British Countryside

THE OPEN ROAD TO OPPORTUNITY

Posted on July 31, 2025

There’s a quiet revolution rolling through the British countryside, and it’s running on diesel, solar and wanderlust… Motorhome ownership is booming and with it, a new kind of traveller is reshaping the tourism landscape.

Forget tour buses and pre-packaged trips, today’s explorers prefer self-sufficiency, open roads, and the freedom to choose their view each morning. For holiday park owners and managers, this is not a trend to watch from the sidelines.

It’s a golden opportunity to attract a growing, engaged and self-reliant audience that’s ready to spend, if you’re ready to welcome them.

WHY MOTORHOMES ARE NOT JUST PASSING THROUGH
Once considered the preserve of retirees and festivalgoers, motorhomes have gone mainstream. Driven by post-pandemic shifts, environmental awareness, and a craving for flexible travel, today’s motorhome owners are families, digital nomads, adventurers and comfort-lovers alike.

They’re skipping airports and checking out of hotels, opting instead for clean air, control, and communities on wheels. But here’s the catch: while they love the open road, they don’t want to rough it. They’re looking for safe, scenic, and well-equipped bases and that’s where you come in.

TODAY’S MOTORHOME GUESTS bring everything they need and they’re happy to pay for the things they value most: safety, service, and the freedom to roam.

FROM STATIC TO STRATEGIC
Traditionally associated with static caravans and summer getaways, holiday parks are now transforming into dynamic hubs for motorhome tourism. With the right facilities, you don’t just become a stopover, you become the destination. Motorhome travellers value:

• Full-service hook-ups: Electricity, water and waste disposal make extended stays easy.
• Flexible booking options: Cater to both overnight visitors and those settling in for the season.
• Modern comforts: Think laundry rooms, Wi-Fi, EV chargers, and even co-working areas.
• Scenic and secure settings: Gated access, helpful staff and quiet hours go a long way.

Add a view of the coast or countryside, and your park suddenly offers something that no roadside lay-by or city car park can.

WHY IT MAKES BUSINESS SENSE
Let’s break it down. Motorhome owners bring:

• Self-sufficiency: They don’t need you to provide beds or bathrooms, but they’re happy to pay for a clean, safe, connected space.
• Off-season income: Many tour year-round and actively seek out parks with winter availability.
• Repeat business: A good stay = loyalty. Many return to favourite parks annually or recommend them in active online communities.
• Low overhead for high reward: Unlike static units, touring pitches require less infrastructure and turnover.

With a little foresight, even under-used parts of your park can be turned into attractive hardstanding motorhome pitches, creating new revenue without major redevelopment.

WHAT MOTORHOMERS REALLY WANT (AND HOW TO DELIVER IT)
Meeting the needs of the motorhome market doesn’t mean luxury spas and nightly entertainment (although some will love that!). What matters most is a balance of autonomy and amenity. Here’s what they’re looking for:

• Ease of access: Wide, drive-through pitches and clear signposting.
• Solid ground: Hardstanding with level areas beats a boggy field every time.
• Connectivity: Reliable Wi-Fi and good mobile reception are now non-negotiable.
• Family & pet-friendliness: Play areas, dog walks, and fenced zones make a big difference.
• Social touches: BBQ spots, fire pits, or communal lounges help build community.

Add an online booking system (ideally with app functionality), and you’re ticking all the modern motorhomer’s boxes.

WHAT TYPE OF PARK ARE YOU?
It’s worth considering your niche. There’s space for everyone in the motorhome market—but your park doesn’t have to appeal to everyone.

• Family parks: Offer excitement, entertainment and practical convenience.
• Adult-only parks: Promise peace, quiet and curated experiences.
• Eco-retreats: Cater to conscious travellers with natural, minimalist setups.
• Luxury resorts: Attract those who want the comforts of a hotel with the freedom of the road.

By defining your offer, you can attract the right kind of motorhome guest, and keep them coming back.

DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND
So, if your pitches are ready, your facilities welcoming and your park easy to find and book, you’re not just accommodating motorhome guests, you’re becoming part of their story.

In return, they’ll bring loyal custom, word- of-mouth buzz, and a whole lot of wheels to your gates! It’s time to open up your park and your thinking, to the power of the self-sufficient traveller.

Motorhome Trader
www.themotorhometrader.co.uk

TOP MARKS FOR UK CAMPSITE

Posted on February 15, 2023

TOP MARKS FOR UK CAMPSITE

AA caravan and camping award winners...

 

LEADING CAMPSITES AND CARAVAN PARKS in the UK have been confirmed and are featured in the AA Caravan and Camping Guide

 

The leading campsites and caravan parks in the UK have been confirmed and are featured in the AA Caravan and Camping Guide 2023, out now from AA Publishing. Amongst those celebrating is Silverdale Caravan Park in Lancashire, the AA Campsite of the Year for England and this year’s overall winner.

A rise in eco-friendly camping has shown holidaymakers are looking for environmentally friendly destinations. Camp Katur, winners of the AA Glamping Site of the Year, focuses on upcycling materials with fire pits created from washing machine drums and galvanised bucket washbasins.

Among the regional winners is Beaconsfield Holiday Park, winner of AA Campsite of the Year Heart of England, a purpose-built, family-run park on farmland in open countryside which offers quality in every area. Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media says: “With people spending their holidays in the UK and exploring the great British countryside, we are thrilled to celebrate the UK’s best campsites for 2022.

“This year’s winners have demonstrated outstanding quality, high levels of customer care and fantastic facilities which meet customers’ growing expectations. “With UK staycations continuing to prove popular among holidaymakers, the AA Caravan and Camping Guide offers an invaluable guide to holidaymakers choosing to stay in a tent, caravan, motorhome, or glamping site.

We hope this new guide inspires people who are set to embark on new journeys.” AA Media connects the UK with travel ideas and rated places to stay and visit. It includes AA Hotel & Hospitality Services, which rates and publishes information about the hospitality industry, including hotels, guest accommodation and restaurants.

They introduced the renowned star rating scheme for quality in 1908 and have inspected restaurants for the Rosette award since 1956. Ratedtrips.com showcases all AA-rated places to stay and visit, and they publish a well-established range of lifestyle publications such as their camping and restaurant guides.

 

MORE HOLIDAYMAKERS are looking for environmentally- friendly locations to pitch their tents and caravans.

 

BEST SELLER
Britain’s best-selling caravan and camping guide provides the very best places for people to take their tent, caravan, or motorhome across the UK. This guide enables travellers to discover over 580 sites from five Pennant premier parks to more affordable options. Now in its 55th edition; being in the guide means the sites have been professionally inspected by the AA’s highly experienced inspection team, it also features AA award-winning parks and.

Top sites with gold and platinum pennants across as well as AA’s Campsite of the year. The guide consistently sells year on year, which demonstrates a loyal readership. Just one or two bookings via the guide covers the outlay of the assessment fee. Inspectors look for best in class in any given region, where the owners and team have created a top-class experience within their site’s grading level.

All winners will feature in the 55th Edition of the AA Caravan & Camping Guide. All the destinations featured in the guide have been inspected and rated by AA professional inspectors, grading sites from one to five Pennants, based on their facilities and hospitality.

Each entry within the guide includes location, ratings, contact details, directions, prices, opening times, facilities, and a description to help holidaymakers select the right site for their needs. Mirroring the increasing popularity of luxury camping, this year’s winners include glamping facilities, including yurts, shepherd’s huts, and vintage caravans. The winners include a focus on family friendliness, eco-friendliness, fishing, best views and sites for lake lovers.

 

Farewell To Friend of Holiday Parks

Posted on January 9, 2020

Farewell To Friend of Holiday Parks

ABOVE: The inspirational David Bellamy has died at the age of 86.

The Conservation Foundation was greatly saddened to announce the death of Professor David Bellamy OBE, its co-founder and President in December. A passionate friend to the holiday park industry, he put his name to The David Bellamy Conservation Award Scheme -- one of the longest running green tourism awards in the UK. The idea behind the awards has been to celebrate what the best parks are doing for the British countryside and to encourage others to follow their lead. One of the first comments David made about the scheme remains true today: “My dream is to upgrade all caravan parks up to some sort of conservation status so that they can educate the visiting public and help them respect and care for the countryside. “Help the environment and choose a park that has one of my awards,” he urged as he continued to work in close partnership with the British Holiday & Home Parks Association. Last year, 570 holiday parks received a David Bellamy Conservation Award for the work they’ve done to protect and enhance Britain’s natural environment. From the creation of new wildlife meadows and woodlands to the construction of solar-powered shower blocks and energy efficient lodges made out of recycled plastic, the variety of work being done by these parks is outstanding. The parks that take part in the scheme are all regularly assessed by the scheme’s team of local wildlife experts. The assessors look at the steps parks are taking to:

• Manage their land as a haven for wildlife

• Reduce their use of energy, water and other resources

• Reduce, reuse and recycle the waste they produce

• Support their local communities.

The idea of the scheme was first sown when David Bellamy gave a talk to members of the camping, caravanning and holiday home park industry in which he gave the audience members a challenge to be part of the environmental solution and not part of the problem. David, who was 86 when he died, was then invited to visit many parks and was amazed at the wide range of work that the most forward-thinking owners were doing for the environment as mini nature reserves. Known for his distinctive gravelly voice, the botanist and broadcaster was a larger-than-life character who inspired a whole generation. He became a household name, as a scientist and conservationist and will continue to inspire the holiday park industry in his name.

Trethem Mill Celebrates A Golden Year

Posted on January 6, 2015

Trethem Mill Celebrates A Golden Year

trthem

The 2015 bar has been set high for Trethem Mill Touring Park after winning three separate gold awards last year.

Trethem Mill Touring Park is celebrating a highly successful year after completing a hat-trick of gold accolades.

Most recently, the Cornish park received the overall Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year title at the Cornwall Tourism Awards in November – the eighth occasion in the 13 years of the event that Trethem Mill has taken a gold award.

Last spring, the park was one of just a handful of caravan and camping parks in the UK chosen to receive the prestigious gold award given out by VisitEngland to its highest rated parks. Then, in autumn, botanist David Bellamy announced Trethem Mill as a winner of his Conservation Award at its top gold level.

Park owner Jane Akeroyd said that 2014 had been a whirlwind of a year for the park, both in terms of visitor numbers and the awards it has received: “By far the majority of our guests are now either repeat visitors, or people coming as a result of a recommendation, which helps create a lovely atmosphere on the park.

“Our latest Cornwall Tourism award is especially pleasing as it judges not just the quality of the park, but also the welcome and hospitality which is shown to holidaymakers.”

Jane added: “The bar has now been set pretty high for 2015, but we are determined to carry on simply making Trethem Mill the type of park to which everyone wants to return”.

Staycation Is Here To Stay

Posted on February 12, 2014

Staycation Is Here To Stay

Four in five Brits take a UK-based holiday every year.

Latest figures reveal the number of UK holidaymakers choosing a domestic break has remained at a steady 80 per cent since 2012 and looks set to continue.
Only one in five Brits still don’t consider staying in the UK for a holiday.
According to the poll by cottages4u, the most popular reason for holidaying at home is the affordability, closely followed by a desire to explore the British countryside. In third place is the ease of travelling with a further 17 per cent of people admitting hidden airline costs had put them off overseas travel in the past.
Of those questioned, 68 per cent said the Olympics and Jubilee celebrations hadn’t changed their opinion of the UK, suggesting our affection for the British break was already well established.