Industry Intelligence
The RVDA of Canada provides authoritative RV retail RV industry intelligence including but not limited to retail sales, payroll and compensation reports, inventory levels, and comparative information within the industry.
Economic Impact of the Canadian RV Industry
For many Canadians, recreation vehicles (RVs) are a convenient way to travel and enjoy the outdoors while providing some of the comforts of home. For others, it is more than a way to travel; it is a way of life. Given this, it is no surprise that recreation vehicles have a significant impact on the Canadian economy. The purpose of the 2018 Economic Impact of the Canadian Recreation Vehicle Industry is to estimate the level of economic activity supported by the RV industry in Canada.
The economic activity generated by the RV industry is considerable and multi‐faceted including everything from the manufacturing, sales and service of RVs to expenditures to use, store, maintain and travel in RVs. In total, the RV sector generated an estimated 66,000 jobs and delivered $4.7 billion in added value to the Canadian economy from an initial expenditure of $6.1 billion in 2017.
While manufactures and dealers contribute significantly to the total, a majority of the contribution occurs after the initial RV purchase. More specifically, expenditures associated with RV ownership and use account for 78% of the total value added to the Canadian economy. The study revealed that approximately 2.1 million (or 15% of) Canadian households own an RV. Post-purchase spending by this group of owners contributes to the economy through two expenditure categories:
Non-travel RV expenditures are those costs associated with RV ownership and include insurance, storage, and accessories. RV owners spent an estimated $1.7 billion in these three categories in Canada in 2017. RV owners also spend on maintenance, however the value of this is included in the retail sales and service subsector expenditures.
RV tourism related expenditures are costs associated with using the RV. The study reveals that the 2.1 million RV owners took an estimated 8.2 million RV trips in Canada in 2017. Further to this, Canadians who rented RVs took an estimated 612,000 trips in Canada bringing the total to 8.8 million RV trips. With an estimated $3.3 billion in spending from these trips, RV tourism is the largest contributor to the overall impact by a significant margin.
The results of this study demonstrate that the RV industry is a significant contributor to the Canadian economy. Overall, we note that the total economic impact remains significant in 2017 and the total number of RV users and trips has ultimately increased over this period, which is a positive sign in terms of continued industry growth.
For the 2018 full report, please click here.
For the 2020 national update, click English French
Economic Impact of the Canadian RV Industry
For many Canadians, recreation vehicles (RVs) are a convenient way to travel and enjoy the outdoors while providing some of the comforts of home. For others, it is more than a way to travel; it is a way of life. Given this, it is no surprise that recreation vehicles have a significant impact on the Canadian economy. The purpose of the 2018 Economic Impact of the Canadian Recreation Vehicle Industry is to estimate the level of economic activity supported by the RV industry in Canada.
The economic activity generated by the RV industry is considerable and multi‐faceted including everything from the manufacturing, sales and service of RVs to expenditures to use, store, maintain and travel in RVs. In total, the RV sector generated an estimated 66,000 jobs and delivered $4.7 billion in added value to the Canadian economy from an initial expenditure of $6.1 billion in 2017.
While manufactures and dealers contribute significantly to the total, a majority of the contribution occurs after the initial RV purchase. More specifically, expenditures associated with RV ownership and use account for 78% of the total value added to the Canadian economy. The study revealed that approximately 2.1 million (or 15% of) Canadian households own an RV. Post-purchase spending by this group of owners contributes to the economy through two expenditure categories:
Non-travel RV expenditures are those costs associated with RV ownership and include insurance, storage, and accessories. RV owners spent an estimated $1.7 billion in these three categories in Canada in 2017. RV owners also spend on maintenance, however the value of this is included in the retail sales and service subsector expenditures.
RV tourism related expenditures are costs associated with using the RV. The study reveals that the 2.1 million RV owners took an estimated 8.2 million RV trips in Canada in 2017. Further to this, Canadians who rented RVs took an estimated 612,000 trips in Canada bringing the total to 8.8 million RV trips. With an estimated $3.3 billion in spending from these trips, RV tourism is the largest contributor to the overall impact by a significant margin.
The results of this study demonstrate that the RV industry is a significant contributor to the Canadian economy. Overall, we note that the total economic impact remains significant in 2017 and the total number of RV users and trips has ultimately increased over this period, which is a positive sign in terms of continued industry growth.
For the 2018 full report, please click here.
For the 2020 national update, click English French
