Park it: campervans are valuable to tourism

“County councillors demanding more powers to control campervan parking,” was a headline recently in your newspaper.

This comment is typical of the uninformed and negative views of many county councillors and of many who work in tourism. The belief is that campervans and camper tourism “contribute nothing to the economy, park illegally, litter the countryside and represent an economic threat to hotels, and bed-and-breakfasts and are, and should be, actively discouraged”. In addition to paying campsite charges, camper tourists purchase fuel, food, souvenirs, visit heritage sites, and, believe it or not, frequently eat out in restaurants.

Having camped for forty years with my wife and family, both under canvas and in a campervan, in Ireland and Europe, I can assure you that nothing is further from the truth. Campers, young and old, are a significant segment of European tourism, as borne out by the huge numbers of high-quality camper parks all over Europe, many of which are open throughout the year.