The Germans are Coming… to Ride Alberta’s Highways

A new direct flight from Frankfurt could lead to a boom in Alberta’s… RV industry?

On Thursday, Canadream, a national RV rental and sales company, opened its first Edmonton-area “station,” located in Leduc, a stone’s throw across the QEII from the airport.

But, did you know that approximately 60 per cent of Canadream’s RV rental business are international renters? Before the pandemic, that number was closer to 90 per cent. And, of that international rental market, 60 per cent of it comes from Germany.

So, the announcement of Condor’s twice-weekly direct flights between Frankfurt and YEG — which begin May 26 — spurred the need for Canadream to open a base in Edmonton.

“Part of the original proposal to Condor was to ensure that there was RV capacity, here,” said Paul Hawes, vice president, Destination Development and Marketing for Explore Edmonton. “When we first learned of Condor coming in, we approached Canadream in turn to expand their fleet… and here we are, with 50 brand new RVs ready to roll for our German guests.”

Kathryn Munro, CanaDream’s International Director of Sales and Marketing, said the company won’t set up shop in cities that don’t have direct-flight access to the lucrative German market.

“The Germans are great explorers,” said Munro. “The Germans also take a lot of holidays. They get extended holidays, whereas in Canada and the U.S., people’s average holidays might be seven to 10 days. In Germany, the average holiday is up to three weeks.

“Canada is a big destination for the Germans. They love the nature, they love the outdoors, they love getting out and exploring. Combining Canada with an RV, it’s a perfect combination for them.”