Nordic Motorhome Data: A Decade of Insight for Businesses.

There’s so much that can be gleaned from examining business data over many years that’s simply impossible to see when looking at single seasons. This is what the Nordic motorhome rental market’s transaction records since 2017 reveal about changes to customer behaviour as we moved through disruption, recovery, and growth. In her doctoral research, based on rental data, Elle Tick explores customers’ countries of origin, ages, groups and how long they stayed with rental companies in motorhomes and campervans.

The research provides an excellent example of how to turn operational data into insights that a business can actually use: The pandemic: an international shift and demographic maturity Before the pandemic, the market’s signature characteristic was the heavy reliance on international travellers – roughly 80% in 2017, rising to 84% in 2019.

Customers came from important markets like Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The dataset also reveals an older demographic was the norm, with customers averaging aged between 45 and 46, and typical rentals were 12 days in length. These were often travelling as families (65% of rentals analysed in 2019), with around 35% of rentals by couples. Disrupting change in 2020 While, across 2020 and 2021, there were about 1,000 fewer rentals per year than in 2019, they also saw a dramatic shift in customer profile.

Domestic customers rose from around 16% of rentals to 53%, with the shift continuing into 2021, with domestic customers still making up 47% of those rentals.

What happened then shows why looking at the data longitudinally works: when international travel became difficult, those international customers, accustomed to international origins, largely disappeared, and domestic customers filled some of that void. But in 2022, the international customer base came back even stronger and accounted for more than 86% of all transactions examined. Rental characteristics adapted to changing travel norms Meanwhile, other aspects of customer behaviour adjusted over these years, too.

Average rental duration moved beyond the 12 days typical pre-pandemic, to 12.7 days in 2021, and jumping to 14.3 days in 2022. It has maintained a length closer to 14 days up until this year. Customer origins changed and so did the composition of travelling parties, with the percentage of couples taking rentals jumping from 35% of all travelling parties in 2019 to nearly 46% by 2025.

Why this matters when business data points to opportunity What do these insights offer for business leaders?

They suggest the importance of looking at a broad range of indicators over time, not just one or two that dominate daily decisions. Your customer origins show who you should be reaching geographically. Their ages indicate potential communication strategies. Who they are travelling with may inform the kinds of motorhomes and services that they’re expecting.

And the amount of time they’re renting suggests not only travel tendencies but also impacts operational logistics and potentially vehicle utilisation.

For companies that serve tourists, understanding these shifts and trends provides fertile ground for innovation and strategic planning. The Nordic motorhome rental market, then, represents far more than just a case study on holiday travel – it’s a demonstration of how long-term business data can illuminate customer behaviour and drive better strategic decisions. Elle Tick’s research for her thesis is another fantastic example of the value of analysing business data and looking back over time – and it’s crucial for industries that may see customer behaviour change quickly.

For entrepreneurs, academics and industry experts out there, the message is a simple, profound one: data is best when it’s put into context. Put Your Thesis, Business or Book in the Spotlight Globally. GlobalX Publications welcomes the submission of original thought in the form of thesis work, business insights or original scholarly and creative literature.

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