Exhibition Season Gets Underway

Posted on January 6, 2015

Exhibition Season Gets Underway

Tickets are on sale now for the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show, taking place from 17th – 22nd February 2015 at the NEC in Birmingham.

Thousands will be heading to the NEC in Birmingham in February, as the 2015 exhibition season gets underway with the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show.

Taking place from 17th – 22nd February, the show welcomes over 350 exhibitors offering the latest in caravans, motorhomes, campervans, tents, holiday homes and lodges, campsites, awnings and porches, all under one roof.

Organised by NCC Events, a wholly owned subsidiary of industry trade body the National Caravan Council, and supported by The Caravan Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club the show is the best place to see what is in store for the 2015 holiday season.

This year’s show will also feature a host of well-known personalities with a love of the great outdoors, including TV’s wilderness bushcraft expert Ray Mears and Olympic champion Sally Gunnell. Both will speak about their passions and undertake audience Q&A’s in the Experts’ Theatre.

NCC Events managing director Andrew Whalley said: “If anyone wants to find out more about holidaying in the great outdoors with their family they need to come to the NEC in February.

“Not only do we have a huge array of products on show that facilitate adventure, we’ve got features and speakers that will also inspire visitors to go camping and caravanning in 2015.”

Advanced tickets start from £7, kids go free, and free parking is available.

Hurst Family Hits The Road

Posted on November 28, 2014

David Hurst and his family have set off on a Face2Facebook journey across Europe, supported by the Camping & Caravanning Club.

Hurst Family Hits The Road

A young family has embarked on a three month motorhome adventure across Europe to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

David Hurst, his wife Debs, sons Daniel and Darley aged 5 and 3 and dog Colin, embarked on their ‘Face2Facebook’ journey in October and will be visiting some of their close family and friends, meeting them face-to-face, rather than through a computer screen.

Supported by the Camping and Caravanning Club, the family will be staying at various caravan and Camping in the Forest sites before heading across the Channel to continue their trip in France, Germany, Holland, Spain and Switzerland.

The trip was brought to life after the family discovered the joys of motorhoming on a recent trip to Spain. Since then, the Hursts have downsized their home, delayed their son Daniel’s start at school, and bought a new Swift Escape 696 motorhome for their adventure.

David Hurst said: “The most important things in life are not things at all, but family and friends. Yet we were taken aback when we realised how many of our family and friends we hadn’t actually seen for years. While Facebook is fantastic for staying in touch, it can veil how infrequently many of us truly see those we love.”

Taking The Plunge

Posted on November 28, 2014

Having their own hot tub is often the highlight of a holiday break for many guests. Pic Master Spas

Taking The Plunge

There is something rather decadent about lying back in an al fresco hot tub with just the gentle bubble of warm water to break the silence – don’t knock it until you have tried it.

Appealing to families as well as couples, for many holiday makers, having their own hot tub is the highlight of their break. Perfect any time of the year, hot tubs are especially indulgent when it is cold outside so add to the lure of an autumn or winter holiday offering.

For holiday park operators, adding a hot tub is an opportunity to enhance visitor appeal and to add a premium to the letting price of the accommodation. Switched on holiday sector marketeers are cashing in on the popular trend with a host of websites and on-line marketing offers, highlighting the added attraction of a holiday hot tub.

The Management of Spa Pools booklet insists that a hot tub in a commercial environment needs to have a continuous chemical feeder built into the spa
to continuously treat it with disinfectant.

Hoseasons is among them, currently offering more than 750 holiday options with a hot tub. On-line searches of holiday accommodation with hot tubs spring up a multitude of websites such as www.hottubholiday.co.uk and www.forestholidays.co.uk all majoring on hot tubs as an added attraction. Potentially profitable, there are however, many pitfalls to avoid before taking the plunge and adding a hot tub to your holiday offering.

Shrewd operators and owners will look before they leap when it comes to showing duty of care not to mention doing the necessary sums to ensure a profitable bottom line.

“The best advice I can give holiday operators is to keep it simple and only invest in hot tubs if they can provide or include service, within a daily maintenance routine, to ensure safe water and correct settings,” advises Stephen Weller, of Master Spas, one of the UK’s longest serving suppliers.

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