Camping specialist ACSI kicks off anniversary year with its own book and film

• Pioneer from the Betuwe has been the Google for European campers for 60 years
• More than 1,500 guests at the start of the anniversary year in Pathé Cinema in Ede
• Premiere of a film about the company’s eventful history and presentation of an anniversary book

Andelst, November 11, 2024 – In 1965, teacher Ed van Reine published his first camping guide under the name Auto Camper Service International (ACSI). Almost 60 years later, this guide has become a bible for campers all over Europe, and the family business from the Betuwe region has, in many respects, become an indispensable part of the holiday industry. ACSI kicked off its anniversary year on Sunday, 10 November, at the Pathé Cinema in Ede. Over 1,500 invited guests attended the premiere of a film about the company’s eventful history and the presentation of a substantial anniversary book.

Current director Ramon van Reine looks back with pride on the path that has been taken. Although ACSI is now leading for European campers and campsites, it was not without challenges. “My father did this work in his free time in the early years, was very trusting, and was often taken advantage of in business. We balanced on the edge of bankruptcy several times, but Dad always stayed positive, squared his shoulders, and grabbed new opportunities with both hands.” The company also consistently invested in new technologies: “In the early eighties, Dad was one of the first in the travel industry to buy computers, and we started working with the internet early on. We always stayed one step ahead of everyone else. ACSI has effectively become the Google of camping, both offline and online.”

A broad audience

In the summer of 1964, avid camper Ed wondered on a campsite in Catalonia why it wasn’t possible to reserve a camping spot in advance. You should also have some information available about the campsite. The teacher immediately gathered colleagues (who always had six weeks of summer vacation anyway) to conduct inspections together. A year later, the first ACSI Holiday Guide was published, featuring 25 campsites along the route to Spain. In 2024, nearly 400 inspectors inspect 10,000 campsites across Europe each year. The camping information is available in 14 languages, the guides have a circulation of hundreds of thousands of copies, campsites extend their season by accepting the CampingCard ACSI discount card, the websites attract millions of visitors, and the apps are used by nearly half a million European campers.

Pioneering work

ACSI was not only a pioneer with the green camping guides. In the early years, Ed also organised group tours for the Christian women’s magazine “Prinses,” including trips to Israel. “The Yom Kippur War broke out, and foreigners had to be evacuated, but the accompanying pastor decided otherwise: the group had to stand in solidarity with the Israelis. The ‘holiday’ continued behind the front lines,” Ramon recalls. At the time, Ed was also the first to rent out mobile homes, allowing readers to take holidays domestically. Shortly before the Covid pandemic, ACSI made a serious attempt to introduce Chinese people to camping by setting up luxury glamping parks in China. Unfortunately, the pandemic disrupted this plan, but all this pioneering work can still be seen in the company, which has now become a publishing house, tour operator, and rental service. ACSI organises camping trips – including those from the Dutch TV programme “We zijn er bijna!” – and its own SunLodge chalets are available across Europe. “With Thierry and Rémy, the third generation of the Van Reine family is already eager to take over,” Ramon concludes.