Nordic Motorhome Research Tracks International Recovery, Domestic Demand and Longer Travel Journeys
how Nordic motorhome rental customers changed between 2017 and 2026, revealing major shifts in travel origin, customer segments, rental duration and expectations.
A new study about the future transformation of the Nordic motorhome rental market has been released by GlobalX Publications.
Nordic motorhome rentals are one of the sectors witnessing change in customer behaviour, which is now one of the most vital factors. Data from the research undertaken as part of Elle Tick's dissertation offers a comprehensive picture of the demographic shifts in customer travel, and their rental preferences, from 2017 to 2026.
Before the pandemic, the Nordic rentals market was very reliant upon foreign visitors, as revealed by the analysis of rental transaction data. Some 80% of rentals in 2017, and 84% in 2019, were to international customers. Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands and France were key markets.
There were also certain characteristics of the market before the pandemic. The median age of drivers was around 45-46 years and the largest group of drivers were always the family. About 65% of rentals included were taken by families and 35% by couples in 2019.
The length of time the rent will be available also indicates market type. The average trip lasted about 12 days, indicating that customers were driving motorhomes for longer leisure trips and more than one trip than for shorter weekend getaways.
When the coronavirus hit, the market has drastically shifted.
Included rentals declined from 2,290 in 2019 to 1,257 in 2020. Meanwhile, locals rented between about 16% to 53% of the units. This was a significant shift in demand by geographic region, and a stark example of the quick impact of a travel ban on consumer behaviour.
Domestic customer sales were also a significant proportion of total sales in 2021, with around 47% of included sales coming from this segment. But the restoration of international mobility then had the reverse effect and changed the market back again. International customers rented about 86% of the total rentals by 2022.
The research identifies that this time frame could represent a three-stage evolution of a customer: an international-dominated market before COVID-19, a period of substituting imported products with domestically-made ones during 2020–2021, and a solid international recovery start from 2022.
The length of time that the car is rented also varied greatly. In 2021, the average number of trips was 12.7 compared to 10.7 prior to the pandemic, while the number of trips was around 14.3 in 2022. Average did not deviate much from 14 days until 2025.
Traveling farther distances opens up avenues for rental companies to enhance their customer experience. People traveling for 2 or more weeks on the road might be more critical of comfort of the vehicle, equipment, reliability, flexibility of routes, booking and service.
The study also reveals a new segmentation trend among customers. The percentage of couples grew from some 35% of rentals in 2019 to nearly 46% in 2025, which suggests that market strategies in the future will have to take into account more than one ‘typical’ traveller.
Nordic motorhome markets are thus a good example of industry transformation by the customers. When businesses can understand their customers, and know where they are from, and how much they value and how far they travel, then they can start to make strategies more resilient and responsive.
GlobalX Publications is a forum for researchers, academics, professionals and authors to communicate their important ideas to a broader audience.
Share your work with GlobalX Publications and spread it worldwide: write your thesis, research, thought, business or book.
GlobalX Publications: https://www.globalxpublications.com/
Read More: https://www.globalxpublications.com/blog/who-are-the-customers-and-how-have-they-changed-2017-2026
For Enquiries: +1 (307) 295-0570
Nordic motorhome rentals are one of the sectors witnessing change in customer behaviour, which is now one of the most vital factors. Data from the research undertaken as part of Elle Tick's dissertation offers a comprehensive picture of the demographic shifts in customer travel, and their rental preferences, from 2017 to 2026.
Before the pandemic, the Nordic rentals market was very reliant upon foreign visitors, as revealed by the analysis of rental transaction data. Some 80% of rentals in 2017, and 84% in 2019, were to international customers. Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands and France were key markets.
There were also certain characteristics of the market before the pandemic. The median age of drivers was around 45-46 years and the largest group of drivers were always the family. About 65% of rentals included were taken by families and 35% by couples in 2019.
The length of time the rent will be available also indicates market type. The average trip lasted about 12 days, indicating that customers were driving motorhomes for longer leisure trips and more than one trip than for shorter weekend getaways.
When the coronavirus hit, the market has drastically shifted.
Included rentals declined from 2,290 in 2019 to 1,257 in 2020. Meanwhile, locals rented between about 16% to 53% of the units. This was a significant shift in demand by geographic region, and a stark example of the quick impact of a travel ban on consumer behaviour.
Domestic customer sales were also a significant proportion of total sales in 2021, with around 47% of included sales coming from this segment. But the restoration of international mobility then had the reverse effect and changed the market back again. International customers rented about 86% of the total rentals by 2022.
The research identifies that this time frame could represent a three-stage evolution of a customer: an international-dominated market before COVID-19, a period of substituting imported products with domestically-made ones during 2020–2021, and a solid international recovery start from 2022.
The length of time that the car is rented also varied greatly. In 2021, the average number of trips was 12.7 compared to 10.7 prior to the pandemic, while the number of trips was around 14.3 in 2022. Average did not deviate much from 14 days until 2025.
Traveling farther distances opens up avenues for rental companies to enhance their customer experience. People traveling for 2 or more weeks on the road might be more critical of comfort of the vehicle, equipment, reliability, flexibility of routes, booking and service.
The study also reveals a new segmentation trend among customers. The percentage of couples grew from some 35% of rentals in 2019 to nearly 46% in 2025, which suggests that market strategies in the future will have to take into account more than one ‘typical’ traveller.
Nordic motorhome markets are thus a good example of industry transformation by the customers. When businesses can understand their customers, and know where they are from, and how much they value and how far they travel, then they can start to make strategies more resilient and responsive.
GlobalX Publications is a forum for researchers, academics, professionals and authors to communicate their important ideas to a broader audience.
Share your work with GlobalX Publications and spread it worldwide: write your thesis, research, thought, business or book.
GlobalX Publications: https://www.globalxpublications.com/
Read More: https://www.globalxpublications.com/blog/who-are-the-customers-and-how-have-they-changed-2017-2026
For Enquiries: +1 (307) 295-0570
- Contact Email
- [email protected]
- Issued By
- steve carter
- Country
- Ireland
- Categories
- Business · Education · Tourism
- Last Updated
- September 2, 2026