In late November, the camping industry traditionally heads north — and in 2025 it landed in Lübeck. On 26 and 27 November, the Norddeutscher Campingtag (NCT) took place at the Musik- und Kongresshalle (MUK). A special edition, too: the tenth, and with it a proper anniversary. And we were right in the middle of it.
The NCT is a trade congress and exhibition rolled into one, run by six northern German camping-industry associations. More than 100 exhibitors, plenty of talks, and two days packed with site operators under one roof. On the agenda: the topics the industry is wrestling with right now — energy, legal questions, and above all artificial intelligence in day-to-day operations.
A shop that never closes
That's where we come in. Together with our partner HT Shop Solutions, a specialist for autonomous 24/7 mini-markets, we showed at the stand how a staff-free shop on a campsite actually works — hand in hand, from the concept to the technology behind it.
Why does it fit a campsite so well? Campers arrive late, leave early, and rarely feel like checking when reception happens to be open. A 24/7 shop is open exactly when the traditional store is long closed — fresh rolls early in the morning, the forgotten dish soap at midnight. For the sites it's a genuine service that brings in extra revenue on the side, without anyone having to stand behind the counter.
What matters for a shop like this
- Open around the clock — with no staff on site
- Entry and payment run self-service, via app or card
- Age verification for products that shouldn't end up in just any hands
- Camera tech and access control for security
- A reliable network connection in the background, so the till and the tech never stand still
By the way, you can spot us briefly in this feature video from NCT 2025.
Two days in Lübeck, lots of good conversations, and an anniversary in great spirits — and, in the end, confirmation that autonomous shops have arrived in the camping world. More on the event at the Norddeutscher Campingtag, and more on the autonomous shops at HT Shop Solutions.