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- Following a significant blow to Australia’s holiday park sector in 2020, new data from BDO shows an upturn in 2021 in revenue and occupancy levels
- For the first seven months of the year, average national occupancy has risen to more than 50 per cent, up from 24 per cent in 2020 and 35 per cent in 2019
- However, as the Delta pandemic forces lockdowns in New South Wales and Victoria, state averages have fallen
- BDO’s Angus Strachan says hope for post-lockdown surges, alongside September school holidays and Christmas, offer a ray of optimism
Following a significant blow to Australia’s holiday park sector in 2020, new data shows an upturn in 2021 with revenue estimated at $1.66 billion to the end of July, up from $914.7 million this time last year.
The data from business advisory firm BDO, in collaboration with the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, noted that some states performed strongly due to an increase in Australians holidaying domestically, but other states were still being impacted by lockdowns.
For the first seven months of the year, the average national occupancy has risen to more than 50 per cent, up from 24 per cent in 2020 and 35 per cent in 2019.
However as the Delta pandemic forces lockdowns in New South Wales and Victoria, state averages have fallen.
Since May 2021, Victoria and NSW have not reached occupancy rates of more than 30 per cent, with NSW falling to 16.7 per cent in July.
BDO director of business services Angus Strachan stated that while occupancy in NSW and Victoria had decreased, other states had benefitted from fewer limitations on intra-state travel.
During the same time period, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia saw record monthly occupancy rates, peaking at 70 per cent, 57 per cent, and 55 per cent, respectively.
Mr Strachan said some states and territories had excelled post-pandemic in terms of revenue.
Comparing 2021 calendar year revenue with that of 2019 (pre-pandemic) shows South Australian revenue up 80 per cent to $63.7 million and Western Australian revenue up 61 per cent to $96.2 million.
“The good news is that forward bookings right across the country for the September school holidays and Christmas period are up, providing hope for the sector,” he said
“However, these bookings could still be impacted by lockdowns in the months to come. So while the current data provides a brighter outlook for the rest of 2021, there is still a lot of uncertainty ahead for the sector, particularly around the upcoming September school holidays.
“A new trend in travel that we’re continuing to see is a surge post-lockdown, which may give rise to an unexpected peak between the traditional holiday periods.”
People planning longer stays and spending more money at the park while they are there are also favourable developments for the industry.
“We’re also expecting more predictability in booking patterns as vaccination rates increase and snap lockdowns become less prevalent,” Mr Strachan said.
