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PORTFOLIO

CAMPING

The history of a passion

People have been holidaying in tents or caravans for over 100 years. But what is so fascinating about this "temporary nomadism" and how did camping become so popular? In Europe, camping first came into fashion in England. At the end of the 19th century, it was primarily a pleasure for the better off. In Germany, Arist Dethleffs is regarded as the inventor of the caravan. He invented the "caravan" out of love for his fiancée, who wanted to accompany him on his business trips. After the Second World War and with the start of the economic miracle, the longing for the sunny south grew. Italy was the Germans' favourite destination, while the French were drawn to their own Mediterranean coast. Until the 1970s, tents still dominated. A camping holiday was affordable, you didn't have to spend money on a hotel and you could cook for yourself. The hippies wanted nothing to do with such "stuffy" ideas of holidays. For them, travelling was not a short escape from everyday life, but a trip with an uncertain outcome. Their favourite vehicle of the time was the converted VW van. The idea of the compact vehicle also conquered the caravan market at the end of the 1970s. The motorhome promised more mobility than the caravan, with the same level of comfort.

The fascination with camping remains unbroken to this day, and the industry continues to grow. It must be the small, big freedom, on the road and yet a little bit at home, that excites so many people about this type of holiday.

ARTE

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