Mobile home boom continues: TCS camp boss dreams of expanding to neighboring countries

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“Destinations in neighboring countries are border areas like the other side of Lake Constance, south of Brissago or the Annecy region,” TCS camp division head Oliver Grützner (50) told AWP in an interview. Agency. “This completes us.”

However, the TCS camp boss said he has yet to submit an application to the board, which must approve every new campsite purchase. But Grützner does not want to go far: “We will not take over a campsite in the south of Spain.”

The country’s largest campsite operator also wants to expand its position in Switzerland. TCS announces on its homepage that other locations will be taken over, for example in the event of a succession plan, relocation, restructuring or previous owner’s departure.

TCS considers various acquisitions

“Every month we get a few questions about whether we want to take over, buy or operate locations,” says Grützner. We took over.”

TCS is currently evaluating around 20 projects. The Board of Directors has already approved three new campgrounds. Three sites, all in Ticino, will now be built. Grützner says Camping Olivone is scheduled to open next year and the Verzasca Valley one in 2025.

«And in Carona, near Lugano, we will build a glamping village with 25 to 30 accommodation in the swimming facility. The opening is scheduled for 2026,” says Grützner. Glamping stands for glamorous camping, where customers can rent accommodations with showers and/or toilets and cooking facilities. As Grützner noted in an interview with AWP, another campground will be added in Graubünden.

Everywhere must be snowy

But Grützner doesn’t want to grow at all costs: “Everywhere here has to be profitable on its own.” That’s why TCS has already rejected takeover offers from the campgrounds. On the other hand, TCS is also giving up campsites.

There is activity in the campground scene. After 50 or 60 years of camping, there’s been a generational change, Grützner says.

“The course we took over at La Tène will also be completely rebuilt and open in 2026,” says Grützner. “The community wants the area to be used for tourism. There has to be a better mix.” Access to the lake should be open to the public and the square should be closed to vehicular traffic.

Fewer permanent tenants

The area is currently occupied almost entirely by more than 170 long-term tenants. The number of long-term tenants will now be halved, but there will be more attractions where tenants are constantly changing. In addition, Grützner says about 30 bungalows will be built for the glaciers.

With TCS, long-term tenants occupy 25 percent of the land, but only bring in 15 percent of the turnover. “I get more income with tourist sites and glamping than with a permanent tenant,” Grützner says.

You also need to redesign the campgrounds because the existing campsites were designed in the 1960s. If big mobile homes arrived today, things would be even more difficult.

In addition, as vehicles become more and more luxurious, the power supply is reaching its limits. When it gets cold, everyone wants to turn on the heater, use the coffee machine, charge the iPad, watch TV or connect the refrigerator. There were also Tesla drivers who wanted to recharge their batteries.

Campsites are still in high demand

Last year, TCS booked nearly 900,000 overnight stays at campgrounds. This is 11 percent less than the absolute record year 2021, when the million threshold was broken for the first time. However, 2022 remains the second best year in history, with an increase of 43 percent compared to the last pre-corona 2019 year.

Sales reached CHF 35 million last year. That’s pretty much the same as 2021, the record year. A look back shows the leap that camping has made in recent years. “Twelve years ago, we had a turnover of 15 million, with 400,000 overnight stays, with more campgrounds,” Grützner says. (SDA/smt)

Source :Blick