Caravan Salon
| Caravan Salon | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Trade fair (caravanning) |
| Venue | Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre |
| Location(s) | Düsseldorf |
| Country | Germany |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Inaugurated | 1962 |
| Most recent | 29 August – 7 September 2025 |
| Next event | 28 August – 6 September 2026 |
| Attendance | 270,421 (2025) |
| Organised by | Messe Düsseldorf |
| Website | www |
The Caravan Salon (styled CARAVAN SALON) is an annual trade fair for caravans, motorhomes and other recreational vehicles, held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre in Germany. It is organised by Messe Düsseldorf with the support of the German industry body Caravaning Industrie Verband (CIVD), and combines a trade event for the caravanning industry with a consumer show open to the general public.[1]
First held in Essen in 1962 and staged in Düsseldorf since 1994, the fair is among the largest in Germany and has been described in the specialist press as the world's largest event of its kind.[2][3] The 2025 edition recorded 810 exhibitors from 41 countries and 270,421 admissions.[1]
History
Origins in Essen
After the first caravans were built in the 1930s, caravanning had developed into a mass leisure activity by the 1960s.[4] Against this background, Messe Essen staged the first Caravan Salon in 1962, at which 61 exhibitors showed around 250 models.[5] Some 35,000 people attended in the first year, and attendance rose steadily thereafter.[6]
Caravans were the original focus of the event. Motorhomes were exhibited for the first time in 1978 and subsequently came to dominate the show, a shift attributed to changing travel habits.[7] Demand for motorhomes grew strongly during the 1980s,[8] and the Caravan Salon developed into the largest event of its kind in Europe.[9]
Move to Düsseldorf
The 32nd Caravan Salon, held in Essen in 1993, featured around 400 exhibitors.[10] After repeated expansions the Essen site was no longer large enough, and in 1994 the fair moved to the exhibition grounds in Düsseldorf.[11] Facilities there included a campsite with more than 1,000 pitches for visitors travelling in their own vehicles.[12] The fair continued to grow over the following years.[13]
COVID-19 pandemic and later editions
The 2020 and 2021 editions took place under hygiene measures and with capped visitor numbers, although interest in the fair persisted.[14] In 2022 the Caravan Salon largely returned to its earlier format and recorded a record number of exhibitors,[15] prompting an expansion by three additional halls.[16]
Attendance subsequently stabilised at a high level. The 2023 edition recorded 771 exhibitors and 256,326 visitors, and in 2024 the number of exhibitors reached a new high of 778, with more than 250,000 visitors from 69 different countries.[17] In 2025, 810 exhibitors from 41 countries took part and the fair recorded 270,421 admissions, which the organiser described as the second-highest figure in its history.[1][3]
Format
Audience
The Caravan Salon is aimed primarily at consumers, for whom it presents itself as a cross-manufacturer point of reference.[18] A dedicated area for newcomers, the StarterWelt, is set up in the open-air grounds, where specialists give manufacturer-independent advice on choosing a vehicle and on questions of weight and technology.[19][20] The fair also serves as a meeting place for manufacturers, dealers, the press and visitors attending in a professional capacity.
Exhibition areas
Exhibits range from simple roof tents to luxury motorhomes, and world premieres are a regular feature. The vehicle displays are complemented by accessories, technical equipment, conversion parts, mobile homes and camping supplies.[21]
The exhibition is divided into themed areas. For the 2026 edition these are Motorhomes & Caravans, Campervans, Premium, Travel & Nature, Equipment & Outdoor, Technology & Components, Offroad and Roof Tents. The areas for off-road vehicles and for roof tents were introduced in 2026.[19][20]
Supporting programme
The supporting programme includes the Abenteuer Selbstausbau ("self-conversion adventure") special display on converting vehicles independently, the Travel & Nature CONNECTED stage in the tourism area, and the Traumtouren cinema, in which travellers present accounts of their journeys.[19][21] For visitors attending professionally, Messe Düsseldorf and the CIVD jointly run the conference programme Destination Zukunft, which addresses the significance of caravanning tourism for regions, municipalities and pitch operators.[22]
Attendance
| Year | Exhibitors | Countries | Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 810 | 41 | 270,421[1] |
| 2024 | 778 | 35 | more than 250,000[17] |
| 2023 | 771 | 36 | 256,326 |
| 2022 | 736 | 34 | 237,116 |
| 2021 | 653 | 31 | 185,599 |
| 2020 | 337 | 23 | 106,741 |
| 2019 | 645 | 31 | 270,567 |
| 2018 | 611 | 34 | 250,211 |
| 2017 | 608 | 33 | 233,702 |
| 2016 | 560 | 30 | 204,477 |
| 2015 | 544 | 30 | 203,116 |
| 2014 | 550 | 25 | 192,423 |
| 2013 | 531 | 21 | 176,120 |
| 2012 | 516 | 24 | 165,424 |
| 2011 | 504 | 24 | 178,954 |
| 2010 | 545 | 22 | 171,475 |
| 2009 | 592 | 21 | 162,134 |
| 2008 | 605 | 24 | 159,278 |
| 2007 | 596 | 21 | 165,655 |
| 2006 | 589 | 23 | 173,593 |
| 2005 | 532 | 22 | 164,806 |
| 2004 | 534 | 22 | 165,639 |
| 2003 | 546 | 21 | 164,235 |
| 2002 | 476 | 20 | 151,276 |
| 2001 | 498 | 20 | 148,421 |
| 2000 | 510 | 21 | 160,244 |
| 1999 | 491 | 20 | 162,326 |
| 1998 | 508 | 19 | 157,441 |
| 1997 | 503 | 20 | 161,349 |
| 1996 | 499 | 15 | 176,708 |
| 1995 | 481 | 15 | 157,972 |
| 1994 | 442 | 18 | 171,049 |
Related events
From 2003 a hiking and trekking fair was staged alongside the Caravan Salon.[23] From 2021 its content was integrated into the themed areas of the Caravan Salon.[24]
In 2012 the format was extended to China, where the spin-off fair All in Caravaning has since been held regularly in Beijing.[25]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "CARAVAN SALON DÜSSELDORF – Statistics (FKM-audited)" (in Deutsch). AUMA – Association of the German Trade Fair Industry. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "Watch our Düsseldorf show TV special". Practical Motorhome. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Highlights of 2025 Caravan Salon Düsseldorf". Out & About Live. 10 September 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ Haiko Prengel (8 January 2022). "100 Jahre Caravaning: Wie Campingurlaub zur Massenbewegung wurde" [100 years of caravanning: how camping holidays became a mass movement]. Die Welt (in Deutsch). Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ Haiko Prengel (2 January 2022). "Freiheit in der Sperrholzbude" [Freedom in a plywood hut]. Welt am Sonntag (in Deutsch). p. 58.
- ↑ Thorsten Breitkopf (13 July 2011). "50 Jahre Caravan-Geschichte" [50 years of caravan history]. Rheinische Post (in Deutsch).
- ↑ Stefan Weißenborn (30 July 2011). "Zeitreise durch die Welt der Wohnmobile" [A journey through the world of motorhomes]. Nordkurier (in Deutsch).
- ↑ Michael Hill; Rudolf Lodemann (3 October 1989). "Die Nachfrage nach Reisemobilen übertrifft alle Erwartungen" [Demand for motorhomes exceeds all expectations]. Handelsblatt (in Deutsch). p. 29.
- ↑ "Caravan-Salon mit positiven Vorzeichen" [Caravan Salon with positive signs]. Handelsblatt (in Deutsch). 26 September 1986. p. 26.
- ↑ "400 Aussteller beim Caravan-Salon in Essen" [400 exhibitors at the Caravan Salon in Essen]. Saarbrücker Zeitung (in Deutsch). 21 August 1993.
- ↑ "An der Ruhr zu eng, am Rhein viel Raum: Der Internationale Caravan-Salon ist von Essen nach Düsseldorf umgezogen" [Too cramped on the Ruhr, plenty of room on the Rhine: the International Caravan Salon has moved from Essen to Düsseldorf]. Saarbrücker Zeitung (in Deutsch). 31 August 1994.
- ↑ Ulrich Bethscheider-Kieser (3 July 2011). "Wohnen auf Rädern mit Tradition" [Living on wheels, with tradition]. Sonntag aktuell (in Deutsch). p. 31.
- ↑ Erich Reimann (18 August 2016). "Unterwegs und doch zu Hause" [On the road and yet at home]. Nürnberger Nachrichten (in Deutsch). p. 21.
- ↑ "Boom in Corona-Zeiten: 60. Caravan-Salon" [Boom in coronavirus times: 60th Caravan Salon]. Die Welt (in Deutsch). 8 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ Alexander Esch (11 August 2022). "Caravan-Salon mit Ausstellerrekord" [Caravan Salon with a record number of exhibitors]. Westdeutsche Zeitung (in Deutsch). p. 18.
- ↑ "Caravan Salon stockt auf drei weitere Hallen auf" [Caravan Salon adds three more halls]. Neue Ruhr/Rhein Zeitung (in Deutsch). 26 May 2022. p. 17.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Caravan Salon 2024: Die Besucherzahl bleibt recht stabil" [Caravan Salon 2024: visitor numbers remain fairly stable]. kfz-betrieb (in Deutsch). 10 September 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf öffnet für Besucher" [Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf opens to visitors]. Die Welt (in Deutsch). 26 August 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 "Caravan Salon Düsseldorf: Alle Infos und Highlights der Camping-Messe" [Caravan Salon Düsseldorf: all information and highlights of the camping fair]. promobil (in Deutsch). 10 June 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Der CARAVAN SALON 2026" [The CARAVAN SALON 2026]. caravaning.info (in Deutsch). Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Caravan Salon Düsseldorf vereint als weltweit größte Bühne für Caravaning Innovationen, Inspiration und die ganze Vielfalt des mobilen Reisens" [Caravan Salon Düsseldorf brings together innovation, inspiration and the full variety of mobile travel]. Camper Professional (in Deutsch). 16 June 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "CARAVAN SALON 2026: Der Hotspot für die gesamte Community" [CARAVAN SALON 2026: the hotspot for the entire community]. Wirtschaft Kompakt (in Deutsch). 16 June 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "Reisemobile und Trekking-Touren" [Motorhomes and trekking tours]. Rheinische Post (in Deutsch). 15 July 2003.
- ↑ "Caravan Salon mit neuem Konzept" [Caravan Salon with a new concept]. Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (in Deutsch). 27 March 2021. p. 42.
- ↑ Nicole Lange (28 August 2012). "Caravan-Salon auch in China erfolgreich" [Caravan Salon successful in China as well]. Rheinische Post (in Deutsch).
External links
- Official website
Media related to Caravan Salon at Wikimedia Commons
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