterized by great dynamism and potential.

Bernd Löher, President of the Caravaning Industry Association (CIVD), is pleased with the 65th edition of the CARAVAN SALON and emphasizes the importance of the trade fair for the industry: “Once again this year, the CARAVAN SALON demonstrates the enormous appeal that caravanning holds for people. The well-attended halls, the high level of interest in new vehicles, accessories and innovations, as well as the many discussions at the stands, send a strong signal to our industry. Visitors come to Düsseldorf to gather in-depth information, compare products and engage in direct dialogue with manufacturers and retailers. This clearly shows that enthusiasm for caravanning remains undiminished.”

Bernd Löher goes on to explain: “This strong response also makes the CARAVAN SALON far more than just a showcase for new products. Manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, service providers and destinations all come together in Düsseldorf. This diversity is one of the trade fair’s great strengths, as it brings together the various sectors of our industry and facilitates professional dialogue on shared topics and challenges. Precisely because all the relevant stakeholders come together in one place here, we as an association use the CARAVAN SALON to drive forward key issues for the future in collaboration with the worlds of politics, tourism and business. These include reliable framework conditions for businesses and destinations, as well as an efficient tourism infrastructure and greater consideration of the specific requirements and potential of caravanning in political decision-making.”

The CARAVAN SALON DÜSSELDORF 2027 will take place from Friday 27 August to Sunday 5 September 2027.

Exhibitors at the CARAVAN SALON also gave a positive assessment of the event.

Alexander Leopold, CEO of the Erwin Hymer Group: “The CARAVAN SALON 2026 impressively demonstrated why caravanning inspires people like almost no other form of travel. In Düsseldorf, our brands brought the full spectrum of this fascination to life: from innovative vehicle concepts and digital applications and services right through to new approaches for the travel of tomorrow. The CARAVAN SALON brings people, brands and ideas together. It offers a unique opportunity for in-depth dialogue with customers and partners. The response from trade fair visitors to our brands’ products was overwhelming. I would therefore like to extend my special thanks to our managing directors, teams and retail partners, who have made a significant contribution to the success of the Erwin Hymer Group through their great commitment, strong brand presence and compelling products.”

Bernd Wuschack, Managing Director of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service at the Carthago Group: “The CARAVAN SALON 2026 has once again demonstrated that enthusiasm for caravanning and high-quality mobile travel remains undiminished. The keen interest in our Carthago and Malibu brands, as well as the high demand for our new models, confirms the considerable development effort we have invested in the new vehicles. The large number of visitors and the sometimes-long queues at our new models sent a strong signal. At the same time, we are aware of the current reluctance to buy due to the challenging economic climate. This makes us even more pleased with the high quality of the discussions and the keen interest in our products. Overall, we therefore draw a positive conclusion from the CARAVAN SALON 2026 and look forward to the coming months with confidence.”

“The trade fair in Düsseldorf was once again the ideal start to the new season for Hobby. The high visitor numbers and the keen interest from the media and trade visitors confirm the ongoing enthusiasm for caravanning and the strong trust in the Hobby brand,” says Managing Director Holger Schulz of Hobby Wohnwagenwerk Ing. Harald Striewski GmbH. “We were particularly pleased with the strong response to our new Excellent Edition caravans and to the expanded layouts of the Prestige T motorhome series. The CARAVAN SALON offers us the perfect platform to present new products to an international audience. Our heartfelt thanks go to the team at Messe Düsseldorf, whose excellent organization has once again laid the foundations for a successful event.”

Matjaž Grm, CSO of Knaus Tabbert AG: “We look back on the CARAVAN SALON with satisfaction. The high level of visitor interest and the positive dialogue with our retail partners show that our new products are winning people over. For us, the CARAVAN SALON is an important barometer for the coming season. It also offers the ideal conditions for presenting our models to a wide audience and inspiring even more people to embrace this form of holiday.”

“For Groupe Pilote, the CARAVAN SALON 2026 impressively demonstrated that there remains strong interest in well-thought-out vehicle concepts – even in a market that has currently become noticeably more demanding. For Frankia, Düsseldorf was the ideal stage to present not only a world premiere – the Noctra Liner 7.6 and the 3-axle 8.3 L – but also a completely new vehicle concept for the brand and the industry. The compact integrated Neo 6.6 H and the Final Edition series were also very well received by the public and the trade. The other brands in the Pilote Group also impressed in both the entry-level and premium segments. The trade fair thus remains an important marketplace for guidance, exchange and concrete purchasing decisions,” says Konstantin Döhler, Managing Director of FRANKIA-GP GmbH.

“We look back with satisfaction on the CARAVAN SALON 2026 and our move to Hall 4. For the first time, the Rapido Group’s brands were positioned right next to one another in an attractive setting. At a completely new stand, we presented the entire Westfalia model range together with our retail partners. Visitors showed great interest in our models; in particular, the new Sven Hedin 50Years and Columbus Liner models attracted many customers. “Despite an increasingly challenging market environment, interest in our holiday concept remains very high, and many customers want to make the most of this freedom, particularly for shorter holidays. We therefore take a positive view of the event and are leaving Düsseldorf feeling highly motivated for the 2027 season and the upcoming autumn trade fairs,” says Thomas Siegert, Managing Director of Westfalia Mobil GmbH.

Jan Jerosch, Business Development at campervanspot.com: “The newly created off-road area in Halls 16 and 17 has been a great success for us and demonstrates just how strong the interest in off-road and custom-fitted recreational vehicles has become. From the very first day of the show, we experienced a very high turnout of visitors in the hall and at our campervanspot.com Manufaktur Hub. With seven different manufacturers at our shared stand, we implemented a new concept here for the second time, which was very well received by visitors and exhibitors alike. The atmosphere and the quality of the discussions were particularly positive for us. Many visitors came to our stand with specific ideas and a desire for bespoke vehicle and travel solutions. This wasn’t just about classic off-road adventures, but fundamentally about greater individuality, independence and freedom when travelling. We can also see on campervanspot.com that this is a lasting trend: Our online marketplace now features more than 150 manufacturers and around 6,500 camping vehicles, including a large number of off-road vehicles. The huge interest at the CARAVAN SALON impressively confirms this trend. With the new off-road halls 16 and 17, the trade fair has provided this growing segment with a strong platform of its own. We look forward to continuing to help shape this development – and, of course, we’re already looking forward to the CARAVAN SALON 2027.”

Marie Boulanger, Managing Director Europe & APAC at Thetford: “The CARAVAN SALON is the largest caravanning trade fair in our industry and, for Thetford, the most important highlight of the year. Its unique B2B and B2C concept align with our way of working: we maintain close contact with our OEM and distribution partners, whilst also engaging directly with motorhome users who experience our products on a daily basis. Here in Düsseldorf, we can strengthen our customer relationships, showcase our latest innovations and, at the same time, hear first-hand from users about what matters to them. Their experiences and feedback help us to better understand changing needs and gain valuable insights into the development of our future products. This year’s trade fair has once again shown that, despite the current economic and geopolitical uncertainties, interest in recreational vehicles and the desire to travel in them remain undiminished. The CARAVAN SALON Düsseldorf thus remains an important barometer for the development and appeal of our industry.”

Dr Bernd Hartmann, Managing Director of the German Hiking Association: “The CARAVAN SALON 2026 has once again demonstrated how important face-to-face encounters, professional dialogue and inspiring ideas are for the leisure industry. We held many fruitful and in-depth discussions and encountered great interest in our topics relating to high-quality hiking tourism, the challenges posed by climate change and current trends in hiking for young people. Our presentation of certifications for quality trails and regions as part of the ‘Wanderbares Deutschland’ quality initiative was once again a real highlight and a meeting point for trail managers from the various destinations. A big compliment also goes to the entire trade fair team: Their professional organization and support in all matters played a key role in ensuring that this year’s CARAVAN SALON was once again a thoroughly successful platform for exchange and networking. We’re taking away many positive impressions and valuable contacts, and we’re already looking forward to the next edition.”

“We’re very satisfied with our presence at the CARAVAN SALON. We were particularly impressed by the quality of the discussions. Here, we meet exactly the audience we want to reach: people who love camping, value wonderful travel experiences and do not want to miss out on their holidays, even in economically challenging times. At the weekends, there were particularly large numbers of families visiting our stand, whilst we also reached visitors of all ages. What is changing, however, is the way people travel. People still enjoy going on camping holidays but tend to stay in one place for shorter periods. This makes it even more important for us to encourage guests to stay longer by offering attractive deals and sites of exceptional quality. At our PremiumCamps e.V. booth, 20 carefully selected camping parks from across Germany are showcased – they are united by a family-friendly atmosphere, personal hospitality and their location in particularly picturesque landscapes. It is precisely this combination that goes down very well with visitors. “For us, the CARAVAN SALON is therefore not only an important platform for showcasing our camping parks, but above all a place where we can engage directly with our future guests,” says Dieter Lübberding from the Königlicher Campingpark Sanssouci near Potsdam/Berlin.

Jakob Heider, Managing Director & Founder of Roof Space GmbH. “Year after year, the CARAVAN SALON in Düsseldorf is the absolute highlight for us when it comes to showcasing our latest innovations. This year, alongside our Roof Space roof tents, the Roof Space Roof Tent Lift took center stage. This makes fitting a roof tent onto a car’s roof significantly easier and more convenient. We can once again look back very positively on a successful trade fair and are already looking forward to the CARAVAN SALON 2027. The steadily growing response shows us that our products are right on trend. Roof Space continues to evolve every year – and we already have the next innovation lined up for 2027, with which we aim to surprise the market once again.”