Who Are the Customers, and How Have They Changed from 2017–2026?

The Nordic motorhome rental market has not been shaped by a single type of traveller. Over the past decade, its customers have changed in where they come from, how long they travel, and how they respond to disruption. The most revealing story is not simply that demand has grown or declined at different points. It is that customer behaviour has evolved.

An analysis of rental transaction data from 2017 onward provides a useful window into this customer evolution. The data shows a predominantly international customer base, a strong family segment, a mature traveller profile, and a striking shift toward domestic demand during the pandemic.

For the Elle Tick’s dissertation, these changes are important because they show how customer demographics and preferences can reshape an entire rental market.

The Nordic Motorhome Customer in 2017–2019

Before the pandemic, the customer base was strongly international.

In the transaction dataset, international customers represented approximately 80% of rentals in 2017 and 84% in 2019. Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands and France were among the most prominent source markets.

The typical customer was also relatively mature. Average recorded driver age remained around 45–46 years, while families consistently represented the largest customer segment.

In 2019, for example, the dataset recorded 2,290 included rentals, with families accounting for about 65% and couples around 35%.

This tells us something important about early customer preferences: motorhome rental was not primarily a spontaneous, short-break product. It was strongly associated with planned leisure travel, families and relatively established travellers.

The average rental duration was approximately 12 days, suggesting that customers were using motorhomes for substantial holiday journeys rather than brief weekend experiences.

2020 Changed the Customer Profile

Then came the most significant disruption of the decade.

In 2020, included rentals in the dataset fell to 1,257, compared with 2,290 in 2019. More importantly, the composition of customers changed dramatically.

Local customers increased from roughly 16% of rentals in 2019 to 53% in 2020.

This was not an isolated commercial phenomenon. Statistics Finland reported that international leisure travel collapsed during the pandemic while domestic travel became substantially more important. In 2020, Finnish residents made 21.4 million domestic leisure trips with overnight stays, while foreign leisure travel fell sharply.

The transaction data therefore reflects a broader market trend: when international mobility became difficult, customers did not simply disappear. Their geography changed.

That distinction matters for understanding changing customer needs. Customers still wanted leisure, mobility and outdoor experiences; they simply needed products compatible with travel restrictions and uncertainty.

From Domestic Recovery to International Return

The domestic shift continued into 2021. Local customers accounted for approximately 47% of included rentals, while international customers began returning.

Statistics Finland similarly recorded a strong recovery in domestic travel. Domestic leisure trips with overnight stays increased by more than one third in early 2021, while international leisure trips remained severely restricted.

By 2022, however, the transaction data shows a clear return to international demand. International customers represented approximately 86% of rentals.

The customer base had therefore moved through three distinct phases:

2017–2019: predominantly international demand
2020–2021: exceptional domestic substitution
2022 onward: strong international recovery

This is one of the clearest examples of how consumer behaviour can change rapidly when external conditions alter the travel environment.

Longer Trips and Evolving Customer Preferences

The post-pandemic customer is also different in another important respect: rental duration increased.

Average rental duration was around 12 days before the pandemic. It rose to approximately 12.7 days in 2021, then reached about 14.3 days in 2022 and remained close to 14 days through 2025.

This suggests a meaningful shift in customer expectations. Motorhome holidays increasingly appear to support longer, more immersive journeys rather than simply functioning as an alternative form of accommodation.

The broader European camping market points in the same direction. ACSI's 2024 survey of more than 17,000 European campers found that campers without children planned around 68 camping days during the year, while those travelling with children planned around 40 days.

For rental businesses, this has practical implications. A customer who stays longer has different expectations around vehicle comfort, equipment, reliability, route planning and overall customer experience.

What the Customer Data Really Tells Businesses

Three lessons stand out from the customers 2017–2026 story.

First, customer demographics matter, but they should not be viewed as static. The same market can contain very different customer populations under different conditions.

Second, geography is a powerful indicator of changing demand. International and local customers can respond very differently to economic, regulatory and travel disruptions.

Third, customer expectations are becoming increasingly connected to the overall journey. Longer rentals create more opportunities—and more pressure—for companies to deliver a seamless experience before, during and after the rental.

For businesses seeking sustainable business growth, the lesson is straightforward: do not build customer strategy around yesterday's customer.

The Next Stage of Customer Evolution

The Nordic motorhome rental customer of the future is unlikely to fit neatly into one demographic category. Families remain important, but couples have become increasingly significant in the transaction data, rising from roughly 35% of rentals in 2019 to nearly 46% by 2025.

That shift deserves attention.

The future opportunity may therefore lie less in finding one “typical” customer and more in understanding multiple customer journeys—international families, couples, domestic travellers, long-distance holidaymakers and emerging high-value segments.

The customer evolution from 2017 onward demonstrates that resilience comes from understanding behaviour, not merely counting bookings. The strongest Nordic rental businesses will be those that continue to track customer trends, anticipate changing preferences and design the customer experience around what travellers increasingly value.

The decade from 2017 to 2026 is therefore more than a period of market disruption. It is a case study in how customers themselves can reshape an industry.