So why aren't all parks seeing the same results? Because demand doesn't equal revenue. The parks pulling ahead aren't just benefiting from more travellers. They're converting more of those travellers into direct bookings. And that's where the real opportunity sits.
Caravan Park Statistics Australia – The Numbers Look Good, But Are You Capturing the Revenue?
RoomStay
Hotel Marketing
February 6, 2026
11 mins read
The latest Caravan Park Accommodation Insights report (December 2025) confirms what most operators already feel: demand for cabins, powered sites, and unpowered sites across Australia remains strong. ADR is up. RevPAR is up. Occupancy is holding steady in most states.
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So why aren't all parks seeing the same results? Because demand doesn't equal revenue. The parks pulling ahead aren't just benefiting from more travellers. They're converting more of those travellers into direct bookings. And that's where the real opportunity sits.
The headline numbers
1. Cabins
Cabins continue to lead revenue performance. ADR hit $238 (up 4%), occupancy sat at 64%, and RevPAR grew 6% year-on-year. Victoria posted the strongest RevPAR growth at 14%, followed by Tasmania at 12% and South Australia at 10%.
Cabin guests expect a fast, intuitive booking experience. They're comparing your site to OTAs and competitors. If your booking engine feels clunky or slow, they'll book elsewhere.
2. Powered sites
Powered sites saw a 5% increase in ADR to $79 and a 9% lift in RevPAR to $39. Victoria led with 14% RevPAR growth, followed by Western Australia at 13% and Queensland at 11%. Northern Territory remains the outlier with just 9% occupancy.
Powered site guests typically compare multiple parks before committing. Website speed, mobile usability, and clear pricing make the difference between a booking and a bounce.
3. Unpowered sites
Unpowered sites posted a 5% increase in ADR to $59 and 9% growth in RevPAR to $15. Tasmania stands out with 51% occupancy and 16% RevPAR growth, showing that when the booking experience is simple and the value proposition is clear, guests will choose unpowered options.
These guests often become repeat visitors. Capturing their data through direct bookings makes remarketing possible. Losing them to an OTA means losing that relationship entirely.
The real story
Direct bookings are the gap between growth and stagnation
In Australia, around 70% of holiday park bookings are direct. That sounds like good news. But here's the catch: almost half of those direct bookings still come in over the phone.
That's a problem. And an opportunity.
Phone bookings tie up staff, limit your ability to scale, and often happen during business hours when your team is already stretched. Meanwhile, most holiday park websites convert fewer than 2% of visitors. That means 98 out of every 100 people who land on your site leave without booking.
Parks with optimised booking engines regularly hit 4% to 5% conversion rates. Some have seen direct revenue grow by 35% to 434%. The difference isn't demand. It's digital performance.
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What's holding parks back
RoomStay works with hundreds of holiday parks across Australia and New Zealand. The same patterns show up again and again:
Slow booking engines that cause abandonment before guests even see availability.
Checkout flows with too many steps, too many form fields, and too much friction.
Mobile experiences that don't match how guests actually browse and book.
Limited payment options that push guests back to OTAs offering Afterpay, PayPal, and buy now pay later.
Reliance on the PMS booking engine, which was built for operations, not conversions.
With OTAs charging 13% to 20% commission, every booking you lose to friction is money walking out the door.
What the top performers are doing differently
The parks outperforming the market have separated their booking engine from their PMS. They’ve invested in technology built specifically for conversions, not just operations.
They’ve upgraded their booking engine for speed, mobile performance, and clarity.
They’ve reduced friction in the checkout to improve conversion rates.
They’ve implemented a direct-first strategy with book-direct benefits that give guests a reason to skip the OTAs.
They’ve trained staff to convert phone enquiries into bookings, and they’re exploring Voice AI solutions to capture after-hours calls.
The December 2025 industry data is clear: demand is strong, but digital performance determines who captures the revenue.
See you at the CIAA National Conference
RoomStay will be at the Caravan Industry National Conference at RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, from 13 to 15 May 2026.
If you want to talk about direct bookings, conversion rates, or how to turn your website into a revenue channel, come find us. We'd love to show you what's possible.
Can't wait until May? Book a demo and see how RoomStay can help your park convert more visitors into direct bookings.
