Shop Window on Pools And Wellness

Posted on January 28, 2016

Shop Window on Pools And Wellness

Pictured is a salt cave by Alpha Wellness – one of the many exhibitors at SPATEX 2016 who will be showcasing their latest products for the 2016 pool season.

For those looking to improve their holiday park offering with the addition of a hot tub, sauna or swimming pool, SPATEX 2016 is a must-attend event.

Whether dipping your toe in the water for the first time or looking to refurbish an existing facility, the exhibition is a shop window on all that is new and happening in hot tubs, swimming pools, spas, saunas, enclosures, steam rooms.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, SPATEX takes place at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena from Sunday January 31 to Tuesday February 2.

With 100 plus exhibitors, both national and international, SPATEX brings together under one roof everyone in wet leisure, whatever their business. The exhibition is also a unique platform for free professional training and education and, repeating last year’s success of a double parallel programme, seminars will run on all three days of the show with the emphasis on holiday parks and the commercial sector.

On Monday February 1 a session entitled ‘Dealing with Pool Problems’, tackles commonly encountered pool problems and how to resolve them. Also on the Monday, the Swimming Teachers’ Association is holding an important pool plant update regarding the forthcoming changes in legislation, and on Tuesday February 2 there will be a series of unmissable talks by experts from the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG) for commercial spa operators.

Whatever your interest, a good starting point is the Holiday Park Scene stand (E63), where the team will be able to help with your pool or spa enquiry, and point you in the right direction for expert advice.

For the full seminar programme and to register for free, visit www.spatex.co.uk

Hub Of Activity

Posted on January 26, 2016

Hub Of Activity

With a name that derives from the sparkling stretch of beach that runs alongside the park, Silver Sands Holiday Park is a traditional seaside resort located in Moray on the Scottish coast.

Silver Sands Holiday Park is a traditional seaside resort located in Moray on the Scottish coast.

Welcoming more than 4,000 holidaymakers each year between March and October, the park is also a busy hub of activity during the winter with almost 300 holiday home owners who visit their properties most weeks.
“There’s a very relaxed, family friendly atmosphere on park and our clientele reflects this, with a mix of families, older couples and groups of friends, mostly drawn from Inverness in the north and Aberdeen to the south. We have a number of holiday home owners which means there’s a buzz about the park at all times,” comments general manager Rebecca Grant.
Silver Sands was the fourth holiday park to be bought by the Bridge Leisure Parks group in 2014. Since completing the acquisition, the new owners have already undertaken a Grant attributes Silver Sands’ success to the dedicated team that runs the park. programme of investment in infrastructure and new facilities, leading to a fourstar quality award from VisitScotland in November.
“As with any change of ownership, existing customers were wary of a new company taking control of their park,” explains Rebecca. “But we have shown over the past 12 months that we will deliver the improvements we promised and create a super destination for all our guests. I think we’ve won them over!”

Mixing It Up

Silver Sands’ accommodation offering includes a selection of static caravans and holiday lodges, plus pitches for up to 100 tourers, motorhomes and tents.
Leisure facilities on-site include a newly refurbished entertainment venue, a games room, an outdoor adventure play area and a Kids’ Club with a regular programme of activities. There’s also an indoor heated swimming pool, sauna and steam room, as well as a state-of-the-art gym.
“We’ve got such a great mix of facilities, many of which have been refurbished over the past couple of years,” says Rebecca.
“Our entertainment venue was recently used by Britain’s Got Talent to host auditions for the TV show, which was really exciting for the local area. We feature live bands and put on our own shows and cabaret through the season.”

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Top Of The Pools

Posted on January 26, 2016

Top Of The Pools

The UK Pool & Spa Awards night took place at the new Resorts World in Birmingham and
celebrated the achievements of the entire water leisure industry.

The UK’s multiple water leisure sectors celebrated their biggest night of the year at the hotly-contested UK Pool & Spa Awards.
Overall category winners across 25 categories were each presented with a certificate and a trophy at the special prize giving and networking evening, which was this year held at the brand new Resorts World complex in Birmingham.
New for 2015, the awards recognised the outstanding achievements of the country’s holiday park sector, with the introduction of the Holiday Park Pool of the Year award. Within the category, five holiday parks were awarded a Gold Standard and a further three parks gained a Silver Standard award.
“There is a real feel good factor within the water leisure industry at the moment and the outstanding entries received in this year’s UK Pool & Spa Awards exemplify that,” says Christina Connor, editor of Pool & Spa Scene magazine, the independent publication behind the annual competition.
“Holiday parks play an important role within the sector and we felt that it was about time the efforts and achievements of holiday park pool operators were recognised. We were delighted to welcome entries from a number of stand-out parks, who clearly value their pool facilities and work hard to keep them in top notch condition.”

MULTI-LEVEL SWIMMING

The pool at Craig Tara Holiday Park was named Holiday Park Pool of the Year at the recent UK Pool & Spa Awards.

The overall category winner accolade went to Craig Tara Holiday Park in Ayshire, Scotland, following a £3 million refurbishment of the water leisure facilities last year. Billed as ‘the most successful pool in the history of Haven’, the pool at Craig Tara underwent a complete transformation by design company Leisure Concepts. The pool area now features multi-level flumes, tipping buckets, a lazy river ride, water features, new flooring and new pool mosaic finishes. During the peak season, the pool welcomes around 7,000 swimmers each week and approximately 210,000 visitors annually.

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Glamping Business Is Booming

Posted on January 26, 2016

Glamping Business Is Booming

A North Herefordshire activity centre is reaping the benefits of its highly successful glamping villages, which have seen year on year growth of over 100 per cent.
Business is booming for Oaker Wood Leisure near Leominster, since it launched its second woodland glamping village at the start of 2015.

Oaker Wood Leisure launched its second woodland glamping village at the start of 2015 and says overnight stays there are up by more than 100 per cent.

Kate Tudge of Oaker Wood Leisure explains: “We have been offering overnight camps as part of our outdoor activity site since 2009 and launched our first pod village in 2014. As we offer group exclusivity, we quickly reached maximum capacity in the one village, so over the winter of 2014/15 we built a second village.”
Each village is made up of nine wooden pods, made locally by Jaques International and can be booked exclusively by groups which has proved popular with corporate team building groups and stag and hen parties.
School and youth groups visits have also increased year on year with the second glamping village meaning Oaker Wood can now accommodate groups of up to 120 young people.
This rapid growth has meant that Oaker Wood Leisure has offered increasing employment opportunities in rural North Herefordshire. Although some work is seasonal, the company has been able to offer permanent employment to a growing number of young people.
Kate adds: “We’ll never say never to developing a third village, or possibly some on-site chalets.”

Weather Watchers

Posted on January 26, 2016

Weather Watchers

The holiday park industry is feeling optimistic as we head in to 2016.

Holiday Park Scene highlights from the last 12 months...

Our notoriously unpredictable weather had a major impact on holiday park fortunes across the UK and Eire throughout 2015.
Record-breaking spring temperatures, particularly for southern parts of Britain, petered out with a largely disappointing second half summer performance.
Unprecedented mild weather in October and November had a sting in the tail with flooding devastation following Storm Desmond intensifying the North/South divide.
Enjoying a record-breaking year, the Holiday Park Scene magazine team featured nearly 300 parks throughout 2015 with facts and information from nearly 400 specialist suppliers. Here we bring you just some of the headlines...

January 2015

The Holiday Park Scene team launched a record-breaking year with tips for maximising the potential of swimming pool appeal in Swim To Win. We had a bucket load of tips and advice on the best return on investment in indoor play with Weather Proof. As we delved into the cabin and lodge market, we reported how five star, luxury accommodation was paying dividends for many Parks with our feature Home From Home. We launched our 2015 tour with a stay at Seafield Caravan Park in Northumberland with a picture Holiday Scene postcard from Claire Jeavons at Beverley Holidays in Devon.

March 2015

The team was intent on Playing It Safe with a spin around outdoor playgrounds while we explored efficiency measure to cut park overheads in The Energy Trilemma. Our UK tour continued back in Devon as we featured Beverley Holidays in our regular On Location spot while Andrew Howe of Bridge Leisure gave us his Holiday Scene postcard. Shock news of a temporary closure of the popular Potters Resort in Norfolk following a suspected outbreak of the winter bug Norovirus was among the headlines for our spring issue of Holiday Park Scene.

May 2015

We are all set to Carry On Glamping as we looked under the luxury canvas market while exploring five star spa and wellness options we urged you to Exceed Expectations. The team went back to basics with a review of washroom facilities in A Matter Of Convenience and looked forward to some of industry’s top summer attractions in Here Comes Summer. Always looking to break fresh ground, we launched our Hot Property column featuring Parks for Sale while Patrick Langmaid of Mother Ivey’s Bay gave us his Holiday Scene postcard and the roadshow stopped at Forest Park, near Cromer in Norfolk for On Location.

July 2015

july Our UK roadshow was back in Devon for On Location with a pitch booked at the Dornafield Caravan Park in Newton Abbott. Our Holiday Scene postcard came from Hywel Davies, the owner and manager of South Wales Caravan Park in Llanelli. Operators remained cautiously optimistic as we looked at the key performance indicators in Memory Makers reporting a three percent rise in tourist spending in 2014 compared with 2013. We went into Lock Down as the team investigated the thorny issue of holiday park security and looked forward to some Splash Landings with a range of aquatic play options.

September 2015

Park operators were urged to capitalise on silver investment by increasing provisions for the 50+ sector in our September issue. We focused on Return On Investment as we suggested some timely upgrades and refurbishments. Meanwhile we looked to make a dent in running costs with a look at cost-efficiency in Super Heroes. We researched online booking and management systems in Net Gains but looked to maximise the Best of Both Worlds with luxury accommodation packages. There was still time to delve into the world of natural swimming pool ponds in Balancing Act. Our Holiday Scene postcard was posted by Zoe House from the award-winning Ladram Bay Holiday Park while we explored the New Forest with a visit to the Sandy Balls Holiday Village in On Location.

November 2015

We began our November issue by Keeping Up Appearances with our look at grounds maintenance as we delved into Winter Wonderlands and parks that offered all-year round four season appeal. We were Making A Splash in stand-out pools and soaked up a Lap Of Luxury with a look at the holiday hot tub market. All eyes were on the £960 million merger between mega groups Parkdean and Park Resorts while we eagerly anticipated the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation exhibition with It’s Show Time. Our end of year roadshow stop for On Location pulled up at Pentewan Sands in Mevagissey Bay, Cornwall, while November’s Holiday Scene postcard came from William McNamara of Bluestone National Park Resort.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE FEATURED IN HOLIDAY PARK SCENE IN 2016, THEN WE
WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. GET IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM TODAY
Tel. 01353 666663 Email info@holidayparkscene.com
www.holidayparkscene.com

Apprentices Boost Business

Posted on January 26, 2016

Crowhurst Park Holiday Village has seen
major improvements to its workforce after being introduced to the value of apprenticeships by the Sussex Downs College Business Development Team.

Apprentices Boost Business

Young apprentices are easing the work load and boosting morale at an East Sussex holiday park.
Crowhurst Park Holiday Village has seen major improvements to its workforce after taking on apprentices from Sussex Downs College since 2014.
Hospitality manager Julie Hannah currently has four apprentices and is about to welcome two more to the events team at Crowhurst Park.
According to Julie, the apprentices that have joined the team and have helped to increase motivation and productivity. Furthermore they have increased staff retention, helping to reduce the high turnover of staff that generally plagues the hospitality and events industry.

Julie explains: “With so many graduates looking for work, many employers are seeking experience and qualifications, and this is where I feel the apprenticeship scheme really comes into its own. It offers young people the chance to earn whilst they learn, and with the current government support offering funding and opportunities right up to degree level, apprenticeships are finally offering a real alternative to university.”
Julie aims to spread apprenticeship recruitment across all of Crowhurst Park departments in order to continue revitalising the business.
She adds: “The experience has been overwhelmingly positive for me as an employer, I only wish I had done it sooner. Apprenticeships are only going to grow and grow, in terms of popularity and choice, over the next few years and it won’t be very long before it will be a standard recruitment practice.”

Recipe For Success

Posted on January 26, 2016

Recipe For Success

Holiday Park Scene was the official media partner at the recent Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show as Ashleigh MacKenzie reports…

The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show welcomed 2,637 visitors through its doors over two days.

The hotly-anticipated Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show proved to be a recipe for success, as visitors from across the sector flocked to the NEC in Birmingham to see the launch of the brand new exhibition.
The two-day inaugural show ran from November 11 – 12 and had a positive response from visitors, speakers and exhibitors alike.
2,637 visitors made their way through the doors to 60 specialist seminars, 200 hand-picked exhibitors, industry-leading experts and unrivalled networking and new business opportunities.
With a strong emphasis on land diversification and holiday park management, the stellar line-up of guest speakers and seminars was a highlight of the exhibition and a draw for many visitors. Over 30 seminars took place in the two Holiday Park theatres, from the likes of Henry Wild, chairman of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, Claire Jeavons of the Best of British Holiday & Touring Parks, William McNamara of Bluestone National Park Resort and Alfie Best of Wyldecrest Parks.
Robbie Davies, head of business development gave an interesting presentation on ‘How to make holiday hire work for you’, offering tips and advice on maximising the potential of your park.
“Never forget the basics and do them well,” advised Robbie.
“43 per cent of UK holidaymakers cite quality of accommodation, available facilities and the resulting value for money as most important booking features – so ‘ok’ is simply not good enough.
“The small touches can make a big difference, so be sure to pay attention to special and personal features.”
Meanwhile Chris Laxen, touring development manager at Park Resort offered and insight into setting up a successful glamping business. Speaking from experience, Chris said: “The best piece of advice that I can offer is to ‘think the worst, but expect the best’. Don’t be caught out by unexpected issues, so plan for all scenarios. And remember to listen to all customer reviews, both good and bad.”

BROAD SPECTRUM

Exhibitors at the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show covered a broad spectrum of holiday park aspects, from glamping accommodation and outdoor play to family attractions and hot tubs.
Event director Will Mansfield said: “The feedback during and after the event has been exceptional. We take all feedback into consideration, good or bad, and have already began on improvements suggested for next year’s show. This includes introducing a new interactive live debate a

The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show took place at the NEC in Birmingham from November 11-12 inclusive

nd expert panel area feature, with some of the most asked questions being debated and answered by specially selected teams of industry experts.
“Looking forward to 2016 we are confident this event can really continue to bring something innovative, relevant and positive to the industry as a whole.”

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Risky Business

Posted on January 26, 2016

One of the best ways to reduce the cost of your insurance is to demonstrate that your business has a responsible health and safety practice in place.

Risky Business

There’s no doubt about it, insurance is complicated. The amount of jargon associated with the subject can be off-putting for many, and can make finding the right insurance product a difficult and complex process.

However, choosing the right insurance partner can be the difference between success and failure in the event of a catastrophe.
Holiday parks offer a unique blend of risk to the insurance market. By their very nature, parks are exposed to the elements, presenting an accumulation of challenges to the insurer.
According to Compass Insurance, storm damage is the highest claimed peril on holiday and caravan parks, followed by accidental damage and escape of water or burst pipes. These perils make up 50 per cent of the company’s received claim volumes. The remaining 50 per cent is made up of theft, liability, fire, impact, and subsidence claims.

“We have discovered that although the needs of individual park owners vary, there are three distinct elements of essential park insurance to consider – material damage, liability cover and financial protection,” explains Dave Sheath, managing director at Compass.
“Essential holiday park insurance should cover buildings and structures, hire fleet and sales stock, underground services, contents, loss of rent or alternative accommodation, Business Interruption, Public Liability and Employer’s Liability.”

Holiday parks offer a unique blend of risk to the insurance market. By their very nature, parks are exposed to the elements, presenting an accumulation of challenges to the insurer.

In addition to ensuring the essential areas of cover are in place, careful consideration should always be given to the sums insured declared. By under estimating sums insured, to potentially save on premium costs, park businesses could be exposed to risks by being underinsured.
Appointed by The British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) to serve the interests of its members, Compass offers two bespoke policies; a Compass General policy and a Compass Park Owned policy. As well as providing essential cover, the bespoke policies also of a range of products that can be tailored to meet the needs of the park, including Contractors All Risks, Fidelity Guarantee and Employment Practices Liability, Environmental Liability and Cyber Liability.
“Operating in a changing environment will mean your business is faced with new and emerging risks,” says Dave. “With this in mind, you may want to consider new policies. It is worth considering all options available as the cost of extending cover or purchasing new risks may not be as expensive as you think.”

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Splash Attack

Posted on January 26, 2016

While major swimming pool investment can sometimes be ruled out on the basis of budget, splash pads offer an attractive alternative. Pic: Ustigate Waterplay

Splash Attack

Holiday parks, leisure resorts and commercial facilities across the country are reaping the benefits of dedicated water play areas.
With the fun factor at the top of visitor wish lists, it is vital for pool operators to continuously not just meet but exceed demands for safe and fun aquatic play.
“Commercial facilities are always looking for the next best thing and the end users are always looking for that wow factor,” says Simon Smith of World Leisure.
“In our experience, venues that invest in their water play offering reap the rewards in terms of added revenue, as the facility becomes attractive to a wider audience.”
Ernie Hemming of Ustigate Waterplay agrees: “Without doubt, the effective selection, combination and positioning of aquatic play features can be a key tool in attracting and retaining guests.”
“By using a range of colours, sensations of water and sleek designs, there won’t be any member of the family who will be able to resist taking a dip in the water play area.”

Lagan Valley LeisurePlex boasts an Aquadek, which has been created to add interactivity and a kid’s waterslide to the facility. Pic: World Leisure.

Ustigate Waterplay advises on a zero-level water play installation which prevents the buildup of water in the play area, therefore eliminating the need for a lifeguard and providing accessibility to all, including wheelchair users.
“We advise our clients on creating water play installations which caters for a range of age groups to increase its play value and popularity,” says Ernie.
“Carefully selected combinations and positioning of structures and features will attract the target audience to the relevant areas of the park, toddler, teen or family sections which will result into more visitors, because it is suitable for all of the family.” Ustigate specialise in splash pads and offer the full range of Vortex equipment which includes more than 140 different water play jets and above ground sprays. Not only do splash pads appeal to the kid in all of us, but they also tap today’s pressing issues of water conservation, parents’ heightened concerns for safety, the ongoing search for revenue and multipurpose usage.
In terms of cost, Ernie advises that the price of a typical splash pad depends mainly on three factors; size of the scheme, the type of water system and the selected water features. A typical once use system would usually cost between £50,000- £100,000 and a recirculating system would cost between £300,000- £500,000.
Although initial set up costs might be higher for implementing higher quality, robust systems – it will pay off in the long run.
“Once the scheme is up and running as you reduce the chances of future mechanical failings, which may lead to severe repair costs or potential closure of the water installation,” says Ernie.
He continues: “As with just about everything, the more you look after something the more it will look after you.”

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Timely Investment For West Cornwall Holiday Park

Posted on January 18, 2016

Timely Investment For West Cornwall Holiday Park

Pentewan Sands Holiday Park in Mevagissey bay, near St Austell, will be adding 15 new threebedroom Diamond, Platinum and Gold Plus range holiday homes to increase on-site accommodation in time for the 2016 season.
The investment comes following a hugely successful year for the resort. Bookings were up by 8.7 per cent on 2014, as well as the park being awarded a five-star Quality in Tourism award this year from Visit England for the first time since it opened in 1945 for its quality of the site.

An 8.7 per cent rise in booking has enabled Pentwan Sands to
make further investments for the 2016 season.

Graham Brown, general manager at Pentewan Sands, said: “Thanks to a successful summer, we are continuing to invest into new facilities at the park and this year that comes in the form of 15 new holiday homes. We are committed to strengthening the park for our guests and responding to their feedback and needs to keep our facilities fresh and updated.
“The new homes will create a real sense of comfort, luxury and style with excellent new facilities to create a home from home feel at Pentewan Sands. This year also marks the 70th year of the park, and we are delighted to continue to grow and welcome back happy guests year in year out.”
During 2015, Pentewan Sands had added a variety of new facilities to the park including a new play area on the beach, refurbished on-site tennis courts, and created a new, Cornish themed on-site pub as well as being joined by awardwinning burger chain HUBBOX, offering a laidback Cornish style with signature interior design on the beach-front.

Holiday Park Scene Magazine

Month: January 2016

Shop Window on Pools And Wellness