Pandemic propels camper van sales

The coronavirus crisis has given a boost to the Swiss motor home market with a 26% increase in new registrations, surpassing a record set in 2019.

With international travel restricted over the last year, more people in Switzerland are taking to the open road. According to figures published by the Swiss automobile association AutoSuisse on Wednesday, passenger vehicles were up by nearly 21% from last year. Motor home registrations represented the largest share with 6,005 of the 6,924 new registrations in 2020.

“The pandemic has made camping vacations and the corresponding vehicles even more interesting than they already were,” said Christoph Wolnik, spokesman for AutoSuisse.

Other vehicle segments suffered as a result of the pandemic. With the sharp decline in bus travel, only 141 new buses were registered in 2020, compared to 239 in the previous year; this corresponds to a decline of 41%.

Light and heavy commercial vehicles also dropped by 18.9% and 16.6% respectively.

“The coronavirus crisis has left its mark on the sales of goods vehicles. It is understandable that companies are cautious about investments and prefer to see how the economy will develop,” the association wrote in a statement.

“The Swiss automotive sector has had to adapt quickly to the new demand and market levels, with sometimes very significant cutbacks.”