ESSEN (dpa-AFX) - Motorhomes are becoming increasingly popular with campers, while interest in caravans for attaching to the car continues to decline. In the season to date from September 2023 to January of this year, motorhome registrations have risen by nine percent with just under 19,300 new vehicles, while caravan registrations have fallen by 6.4 percent with just under 5,800 vehicles, as the Caravanning Association (VICD) announced in Essen on Wednesday.

The Reise + Camping 2024 trade fair opened there and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors. Last year, a total of 85,000 people attended the trade fair and an associated bicycle fair, which begins one day later. The trade fair runs until March 3.

According to the organizers, around 800 exhibitors from 15 countries will be showing vehicles and accessories of all kinds at the camping fair. One focus is on so-called vanlife - offers and products for individually equipped campers in which people not only spend a few weeks on vacation, but also travel the world for longer periods of time and also work - for example by documenting their experiences on social media.

The range of products on offer at the trade fair extends from a luxury motorhome based on a Mercedes for just under 540,000 euros to a car roof tent for quick installation on the roof rack of a car for 3980 euros. A special product is offered by a Hessian manufacturer: a heatable seat cushion with a power bank for three to five hours that can be mounted on an empty beer crate and turns it into a camping chair with a warmed backrest - trade fair price 110 euros./rs/DP/mis