Caravan Club

Cooler Months Still Packed With Appeal

Posted on October 31, 2019

Cooler Months Still Packed With Appeal

ABOVE, The Caravan and Motorhome club report bookings for autumn and winter are up by seven percent

Caravan and Motorhome Club members are continuing to embrace autumn and winter touring proving that caravanning and motorhomes are great holiday options no matter what time of year. Bookings for autumn and winter 2018 to 2019 were up seven per cent compared to the 2017 to 2018 season, and feedback from the Club’s recent social media polls show that its members think there is much to love about touring during the cooler and quieter months. Some 26 per cent of Club members questioned said they enjoyed the autumn colours and 22 per cent loved long walks on crisp bright days, with 35 per cent enjoying the quieter sites and attractions out of season. Nearly 20 per cent travelled out of season to appreciate the sheer beauty of the seasonal landscape. The resounding sentiment was that whilst members want to get out walking and visiting local attractions, many also love the warm and cosy feeling of being in their campervan, caravan or motorhome over the autumn and winter months, whatever the weather might throw at them.

Harvey Alexander, director of marketing for the Caravan and Motorhome Club, said: “Our members are an active and adventurous bunch so it’s no surprise that so many of them enjoy touring during autumn and winter, and we are striving to keep more and more of our sites open out of season to keep up with the demand. “It’s great to hear how our members all get away their way – whether that be curling up with a good book and a nice cuppa in a cosy motorhome or braving the chill and camping in a national park so they can spend the days walking and cycling. “I’ve especially enjoyed hearing the tips that our members have for getting away in the cooler months, not just the practicalities of being prepared, but the lovely feeling they have of being safe and warm inside their leisure vehicles and benefitting from the great facilities we have on our sites.” NEW SITE Meanwhile, work to develop a new campsite in the popular Sherwood Pines forest in Nottinghamshire will continue throughout the winter and spring, ahead of a planned opening during the 2020. The campsite will be run and managed by Camping in the Forest, a partnership between The Camping and Caravanning Club and Forestry England. It will span 20 acres of Forestry England woodland and brings the total number of Camping in the Forest Sites to 16 across England and Scotland.

True Value of UK Holiday Park Sector

Posted on March 23, 2018

True Value Of UK Holiday Park Sector

A similar survey in Scotland put the gross holiday park visitor expenditure at £700 million

A similar survey in Scotland put the gross holiday park visitor expenditure at £700 million

The leading players in the holiday park sector are banking on the support of holiday park operators with a major study into the value of the holiday-park sector to the UK economy. This is the first time that such a survey has been undertaken and it follows the study done in Scotland in 2014, which revealed just how important the sector is; the gross visitor expenditure was £700 million and the gross FTE (full-time equivalent) jobs were 13,000. The report was invaluable to parkowners in Scotland because it enabled them to support planning and funding applications with hard facts and, in general terms, the report was used to lobby the Scottish Government, local authorities and VisitScotland. The BH&HPA, the Caravan and Motorhome Club, the Camping and Caravanning Club, and the National Caravan Council have formed a working group, the Economic Impact Research Group (EIRG) and engaged Frontline Consultants to undertake the research in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland during 2018, with the aim of publishing the report at the end of the year.

• Park-Owners and Operators, will be surveyed online between March and April to ascertain their expenditure on wages, maintenance, capital investment, etc, via an online questionnaire. A small, but representative, number of park-owners will be invited to undertake a more detailed survey by telephone. Parkowners will be contacted by email or telephone by Frontline Consultants .

• Visitors, who will be asked to complete an online survey between Easter and the end of September, in order to ascertain their spend, both on the park and in the local area, length of stay, kind of accommodation used, etc. The EIRG will seek your help to publicise the survey via your website and newsletters and at reception.

Without the participation of parkowners it will be difficult for the EIRG to get robust data and the funding organisations would be grateful if you could give your active support. On behalf of the EIRG, Nick Lomas, Director General, Caravan and Motorhome Club, said: “Committing to this major survey not only demonstrates our enthusiasm in working together for the benefit of the sector, but, importantly, the survey will generate some powerful, robust evidence which will help parks and organisations across the country.”

The report will establish the value of the holiday-park sector to the UK economy, enable comparisons to be made across the four countries, and provide statistics covering various categories, e.g. by area and by type of accommodation. The resulting report will be immensely important to the sector, especially as such a survey has not been done before and it will therefore establish a benchmark as well as identify the overall economic value. In Scotland, the overall profile of the sector was raised in both the public and private sectors, with key organisations and decision-makers being sent a copy of the report and publicity in the national media. The EIRG will ensure that the report is put into the hands of relevant key organisations across the UK. And, of course, you will be able to access the full report for your own information and use.

Family Values at Dornafield Caravan Park

Posted on June 26, 2015

The environment is a top priority for the park and it has earned a David Bellamy Conservation award at gold level since 2000.

Above: The environment is a top priority for the park and it has earned a David Bellamy Conservation award at gold level since 2000.

Family Values at Dornafield Caravan Park

Traditional family values have proven to be a winning formula for Dornafield Caravan Park in Devon.

Park owner Peter Dewhirst, who with his wife Tina, first started welcoming visitors to the former farm over 30 years ago.

Today Peter, aged 83, is helped in the day-to-day running of the business by his son Simon and daughter-in-law Linda. Situated on the doorstep of the English Riviera and Dartmoor, the multi award-winning Dornafield Caravan Park attracts thousands of visitors each year.

“Our close knit team of nine staff work tirelessly throughout the season to produce a charming and desirable holiday experience for our loyal customers,” comments Peter. “We value all of our visitors and pride ourselves on our friendly and helpful manner. This is one of the many reasons why we believe visitors come back year after year.”

Having held the prestigious AA 5-Pennant rating for 24 years and the current 5 Gold Pennant rating since its introduction three years ago, Dornafield is well-known for its pristinely landscaped grounds and first-class facilities. The focal point of the site is 13th century Devon long House which dates from 1238, just after Magna Carta and is Grade II listed. The farmyard is the park’s central hub and is the setting for barbecues and Morris dancing throughout the summer season and the surrounding farm buildings have been turned into a shop, games room and tourist information point.

The Dornafield team has supported Breast Cancer Campaign’s ‘Wear It Pink’ day for the last seven years, which has raised over £1,500.

Above: The Dornafield team has supported Breast Cancer Campaign’s ‘Wear It Pink’ day for the last seven years, which has raised over £1,500.

The 30 acre park is divided into three separate areas; the Orchard, the Buttermeadow and Blackrock Copse. The Orchard comprises of 16 grass tent pitches and is ideal for families with young children as it is enclosed by old walls and hedges. The Buttermeadow has been specially landscaped to provide spacious, level pitches which are all served by luxury toilet and shower facilities. Meanwhile Blackrock Copse is designed to offer the ultimate caravanning experience with 60 deluxe pitches complemented by the climate-controlled facilities building with heated flooring.

“We drew on our 18 years’ experience with Buttermeadow when we created Blackrock Copse and the unashamedly up-market development continues to be a talking point for many of our guests,” says Peter. “We are proud to have been Caravan Club affiliated for 23 years, so all Club members can be assured that the high standards they expect from Club Sites are more than met at Dornafield.”

The environment is also a top priority for the park and it has earned a David Bellamy Conservation award at gold level since 2000.

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