INVESTORS SWOOP ON UK MARKET

Posted on April 26, 2021

INVESTORS SWOOP ON UK MARKET

DUE TO THE COVID crisis, UK holiday parks are attracting a new group of higher- spending consumers.

The revenue of the UK’s top 25 holiday parks has increased by 65% in the past five years, validating major investment in a sector that has performed strongly during the pandemic, says New Street Consulting Group, the leadership and people solutions consultancy. The incomes of the Top 25 holiday park groups have increased from £1.61bn in 2014/15 to £2.67bn in 2019/20. Even before the lockdown, warmer summers and a weaker pound are factors that have contributed to the rise in popularity of staycations in the UK, increasing by 14% between 2014 and 2019*. New Street Consulting Group says this long term rise in staycations has been one of the major factors behind the investment of private equity firms in this sector. Blackstone, the private equity giant, recently acquired Bourne Leisure, the UK’s largest holiday parks provider, whose estate includes Butlins. US based private equity fund KKR purchased Roompot, one of Europe’s leading holiday parks providers, in June last year, whilst Away Resorts is now owned by UK based private equity house Bregal Freshstream. New Street Consulting Group says holiday parks have been a surprise winner of the Covid crisis, having attracted a new group of higher- spending consumers who have been unable to or opted against going on cruise holidays or travelling internationally. The low density of guests at holiday parks makes them particularly suitable for social distancing, with groups being able to stay in separate buildings from other holiday-goers.

PRIVATE EQUITY
Several private equity houses that own holiday parks are embarking on large scale capital investment programmes in order to cater for increased demand. Parks are undergoing significant programmes of premiumisation in accommodation, food service and activities to ensure that clients gained in 2020 are retained when the market for cruises and other overseas holidays reopens. Investment is also being made into apps and digital enablement that allow customers to order food and book activities/entertainment without having to leave their lodges or mix with other guests. Richard Lindsay, Director at New Street Consulting Group, says: “Despite its fair share of challenges and impacts on income, the UK staycation sector is booming, with the holiday park industry in particular being one of the strongest performing parts of the leisure sector during the Covid crisis.” “Private equity funds’ interest in the sector is only going to continue. PE houses see holiday parks as a long- term growth prospect and not just a flash in the pan during the year of coronavirus.” “The changing demographics of those who visit holidays parks is likely to increase the speed of change in the sector. The opportunity to improve the perception of parks for the long term through major capital investment programmes is now likely to accelerate as we head towards summer 2021.”

BALANCING ACTS

Posted on January 25, 2021

BALANCING ACTS

WHITECLIFF BAY BEACH, AWAY HOLIDAYS –When project planning, Away Resorts always take into consideration environmentally and eco-friendly impact.

Environmentally-friendly tourism is in safe hands, as Emily Martin reports...

The holiday park industry is big business. In a 2019 study, carried out by Frontline Consultants on behalf of the UK Caravan and Camping Alliance (UKCCA), it was found that in the UK alone, campsites and holiday parks generate £9.3bn in visitor spending and support 171,448 full-time employees. That accounts for 8% of the UK tourism industry overall and is a colossal figure everyone involved is surely keen to protect. But, as any big business does, it can come with a great big dirty footprint and, for business owners, it’s striking the balance between what makes their accountants happy, but also what’s environmentally something to be proud of that poses a perpetual challenge. Happily, the custodians of the gorgeous pockets of the UK, known as holiday parks, are proving they are more than up to the challenge.

GREEN TOURISM

It is impossible to go any further without mentioning the David Bellamy Awards which takes place every year and is one of the longest-running green tourism awards in the UK. It is truly seen as the benchmark for holiday parks who pride themselves on their green credentials. The late Mr Bellamy himself, who sadly died in 2019, remarked when he piloted the scheme in 1996, that his dream was to: “Upgrade all caravan parks to some sort of conservation status so that they can educate the visiting public and help them respect and care for the countryside.” A romantic notion indeed, but sometimes being ‘green’ has to be lower down the priorities list for a business ultimately focussed on making a profit, or does it? In 2007 there was a major revision of the judging criteria for award winners, done to acknowledge the increasing importance of energy saving and sustainability issues. With businesses cottoning on to the fact that caring about the environment is well worth it in order to preserve their incomes for the future, it’s been embraced by the industry in a myriad of ways. Rufus Bellamy, environmental adviser to the British Holiday and Home Parks Association, and David’s son, is now charged with continuing his father’s work. He says, “Many parks in Britain are blessed with abundantwildlife, and their owners are generally mindful of the need to manage their natural surroundings with sensitivity.” And Jon Boston of the BHPA says: “Holiday parks are commercial operations - they need to make a profit to stay in existence and keep their staff employed. “But these days, and especially during the pandemic, people want to get out into the countryside and discover places where they can get the benefits of fresh air and rural surroundings, so it’s actually a commercial investment to ensure parks are environmental oases.”

UTOPIAN PARKS

This all sounds lovely in theory. Idealistic, utopian holiday parks teaming with squirrels, fluttering with butterflies and leafy trees filled with birds is what we’d all hope for, but when going green costs money, how does it all work in reality? How much do holiday parks actually prioritise sustainability, and crucially how much of their budget will get allocated to overcoming the challenges? Kaz Mortimer is Group General Manager of Shorefield Holidays, a family owned business with eight parks across the south coast, and proud recipient of a Gold David Bellamy Award this year. Kay says: “Good green credentials are very important to our business.We have started the implementation of electric vehicles in our company fleet, as well as installing LED lighting to reduce light pollution and power consumption. “Our indoor swimming pool at Shorefield Country Park, is heated and runs on bio fuel and, where essential tree works are carried out, we re-use the chippings on our gardens.” FraserWatts, Operations Manager at Away Resorts comments: “Any but there is a commercial benefit when you invest in your micro-ecology environment and it’s something which parks are very keen to do, basically because customers like it and it encourages more customers.”

KEY FACTOR

Zoe House of family owned Ladram Bay Holiday Park agrees: “Our family tries to make sustainability a key factor in all of our business decisions. “The David Bellamy Conservation Award Scheme incorporates many of our values, and we have been closely involved with it from the outset,” Zoe continues. “Perhaps one of its most vital roles is to demonstrate that parks such as ours can play a major part in protecting and enhancing the natural world, and at the same time create a more exciting and enjoyable place for people to visit. “One very successful recent project was to retrieve one ton of plastic waste washed up on our private beach. We showed the growing total on a rising column of sand on a special display board near the beach path, and children especially showed great enthusiasm to help us reach our target! “Other initiatives involve substantially greater cost, such as our decision to reduce by 33% Ladram Bay’s carbon footprint,” she continues. “This has included a £300,000 investment in a solar energy system which will prevent a massive 171 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from entering the atmosphere.We have also expanded our fleet of all-electric vehicles, and plan to introduce car charging points for customers. “We don’t, of course, expect to gain commercially from such actions – but they all fit into the wider objective of providing the park with a sustainable future. This policy isn’t something we especially boast about to guests, but it’s amazing how many do take a genuine interest in our environmental work and are keen to hear about our plans. We have always felt privileged to be able to live and work in such a project we undertake, always has considerations for being environmentally and eco-friendly." added Zoe.

Without financial return on investment, is the appeal for businesses purely a desire to just…do something good? Jon Boston again: “David Bellamy himself was very keen on holiday parks publicising what they were doing to encourage people to go there, because that in turn would encourage the park to spend more on its environmental initiatives. “It’s not done for commercial reasons, it's a beautiful part of Devon, and putting something back into the region is its own reward.” Ladram Bay are not alone. This feeling that being green is simply the right thing to do, regardless of the investment it takes, is echoed widely. Henry Wild of Skelwith Fold caravan park comments:“Businesses, including holiday parks such as ours, will evaluate most new projects in terms of their cost and the likely payback period. “But this doesn’t work when weighing up investments intended to produce environmental benefits. They may, in the long term, make the park a more attractive or appealing proposition for holiday guests, but you would be hard pressed to see this reflected in the balance sheets.

SWEET SCENTS

Skelwith Fold go the extra mile with environmentally measures such as treating wastewater naturally by channelling it through specially cultivated beds of iris plants. Maintaining these beds is a costly year-round commitment, and it could be argued that simply using chemicals to make the water safe would be far cheaper. Henry says: “To my mind, sweet- scented irises provide a much more attractive outlook than an industrial treatment plant, and the system is more ecologically sound. “In a similar vein, our visitors greatly enjoy spotting the red squirrels and roe deer in our grounds. “But these animal numbers would probably be far fewer if we didn’t implement a labour-intensive winter- feeding programme, or spend time and money on creating the conditions and habitats which enable such species to flourish. “We choose to take such initiatives not for any financial gain, but so that we can have pride in a business which is impacting positively on the environment.” It’s certainly impressive and extremely heartening to find that the more you dig into the complex workings of holiday parks, the more intricate the environmental duty of care being practised really is. From tiny bee hotels to huge solar installations, it seems that the UK’s most celebrated and beautiful places are in very safe hands. HenryWild sums it up nicely: “I really don’t believe that business decisions should be entirely profit focussed. If this year has taught us anything, it is that quality of life is all about how we feel and our sense of wellbeing. “Connecting with nature benefits both, and if our park can play a small part in nudging this along, I’ll be perfectly happy!”

: COMPLEMENTING ITS LOCATION, this stunning treehouse accommodation with accessible pathway is a feature at Shorefield Country Park in the New Forest.

: SANDY BALLS ACCOMMODATION, AWAY RESORTS – If there are more sustainable ways to do things then Away Resorts will find them.

: BEE HIVES are nurtured at Drovers Way Holiday Park in Elton, Stockton-on-Tee

PEOPLE POWER

Posted on January 25, 2021

PEOPLE POWER

WE MAY SEE PEOPLE from other sectors making the move into our industry

The effects of the pandemic on staff retention and employment…

It would be fair to say that staff retention has been a hot topic over recent months, in light of COVID-19 implecations, writes Sue Hollingshead. As we entered Lockdown in March, it was naturally a difficult time for everyone and also an unknown entity. Staff being furloughed, not being able to physically go to work, not being able to go anywhere for that matter, created a scenario that was totally new to us all. Holiday Park Scene has been researching how it affected employers within the holiday park sector and we have been pleasantly surprised by the positivity. Lisa Charles-Jones, HR Director from Parkdean Resorts reflects: “The response of our teams was fantastic. For example, we were first forced to close just before Easter, and rather than all our fresh food and drink going to waste, teams decided to donate to local foodbanks in their communities. “We also worked with the NHS to provide accommodation for key workers at four of our parks, which was our own small way of saying thank you,” says Lisa. “We were fortunate that we were able to keep hold of all our staff under the furlough scheme, and each park had regular online socials to check in on everybody and maintain the family spirit that is so important for our teams.”

FURLOUGH SCHEMES

Danielle Lasky, Head of People Operations at Away Resorts shared how their teams faired: “COVID-19 has made our team stronger than ever and the spirit that has been shown from our team members during Lockdown has been incredible! “We used our internal social media platform to engage with our team members while they actively took the initiative to pioneer some of their own engagement events – interactive quizzes, bingo, comedy nights. “It was uplifting to see how much creativity there was across the business. We were really keen to keep the lines of communication open and our CEO, Carl Castledine, very much led from the front. “At the height of Lockdown Carl was providing three recorded updates a week to all team members, ensuring teams were fully informed as to what movements there were across the business but also providing some well needed reassurance in what was such an uncertain, vulnerable time for all.” The approach by Parkdean Resorts and Away Resorts is refreshing, it was also a framework adopted by many companies throughout the country. A key part of retaining staff revolves around investing in their mental wellbeing, whether this is to support them in their role, tipping into their personal life, financial or otherwise. The true results of how companies have handled and supported their staff during Lockdown will be evident post- Lockdown. Danielle said: “We could not be prouder of how our team have adopted the new safe ways of working. “The hospitality and leisure industry can often be very demanding and the added need for protective equipment has made the demands on these roles higher – but our team have seamlessly taken on the challenge and excelled. It was such a great feeling to open our doors and welcome the team back when reopening on 4th July.” We are lucky to be in a buoyant market, with the Staycation having taken off massively as we were able to start travelling again. Parkdean reported huge demand and were able to bring back all of their staff from furlough and in fact hired a further 1,500 seasonal workers across the country to cope with the demand. A trend which we have seen throughout the market with its strength continuing to grow.

BIGGEST MISTAKES

With his experience in recruitment, Jim Gandon, Managing Director of Annesley Gandon, for offered valuable advice: “Recruiting is sometimes the easy bit, retaining them can be the challenge.When it comes to recruitment, the biggest mistake we see is the lack of due diligence undertaken,” he said. “Candidates can look great on paper, but we can all write a CV that looks good. The key is a good track record and previous performance.” Jim advises when interviewing always ask for specific examples of things that have gone well, this doesn’t always relate to financial it could be systems and processes put in place. If they are good, then they should have a few examples of these. “Always take references and ensure that they have worked at the places they say they have, ask for their last two previous employers as a reference. If they have an excuse why you shouldn’t talk to them then that should be a cause for concern.” Retaining a team is one of the biggest issues we come up against, Jim continues: “As an employer, we should be creating an environment that is a pleasure to work in. Believe it or not we still come across employers that think it is the employees’ privilege to work for them and they should be thankful!

PARKDEAN HIRED a further 1,500 seasonal workers across the country to cope with the demand.

EXTRA REVENUE

“We have put together teams that have made companies millions in extra revenue,” Jim says. “This has all been about the right people, in the right place, within a positive environment. For the most part recognition is the biggest driver for most people, small gestures like a thank you or a team night out goes a long way. “Yes, there are lots of employee benefit schemes around, but the simple things are the most important.” The next step, as advised by Jim, is to ensure that a new employee has the right level of induction and introduction into the company. This was endorsed also by Lisa and Danielle, and clearly a vital part of the process. Setting goals, targets, and review dates may seem unnecessary to the employer when employing someone they feel will be a perfect for the role, however the employee will flourish from having the guidelines and clarification of the employers’ expectations. So, what thoughts for post- Lockdown and the immediate future, we wonder. Jim commented: “The strength of the market is almost as unprecedented as the pandemic itself. “The appetite for the UK holidays and holiday home ownership post- Lockdown is like nothing I’ve ever seen in my 30 years in the industry.

THE TRUE RESULTS of how companies have handled and supported their staff during Lockdown will be evident post-Lockdown

JOB LOSSES

“The tougher side is where operators have realised they need to make redundancies, however there are also many opportunities for people as other companies grow.We have seen some very forward-thinking operators using this period of time to invest in their products and services for 2021.” Lisa agrees: “Unfortunately a lot of people have lost their jobs, but that could provide a great opportunity for sectors like ours which have been thriving over the past few months. “We’re always keen to recruit from a variety of professional backgrounds, and we may see people from other sectors making the move into our industry. “There was a fantastic level of co-operation across the sector as we all worked together to lobby the Government and local MPs. There’s no doubt that together, we’re stronger, and hopefully we’ll continue to collaborate together in the future.” Danielle concludes: “It has been such an unfortunate period watching so many people become vulnerable to redundancies, from a recruitment perspective it has infiltrated the market with some truly fantastic candidates! “We are continuing to grow as a business and have some amazing opportunities at all levels so I hope we can provide some stability for job seekers that have found themselves in an unfortunate circumstance this year.” Despite having had a challenging year which has affected Human Resource departments massively, there is clearly positivity for the holiday sector with some strong feedback, advice, and strength for future employment.

COMPANY CONTACTS
Annesley Gandon
Tel: 01223 843888
www.annesleygandon.co.uk

Away Resorts
Tel: 01442 817398
www.awayresorts.co.uk

Parkdean Resorts
Tel: 01912 560795
www.parkdeanresorts.co.uk

Green Credentials

Posted on July 2, 2019

Green Credentials

Six parks strong, Away Resorts conducted a study last year that revealed 76% of the British public believe holiday operators need to do more to conserve wildlife in and around their locations. Since then, Away Resorts has taken measures to become more environmentally aware including installing electric car charging points at Sandy Balls, its New Forest Holiday Park, moving all barbed wire fencing and enforcing speed limits to protect wildlife that wanders into their park. The Away Resorts team has also created an on-line resource bank with information about the wildlife found near their 100-year-old holiday resort. The resource allows visitors to learn more about the National Park’s wildlife, including rare birds, mammals, endangered insects and unique plants. Readers can discover facts about the creatures and foliage, where in the New Forest they can be seen and tips on how the public can ensure the conservation of all that call the National Park their home.

LESSEN IMPACT
Clare Watkins, the General Manager at the New Forest Holiday Park, said: “It is naïve to think that tourism isn’t having an effect on wildlife, this is why it is important that holiday park operators in the UK, like ourselves, take responsibility and make changes to lessen the impact. “We are taking steps to ensure our parks respectfully co-exist with the wildlife that surrounds them, we hope that by creating this resource we can raise awareness and encourage our guests to also become more conscious of the species in the New Forest, ensuring their impact on wildlife is only positive while they holiday with us.” Trevornick Holiday Park in Holywell Bay, Cornwall, is encouraging guests to join them in going green. The five-star family caravan and campsite, located behind the sand dunes at Holywell Bay, was the first in Newquay to install Oltco walkways made from a combination of recycled plastic drink bottles, food packaging and straws. The area surrounding the pool used the equivalent of nearly 100,000 straws alone.

This sustainable re-use of materials can be seen throughout the business as they continue to increase their efforts in becoming even more environmentally friendly. The park has joined the Final Straw campaign, replacing plastic straws in the three onsite bars with paper alternatives. Staff also organise their own beach cleans on Holywell Bay to ensure the location and its wildlife remain unharmed by plastic waste, whilst also encouraging guests to adopt this mindset and asking them to leave the beach as they find it. “We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world and it is our responsibility to ensure it remains this way,” said Trevornick’s Manager Adrian Tribe. “We have all benefitted from the increase in tourism as a result of hit TV shows like BBC’s Poldark much of which was filmed at Holywell Bay and we feel we have a duty to highlight the dangers of single use plastic and its effect on our beautiful coastline. “This year we have introduced initiatives such as the ‘Drop an Swap’ station where guests can leave their beach toys and bodyboards to reduce this type of waste, as well as joining the ‘Re-Fill’ app which highlights locations nearby where people can fill up their water bottles,” he added. Other measures the park are taking to reduce their single use plastic waste and improve their recycling capabilities includes easy access to recycling points throughout the campsite for camping and touring guests and trialling recycling waste such as crisp packets and bottle tops which aren’t widely recycled and can be made into things such as children’s play parks.

PROJECT PLANNING
When project planning, it always makes sense to build in green credentials to schemes, not just for the cost-effectiveness but also for its marketing appeal. Olicana Cottages in Ilkley commissioned the construction of five, two bedroom timber built lodges on the banks of the River Wharfe. Boasting saunas and hot tubs the luxury lodges that take full advantage of the peaceful riverside setting, they had sustainability very much on their minds. Perhaps most interesting is how the lodges and new café bar are heated – by a central ground source heat pump, giving the lodges and café independent control of heating and hot water. With this type of sustainable heating system the holiday park owners will receive Renewable Heat Incentive payments which have been calculated to be in excess of £103,000 over 20 years – the period of return for commercial installations. Golden Leas in Sheerness, Kent, has 350 privately-owned caravan holiday homes and lodges, and a newly-opened clubhouse will provide the focus for a raft of social activities and entertainment. Sustainability was an important part of the park’s business philosophy, and the clubhouse has solar panels on its roof to generate heat for the building. Golden Leas also has plans to convert the heating of its 20-metre outdoor swimming pool to use green energy and reduce even further its carbon footprint. There are plans as well to make the park even more welcoming to wildlife with the creation of new habitat areas, and the planting of nectar-rich flowers for foraging by honey bees and butterflies.

BUMBLE BARN
Great Field Farm is a 45 acre site in Stelling Minnis, near Canterbury, with existing self-catering accommodation that includes two barns and a lodge, as well as bed and breakfast accommodation within the main farmhouse. The site was set up in 2007 by husband and wife, Malcolm and Lewana Castle. Oxfordshire-based Green Unit installed their ARC™ eco-building at the environmentally-conscious, self-catering holiday resort, Great Field Farm, near Canterbury. The 90 m2 building is equipped with environmentally-friendly features such as a green roof, a heat exchange system with infrared underfloor heating, and smart sensors to regulate pollen, CO2 levels, ventilation, heating and lighting. Marketed as the Bumble Barn, the accommodation offers a unique opportunity to expand the environmentally-conscious business, allowing the couple to cater to the demand for larger families and groups. Lewana Castle said: “We pride our business on offering guests the space and freedom of the outdoors, but with the warmth and comfort of a house, and the new ARC building offers exactly that. “Our guests will love the new experience of living in the round of the curved building, and I think they’ll be interested in the ARC’s sustainable features and clever technology.” The family owners of a Lake District holiday park are also helping visitors to enjoy even greener stays in Cumbria following a new series of environmental initiatives. Park Foot Caravan and Camping Park, on the shores of Ullswater near Penrith, says its latest steps will help further ensure that guests can enjoy their holidays with a clear conscience. Measures taken include the construction from local stone of a new amenity building for campers which is kept warm with underfloor heating from the park’s biomass boiler. Park Foot has also increased its reliance on green energy with new solar panels on its recycling centre which will feed excess electricity into the national grid. A super-efficient new heating system has additionally been installed to minimise energy usage. Park Foot, which employs around 80 locally-recruited staff in high season, has also decided from this year to ban single-use plastics in its clubhouse.

ENERGY SAVVY
The club’s restaurant has been re-equipped with energy-saving catering equipment, and will continue to feature Cumbria-sourced ingredients in its dishes to minimise food miles. Founded over 60 years ago by the Allen family on their farm, Park Foot has around 140 caravan holiday homes spread throughout the 40-acre grounds, and 400 touring pitches. The business is today run by Fiona Bell and Barbara Allen, the daughters of founder Jimmy Allen, along with Fiona’s husband Malcolm. “But as a farming family, we know how important it is to help safeguard Cumbria’s beautiful but fragile countryside for future generations to enjoy,” comments Fiona. “Our policy has always been to run the park along sustainable lines, and we’re pleased that our latest developments are making greener holidays even more possible,” she adds.

Thanks A Multi-Million Bottles
A significant supplier in the greener credentials of many holiday parks is NBB Recycled Furniture. In 2018 alone, the UK-based team saved 27.4million plastic bottles from entering landfill sites. This is set to drastically rise in 2019 and 2020 as the desire for recycled furniture soars. Tables, picnic-sets and benches accounted for over 50% of the saved bottles with organisations such as holiday parks, hotels and schools opting for recycled plastic for its safety, maintenance-free and eco properties. NBB Business Manager, Sharon Jenkins comments: “We have seen a significant rise in sales of recycled plastic products over the last five years. Consumers are now very aware of the environmental impact of plastic waste and would rather opt for a hardwearing, low maintenance option that largely contributes to the reduction of plastic pollution.”

NBB Recycled Furniture
Tel. 0800 1777 052
www.recycledfurniture.co.uk

Top Of British Holiday Survey Pops

Posted on May 15, 2018

Top Of British Holiday Survey Pops

Above : The Away Resorts Survey showed Brits still want to head for their annual holiday getaway.

According to a recent survey by market-leading holiday park operator Away Resorts, 55% of Brits are taking their main holiday at a UK lodge or caravan park this year. Away Resorts is a UK holiday park operator, with six parks in Lincolnshire, Isle of Wight, North Wales, Hampshire, Hayling Island & Essex. It was the 35 – 44 and 45 – 54 age groups that picked lodge and caravan parks the most, suggesting that families and empty nesters are interested in an experience where the facilities and entertainment within easy reach. Carl Castledine, the Chief Executive of Away Resorts, said: “It’s great to see that the great British holiday continues to go from strength to strength. We British are taking more and more domestic short breaks throughout the year, but to see that a third of consumers are taking their main holiday in the UK just goes to show that our fabulous island can inspire people to stay here over far-flung destinations. “Away Resorts has six lovely resorts in stunning locations throughout the UK. From the vibrant coastal surroundings at our Mersea Island park to the luxury leafy tranquillity at our New Forest resort and from the serene waterscapes at Tattershall Lakes to the dramatic landscape of Barmouth Bay in Wales, it’s easy to see why we’ve seen an increase in visitors to our resorts too.”

BEACH LOCATION

In terms of where Brits will be holidaying, 44% of respondents will be taking their holiday next to the beach. So, if your holiday park is right near a beach, you’ll likely attract more bookings. Location has also proven to be a determining factor, with 60% saying the local area influences their decision to book in a certain place, followed by the accommodation type and thirdly, the facilities. This suggests that although accommodation is important for holiday makers, where they stay is mostly used as a base to explore the local area and get the most from their holiday. The majority of holidaymakers are willing to travel over four hours to reach their destination and most will be staying for six nights. Considering the beach is where most will be heading, this suggests Brits are willing to travel further to reach a beauty spot. Over 43% of those having a staycation return regularly to where they’ll be heading in 2018. Unsurprisingly, most respondents said they will be going away in the summer months. When asked how much their UK holiday will cost, most respondents, 32%, said they will pay £250 - £500 per person, excluding spending money. With only 14% of respondents saying their UK holiday will cost up to a maximum of £100 per person.

Away Resorts Expands Its Portfolio

Posted on March 7, 2017

Pictured is Carl Castledine, Chief Executive Officer at Away Resorts

Away Resorts Expands Its Portfolio

UK holiday park operator Away Resorts has acquired the Sandy Balls Holiday Village in the New Forest. It brings the company’s portfolio of parks to six with Sandy Balls joining Tattershall Lakes in Lincolnshire, Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight, Mersea Island in Essex, Barmouth Bay in Wales and Mill Rythe on Hayling Island. 2016 was a record year for Away Resorts as overall bookings across its parks rose significantly against 2015’s figures.

With the addition of Sandy Balls, the business now has an annual turnover of over £40million, and employs 650 staff across its portfolio of sites. Carl Castledine, Chief Executive Officer at Away Resorts, says: “Over the last eight years, we have built up a strong brand that has really hit the right note with UK holidaymakers.

The demand for affordable UK holidays, particularly short breaks, is strong, and growing, as our record bookings for 2016 have shown. “Sandy Balls complements our strategy of providing our existing customer base with a range of very different types of holidays, avoiding the chainlike feel of our major competitors. We now have parks that meet the needs of a wide variety of guests and with Sandy Balls, we have a park that is forest-based with extensive central facilities.”

One Stop Shop

Posted on November 7, 2016

Whetting your appetite for the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show this November…

The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation show returns to Birmingham in November.

Building on the success of its launch in 2015, the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation show returns to Birmingham in November and this year the team is pulling out all the stops to make the show bigger and better than before. Taking place on November 9-10 at the NEC, the show is a must for park and land owners looking to diversify their land into a lucrative tourism enterprise, or those looking for new and innovative ways to put their park on the map.

Visitors to the two-day event can get a glimpse of the latest glamping trends and products, as well as a comprehensive lineup of seminars, workshops and suppliers needed to make a holiday park business a success. “Holiday Park & Resort Innovation is an entirely unique event for entrepreneurs striving for success in one of the most vibrant and competitive sectors in British business today,” says event organiser Will Mansfield.

“The show brings together top industry experts, leading suppliers, interactive workshops, live debates and seminars all focused on providing the inspiration, advice and resources holiday park and resort owners need to enhance the performance of their business,” he adds. The show will be expanding into Hall 8 of the NEC this year, with more than 300 suppliers and an estimated 3,500 visitors.Visitors will have the opportunity to learn from the top experts at google, Airbnb and Booking.com and hear from some of the industry’s most successful individuals such as Carl Castledine CEO of Away Resorts, George Bryan Director of Drayton Manor and Bernard Donoghue CEO of ALVA.

“As in 2015, the Holiday Park Innovation Show will again support The Family Holiday Association as its official charity and in addition we’re excited to announce our official trade partnership with the NCC,” says Will. “As the UK trade body for the tourer, motorhome, caravan holiday home and residential park home industries we look forward to working closely with the NCC before, during and after the event this year.” The show runs alongside Rural Entrepreneur Live, incorporating Farm Business Innovation & Country House Innovation in Hall 9, which provides landowners with the inspiration, advice and resources they need to diversify, innovate and make more money from their land and property.

Packed with relative content, this additional show provides visitors to Holiday Park & Resort Innovation with further unique opportunities they might not have previously come across.

Running on the November 9 – 10 2016 at the NEC Birmingham, tickets to attend the show are free. Visitors just need to register via the website www.holidayparkshow.co.uk.

Smart Choice

Energy Controls is a leading supplier of electricity SMART Meters and pre-payment metering systems to holiday parks throughout the UK. The company specialises in providing its customers with fully managed metering solutions including installation and support for prepayment Card Meters, as well as data collection for SMART Meters that can be integrated with PayPoint for greater prepayment flexibility.
If you want to find out more about MID compliance or if you are thinking about installing or upgrading your meters, either to ensure your energy costs are recovered fully or to reduce your billing administration, then visit Stand 1346 where the team will be happy to sit and discuss your requirements with you.

Energy Controls
Tel. 0845 230 4535
www.econtrols.co.uk

Make a Splash

World Leisure UK can deliver the full turnkey option for your water leisure facility.
From initial design through to construction and handover, World Leisure UK can help to deliver your water leisure facility aspirations. The company benefits from close links with a manufacturing facility, which enables them to keep a large part of the manufacturing side of an installation, from moveable floors and filter vessels through to stainless steel handrails close to home. Their experience in the commercial sector ensures that their designs and installations conform to the current legislation, written especially for the swimming pool industry by the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group, Sport England and the Health & Safety Executive.

World Leisure UK
Tel. 01772 284883
www.worldleisureuk.co.uk

Fun For All

For over 45 years, World of Rides has been a leading UK manufacturer of children’s leisure rides in the UK. From its premises in County Durham, the company supplies major shopping centres, retailers, visitor attractions, fun farms, holiday parks, garden centres, family entertainment centres and hospitality centres that include national and single-site operators. Their vast knowledge and experience ensures that every ride they manufacture is rigorously tested both in the factory and onsite before being released for sale.
They maintain a dedicated customer support office which ensures that all their customers receive the very best advice on the profitable and safe operation of their rides.

World Of Rides
Tel. 01914 920 999
www.worldofrides.com

Home from Home

Omar is a leading manufacturer of luxury lodges and park homes with a reputation built upon 50 years of manufacturing experience.
All Omar’s homes and lodges are built to residential standard BS3632:2015. This means they are suitable for residential use throughout the year and are built to last at least 50 years.
Interiors have a choice of intelligent floor layouts to suit individual needs and are right up to date with stunning interior design. All homes come with quality branded furniture, white goods, double-glazing and central heating as standard.
With industry leading design, exceptional build quality and unsurpassed attention to detail, meet the Omar team on stand 1562 to discuss how they can help deliver your dream lodge.

Omar Park Homes
Tel. 01842 810 673
www.omar.co.uk

In The Fast Lane

A world-first in design innovation, itrike easy-to-ride electric vehicles give the leisure market a superb opportunity to offer customers a new and dynamic transportation experience. They also present an excellent ROI opportunity for holiday rentals. Including both e-bikes and e-scooters, itrike’s range of noise-free electric vehicles have been cleverly designed to provide users aged from 14 years + with an exhilarating ride that is both fun and safe. They are propelled by a reliable, long-lasting lithium-ion battery coupled with a Bosch electric motor, providing a maximum speed of 15mph (e-bike version). Visitors will also have the chance to win an itrike at the show!

itrike
Tel. 01743 761107
www.itrike.co.uk

Take a Dip

RotoSpa is the UK’s only spa manufacturer. A family company established 15 years ago, the Midlands-based factory supplies the holiday industry all over the UK. From simple, robust, quality tubs for holiday lets to more complex commercial solutions to solve labour demand and legislative issues. Make RotoSpa your preferred hot tub partner. RotoSpa will be exhibiting a number of exciting holiday park hot tub innovations to enable owners and operators to reap the financial rewards of hot tub provision whilst giving them a newfound peace of mind that they will be able to comply with legislative requirements without undue strain on staff time.

RotoSpa
Tel. 0121 354 3428
www.rotospa.co.uk

Don't Miss Us

As the official media partner of the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show, visitors should make a beeline for Holiday Park Scene magazine on stand 1641. We will be giving away complimentary copies of the magazine and the team will be on hand to discuss your business goals for 2017. Holiday Park Scene is an essential read for anyone involved in holiday park and campsite management. At least 5,000 copies of Holiday Park Scene are distributed six times annually to key personnel in all aspects of the holiday park industry across the UK and Eire. We have a combined online presence of 20,000. Talk to the team to find out more about the editorial, advertising and marketing services that we offer.

Holiday Park Scene
Tel. 01353 666663
www.holidayparkscene.com

Conference Success For NCC

Posted on August 1, 2016

Conference Success For NCC

The 2016 NCC Conference attracted delegates from across the country.

More than 200 delegates from the UK’s caravan industry attended the National Caravan Council (NCC) Conference 2016.

This year’s line-up of guest speakers included Nick King, Insight Director at Autotrader; Carl Castledine, CEO at Away Resorts; Harvey Alexander, Director of Marketing at The Caravan Club and Alex Marshall of Management Consultants CIL.

Hot topics included adjusting caravan products for Millennials and developing new ways of promotion. There were also insights into how technology is changing the world, the state of the UK and worldwide economy and how positive thinking can influence business in a positive manner.

Rounding off the successful event was Kevin Keegan OBE, who gave an after dinner speech and helped to raise £2,440 for the NCC Benevolent Fund charity.

John Lally, NCC Director General, said: “From start to finish our speaker line-up was excellent this year, delivering fresh insights and new perspectives while stimulating plenty of debate in the process.

“Getting together as an industry is really important. Following a successful 12 months for many, it remains vital our industry continues to innovate and attract new entrants to the market, to improve its customer service and product quality and embrace self-regulation.”

Mersea Island Park Set For Investment

Posted on March 8, 2016

Mersea Island Park Set For Investment

Over £12 million will be spent on improving facilities at Tattershall Lakes Country Park this year.

Holiday park operator Away Resorts has purchased Cosways Holiday Park on Mersea Island. The park, which is to be rebranded as Mersea Island Holiday Park, brings Away Resorts’ portfolio to five, joining Tattershall Lakes, Whitecliff Bay, Mill Rythe and Barmouth Bay.

As part of Away Resorts’ long-term plan to invest in the development of all its holiday parks, a three-year improvement plan is also being implemented at Tattershall Lakes.

Away Resorts claim the £12 million project is the biggest single investment planned for any UK holiday park in 2016. Away Resorts’ managing director, Carl Castledine said: “We are delighted to be able to showcase another new holiday park as part of our investment plans for 2016.

“We will continue to develop the facilities and infrastructure of Mersea Island Holiday Park. With a £12 million investment programme taking place at our parks over the next three years, it makes for very exciting times ahead for Away Resorts.”

Developments include an enlarged entertainment area with a newly extended bar and diner, as well as a new guest services office with additional parking. The on-site shop will also be extended, along with a new adventure golf, indoor activity marquee, large outdoor covered play area, toddlers play area, outdoor wet play area with slide and an extended beach area with more seating.