HAVEN CONTINUES UK INVESTMENT

Posted on February 15, 2022

HAVEN CONTINUES UK INVESTMENT

HAVEN ARE MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE at the Allhallows Holiday Park near Rochester.

Haven has announced a huge investment in its Allhallows Holiday Park near Rochester creating top drawer venues for both activities and entertainment.
Expanding on the Park of the Future project first introduced in 2019, Haven is now taking this concept to Allhallows creating both a new Adventure Village and Marina Bar and Stage.
The Adventure Village will provide a host of thrill seeking fun for the youngest and oldest of holidaymakers. The Adventure Village will have a host of other activities from the Multi Use Games Area to Kart and Bike hire as well as sand play and outdoor play areas. And if you’re bringing your four- legged friend on holiday they can run of some extra steam in the Bark Yard.
A new standalone building, the Marina Bar and outdoor stage, will provide a state-of-the-art venue that can accommodate 920 guests providing more opportunities for guests to enjoy a range of day and night entertainment.
“The new developments are such an exciting development to the park,” says John Coltman, General Manager at Allhallows Holiday Park. “With the work over the next few months bringing us both a new Adventure Village and a Marina Bar and Stage, we will have something to offer all our guests and owners and having seen the work at other parks it really will be something that is quite unique to the area.
The Adventure Village will be completed ready for Spring 2022 whilst the Marina Bar and Stage will be open in Autumn 2022.

ENGINE ROOMS – HOLIDAY POOL LOCATIONS

Posted on August 6, 2021

ENGINE ROOMS - HOLIDAY POOL LOCATIONS

THE PICKAQUOY CENTRE Trust offer the complete swimming package for campers making the long trip to Orkney.

Plant rooms are the power houses behind top holiday park pools...

It may be the shots of happy swimmers that fill the glossy advertisements but the real heroes of our holiday park pools are hidden behind the scenes. Packed with automatically controlled, and remotely monitored, water and air quality technology, today’s modern plant rooms are almost a match for a NASA flight deck. A hidden technological treasure trove beneath the pool surface, the vital role of the plant room should never be underestimated. Combining the iconic Butlins, Haven and Warner brands, the mighty Bourne Leisure has been undertaking a £3.5m upgrade of its swimming pool plant rooms. “By the very nature of the beast, many holiday location swimming pools are 30 to 50 years old,” points out Craig Valentine, Bourne’s Regional Health & Safety Manager. “A lot of pool equipment is inherited and, of course, you inherit the problems that go with them. “A future-proof wish list would need a budget between £16 – 20m which we cannot do in one hit so we spread it over several years.” Temporarily halted by the pandemic, Bourne’s current investment programme has included remedial work on 16 of its pools with upgrades planned on 17 more pools next year. Craig says: “We identified our worse performing pools and worked our way up the list to generally raise the bar across the swimming pool stock.”

POOL UPGRADES
Phase one of those upgrades has involved installations of UV water treatment equipment, sand filter changes and the additional of updated chemical controllers. Phase Two will concentrate on updating pipework. Craig explains: “Some were performing at circulation rates of four to five hour turnover and have now been switched to 1.5 hours to two hours which enables us to not only comply with industry guidance but to keep the pools open for longer.” A significant plug of £300k has been invested in leak detection, halting water wastage on a few badly performing pools. “Some people forget about the plant room which is the engine room of the swimming pool, because it is covered up; out of sight and out of mind. “Instead they concentrate on the aesthetics -- but really you have to get the equipment right before you think about the design, because that keeps the swimming pool running efficiently,” he continues. “Generally, the industry has an issue with pool plant sizes,” says Craig. “Sometimes, rather than throw good money after bad; it requires a major strategic rethink in order to tackle plant room issues.” Craig advises choosing equipment that is fit for purpose with improved eco- performance, using less chlorine and less water as well. “Make sure, if you buy new equipment, that it is compatible with what other equipment and don’t just go for salesmen speak,” advises Craig. “Look at new things coming up and try to minimise your chemical handlin,” he adds. “Look for alternatives such as salt chlorination,” he adds. With no laws, regulations or British Standard concerning swimming pool water, it is not always obvious how to demonstrate to customers and staff that you pool is fit for purpose. A free online Code of Practice that codifies the information in the authoritative book Swimming Pool Water published by the Pool Water Advisory Group. (PWTAG). The publication provides pool operators with a structured plan for the technical operation of their pool.

PEACE OF MIND
It makes sense to follow the PWTAG guidance because, if anything does go wrong at the pool, you will be able to demonstrate - in court if necessary – that you were following the best available guidelines.Without this protection, you are vulnerable. It is incumbent on everyone involved in the provision of holiday packages and accommodation to ensure that pools and spas at their destinations are fit for purpose. “We use PWTAG as guidance setters but I get frustrated at people quoting the law at us.” Craig points out. “If you have robust system; good testing; good plant policy and an emergency action plan then you can prove you are adopting best practice.” Craig has worked with Bourne Leisure for 33 years including in his present role for 21 years. “We learned some lessons through restricted pool use during Covid,” Craig reveals. “We understood that some people like to have a structured day and want to know when they are going to swimming and for how long while others want a more relaxed approach. “The pools have not been the problems but the changing facilities. “Getting the guests in the pool and spreading them by 2m in changing rooms – that by their very nature are confined spaces has resulted in a lot more labour, sanitising and ultimately asking people to arrive swim-ready.

BIOMETRIC CONTROL
When it comes to swimming pools, there are plenty of examples of good practice around the UK’s holiday parks. Completed in 2019, the swimming pool at Seldons Golden Gate Holiday Centre, in North Wales, is used by holiday home owners and holiday makers. Consideration for the build included environmental impact, aesthetic appeal and user experience. The pool hall is an energetic space with high ceilings, a glass facade and clean lines. Sub-floor ventilation voids omit the need for an overhead ventilation infrastructure and provide advanced energy efficient climate control including pool water heating. The pool timetable includes owner- only, adult-only and family swim sessions, along with a lively programme of activities including Water-Walkerz, Water-Peddlerz, RC Watercraft, pool parties and swimming lessons. A bespoke booking system provides customers with the control to use the facility to best suit their requirements. A ‘state of the art’ chemical dosing system ensures water quality is optimal at all times. The integrated Spa areas allow adults to relax and unwind using a variety of bubble stations and high pressure jets. An integrated children’s pool accommodates safe play incorporating a huge mushroom fountain whilst being at the heart of the pool hall. The pool and changing village access is biometrically controlled allowing ‘real time’ information of users, identify booking trends and peak user times and ensures only pool users are granted access.

HAFAN Y MÃR’S Splashaway Bay pool is the largest in North Wales.

RACING SLIDES
Complete with parachuting penguins, three, 100m flumes and a four-lane racing slide the Hafan y Mar Holiday Park’s Splashaway Bay swimming pool has benefited from a major upgrade. The £3.1m investment included the addition of a new toddler pool, multi-lane swimming pool and food outlet. The wave pool, rapids, main pool slides and flumes were all refurbished, as well as introducing additional fun filled water features. The Lady’s Mile Holiday Park in Dawlish, Devon, removed the old boiler system on its swimming pool and replaced it with brand new eco-boilers. They added new energy efficient pool covers fitted to maintain the temperature of the pool, which in turn reduces energy consumption. They have also purchased a pool hoist, allowing customers with mobility issues to gain access to our pool. Regularly investments in your water features, especially the plant equipment, will ensure your holiday park pool remains the jewel in your visitor crown.

INSERT COIN HERE

Posted on May 5, 2021

INSERT COIN HERE

YEAR-ROUND WINNERS, arcade-based games offer multi-generational appeal.

On-site strategies for added income revenue...

On-site activities can mean the make or break for keeping the punters spending, both indoors and outdoors. Whether it is a soft play zone or an under-cover sit ‘n ride track, parks and resorts that offer thoughtful on-site entertainment are sure to stand out from the crowd. We are approaching the centenary anniversary of the creation of amusement arcades. Having totally outgrown their ‘penny arcade’ nickname, coin-operated machines have matured into a valuable added income stream that only the foolish would ignore. While penny fall coin-pushers, fruit machines and crane claw cabinets have stood the test of time, others, such as pinball machines and air hockey tables have made way for video-based games that can offer everything from Formula One motor racing experiences to the adrenalin rush of combat zone warfare. First introduced in the 1980s, top performing video games like Donkey Kong were still crowd-pleasers at a recent Haven stay as youngsters queued to compete in the weekly resort tournament.

VIDEO GAMES
Arcades tend to be crowded spaces filled with the roar of engines, gunfire and dozens of surging music tracks. People gather around to watch the top players vie for leaderboard positions. Spot the health and safety elephant in the room. Covid has put arcades under intense compliance pressure in the face of the pandemic. Controlling visitor numbers, regular wipe-downs, hand sanitisers and masks, have all become a regular routine that for some, has failed to pass the risk-assessment test, with many simply putting up the temporarily closed barriers. May 17th is the date that should see the arcade curtains raised. Don’t be caught diary watching though. Use the time wisely to refresh your thinking on arcades by planning the layout of your offerings. Remember ‘change’ machines are essential to keep the coins flowing while a couple of strategically placed vending machines, offering soft drinks and snacks, all add to the return on investment potential. A redemption counter, with a wide range of prizes to be exchanged for tickets won on the games, could be a focal point although, in reality, is often shoved to the back of the arcade room.
Holiday Park operators can either buy the games, or can lease machines on a time-limited basis, to ensure the arcade’s appeal is frequently refreshed. Others go the whole hog by bringing in specialists to operate their games room as a complete turnkey solution, picking the games, putting them on site and managing the arcade on a profit-share basis.

GAMES LIKE THE COIN-PUSHER penny falls have stood the test of time.

BUY VS LEASE
Launched in 1985, B.R. Leisure is the UK’s longest established, leading suppliers of licensed coin-operated kiddie rides, vending and amusement machines. A family-run business based in East Sussex, the company prides itself on a wide range of quality interactive entertainment machines available on a profit share or buy basis. “Offering exceptional service, we oversee everything from installation to maintenance,” says BR’s Brian Riley. “All customers have to do is supply a power socket and then sit back and watch their turnover increase,” Brian adds. “We work with shopping centres, amusement parks, family attractions, play centres, property developments, holiday parks and resorts all over the UK.” Over the last few decades, coin- operated kiddie rides have been constantly evolving and new machines are being produced all the time to keep up with the latest child obsession. From Postman Pat to Bob The Builder.

PRESS REFRESH
Machines can be rotated and replaced regularly to maintain children’s engagement as well as appeal to different age groups. Alternatively, BR Leisure offer a range of new and used machines and equipment available to buy from carousels to kiddie rides and from vending to amusement machines. “There are many benefits that coin- operated kiddie rides can have to your business, including an additional avenue of revenue and over time an increase in your profit,” says Brian. “However, there is so much more that kiddie rides and entertainment platforms can offer to your venue, and more importantly your customer,” he points out. “Once customers have inserted a coin, they have ‘invested’ in the machine and want to get their money’s worth. “They will stay for the duration of the whole ride, from start to finish, all whilst keeping the customer in your venue for longer.” World of Rides, the UK’s longest established family-owned manufacturer and distributor of children’s rides celebrated their 50th Anniversary during 2019. In addition to their world-beating 72 model range of 12v and 24v battery rides, they are also long-established UK manufacturers and distributors for many other award-winning themed ranges of 240v static children’s rides and games too with six new models already in pre-production development, largely due to the high demand from holiday park operators.
World of Rides are also the UK’s leading source of turnkey themed battery ride attractions for holiday parks, such as pollution free ‘parent and child’ Bumper Boat Aqua-Ball Pools, Bumper Car Tracks and Bumper-Ball Pitches, Go-Kart Tracks and Outlander- Adventure Trails, as well as full Driving Schools and a complete children’s play park and custom rides design service… to ensure family fun For everyone’ after the pandemic. Further to the Government’s ‘road map’ post-pandemic, the UK’s leading holiday park and holiday resort operators have already been drawing up their plans for reopening. Andrew Robinson, World Of Rides Sales Manager comments: “Always thinking ahead, holiday parks have been placing their orders since last winter for pollution-free battery rides in their parks, knowing that however short the season turns out to be for 2021, their attractions will almost certainly still achieve pay-back plus a profit, based upon their past-experience ofWorld of Rides’ hugely popular and profitable attractions. “The days of putting only one or two old battery rides on a track are now thankfully long gone,” says Andrew. “Especially as visitors demand shorter queuing times and the excitement of an unforgettable, fully interactive and highly competitive experience.”

SUITABLE FOR INDOORS OR OUTDOORS, go karts offer long-term appeal and revenue earners. Pic.World Of Rides

WISH LISTS
As a result, they have constantly remained high on the wish-lists of many of the leading holiday park operators with many of whom still claiming that their existing attractions fromWorld of Rides are still their top earners. “All UK holiday parks will need to be placing their orders in the coming weeks, not months,” advises Andrew. He adds: “Whilst our delivery timescales still-remain achievable at around five weeks, in order to beat the even longer delivery timescales, already being forecast throughout the whole of our industry, due to the unprecedented demand for high quality and environmentally friendly attractions to offer to their visitors.” Because of the enforced Lockdowns, The Bank of England have predicted the public have amassed savings of between £150 and £250 billion pounds. Much of that cash will be splashed on their leisure pursuits. Return on investment will be a rich reward for those who invest wisely in their weatherproof entertainment attractions.

Company Contacts:

BR Leisure
www.brleisure.com

World of Rides
www.worldofrides.com

Owners Only

Posted on July 2, 2019

Owners Only

Set in 40 acres of beautiful East Yorkshire countryside, the multi awardwinning Patrington Haven Leisure Park is celebrating its 35th anniversary by engaging with its customers and the local community. Founded by Graham Sparkes in 1984 on a disused RAF base near the East Yorkshire coast, after he sold his caravan-building business, the site is now run by Graham’s son, Guy Sparkes, his wife Karen and their extended family, who have grown the team from 35 employees, five years ago, to more than 70 today.

With a growth in turnover from £2.7m in 2014 to £5.6m last year, the owners-only park close to the Holderness coast is forecasting £6m in revenue for 2019 and is experiencing its highest ever occupancy rates, with just 15 of 485 plots currently free. Patrington Haven Leisure Park sells a wide range of quality new and used holiday homes, with customers enjoying a choice of their own private garden plot with designated parking. Holiday homes currently available range in price from £14,995 to £69,000. After investing £5.5m in the leisure park’s Country Club and infrastructure over the past five years, the business is continuing to push forward with new services for its owners and visitors and to reach out to the local community.

Significant investments have been made in Guy’s Café Bar and Restaurant, new technology in the state-of-the-art gym, and three new vans for the maintenance team, which have helped to improve rubbish collections and the upkeep of caravans. In addition, the business has invested thousands of pounds in a rubbish compactor, which has ensured not a single piece of commercial waste has gone to landfill since it was installed, and launched The Spa at the Country Club, providing luxury health and beauty treatments to caravan owners and the local community. A takeaway delivery service offering food from the park’s restaurant menu has also been set up to operate within a seven-mile radius, delivering everything from pizza to fish and chips, romantic meals for two and family feasts, as well as an alcohol delivery service, to caravans on site and local homes, with orders taken via the Just Eat service and delivered by two new vans. Meanwhile, an innovative, free mobile phone app has been launched to communicate with people on and off the park, with options for them to choose the news and notifications they receive, and a new website is due to launch this summer. Managing Director Guy Sparkes firmly believes the park’s committed team and loyal customers are the foundations of its success. Guy said: “We’ve seen a really strong five-year growth period and I put that down to belief, supporting the team and allowing them to be in charge of their own destinies.

SIMPLY THE BEST
“A leisure park is only as good as its owners and its guests and we have some of the best. Our main aim is for all our customers to be proud of our team and our team to be proud of our customers. “I can’t say it’s like coming to work here. It has various pressures, but at the same time, you’re coming in to collaborate with people who believe in the same things. When you have shared beliefs, you can achieve anything.” The park has been awarded the Remarkable Holiday Park/Holiday Village Award in the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards (REYTAs) for the past three years, racking up the latest win in March. It also received the Visit England Gold Award for exceptional quality of accommodation and customer service 2018/2019. The success is based on creating a home away from home environment for owners and making the leisure park a hub for the local community. Although the pool and gym require membership, appointments at the Elemis spa can be booked and the restaurant, bar and other facilities are open to everyone all year round. The leisure park draws its customers from across Yorkshire, the M62 corridor and the Midlands and enjoys remarkable loyalty, with the longestserving caravan owners having called Patrington Haven their home away from home for more than 20 years. Andy and Kerry Naylor live in nearby Hedon and have owned a caravan on the park for four years, regularly staying in their current Willerby Vogue with their cocker spaniels, Charlie and Rosie. Mr Naylor, 57, said: “This is the third caravan we have had on the site. It’s like home away from home. “As well as my family, I bring work colleagues and engineers I know through my business to stay in the lodges and they all love it. “We like the takeaway service too. They’ve got it right with good chefs, and you can order online through Just Eat.” Eric and Linda Thompson, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, first bought on the park in 2003 and have owned three caravans during that time, including their current Winchester model. Mrs Thompson, 66, said: “We came to look at Patrington Haven one Saturday morning and we loved it straight away, so we bought our first caravan on the same day. “The plots all have their own gardens and it’s a very healthy environment. I walk, as well as swim, most days. The people are lovely and it’s like a small village. We’ve made friends here and everyone looks out for each other. “The park is family-run and that family feel is reflected in everything. We really feel part of that," she adds.

LOVE MATTERS
Retired couple Keith and Denise Wright bought their first Willerby Vogue caravan on the park last month, going ahead with the sale within 24 hours of arriving and falling in love with the surroundings. Originally from Manchester, they have owned a narrowboat for the past nine years and Mrs Wright said she is pleased to have found an ideal holiday home for their two children and five grandchildren to visit at various points throughout the year. Mrs Wright, 66, said: “We thought we’d go to lots of different sites to see what was available, but we never went anywhere else. “The staff took us round and we fell in love with it. When you need anything, someone is there straight away and nothing is too much trouble. There is such a lot going on for all ages and the park has a really nice feel about it. “Everyone has been so friendly here and made us feel so welcome. The park is really well cared for and has such pleasant surroundings.”

At A Glance

• The park operates an 11-month season for owners t o enjoy, but its five-star facilities are open all year round.
• Every holiday home comes with its own private garden.
• Guy’s Café Bar and Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and a superb Sunday carvery.
• The Country Club and Pool, which is open from 6.30am, 364 days of the year.
• The Spa open daily and offers a wide range of treatments using only the very best Elemis products.
• A well-stocked fishing lake
• A jam-packed events programme, from the all-day music extravaganza, Patfest, to the exclusive Owner’s Select private dinner.

Patrington Haven Leisure Park
Tel: 01964 630 071
www.patrington-haven.co.uk

No Quick Fix

Posted on September 11, 2018

No Quick Fix

I will start with a confession. Wisper it quietly, but there is no ‘quick fix’ that will instantly fill your holiday park with customers, especially in the quieter months. That magic button for your website – the one that will send bookings through the roof is, well, I’m afraid just a myth…
So, it’s time for a reality check. The only way to ensure your park is best placed to turn those clicks and enquiries into bookings and sales is to have a proper strategy in place. It can be really frustrating to see large volumes of traffic coming to your website but so few of those continuing to book their holidays. Abandoned bookings and poor conversions rates are an obvious sign that all is not well somewhere in the online booking process.

JIGSAW PIECES

Whether you own a large group of holiday parks or you’re just starting out with a few touring pitches, your online booking platform is arguably the most important piece of the jigsaw. You can spend thousands of pounds per month on marketing but, if it’s all let down by a process that inhibits the booking process then you’re wasting all your hard-earned cash. Online booking systems vary greatly from one another - and the most expensive one may not necessarily be the best for your park. You need a system that not only fulfils your requirements from a park management perspective but is, crucially, easy for your customers to navigate and book online.

It is too easy to forget the customer booking journey with parks too often spending more time focusing on the back-office functionality of an online booking system. But these online booking steps are, potentially, far more important than whether the system can produce all your different financial reports. Most systems (but not all) on the market will come with a set of online booking steps that will be the link between your website and booking system. It is crucial that you choose a system that has booking steps that are clear, straightforward and easily navigable for your customers.Why not take the journey yourself, as a customer would (we recommend trying this on a mobile too). If you find yourself getting frustrated then multiply this by the average number of people who visit your website and you’ll soon see why so many people abandon their bookings.

GDPR COMPLIANCE

hate to be the bearer of bad news but complying with GDPR wasn’t just sending out a few re-subscribe emails to your database at the end of May. It’s fair to say that it’s had (and will continue to have) a big impact on the holiday park industry. One thing’s for sure – it’s already had a big impact on the online booking sector, with many changes having been made to systems to comply as best they can with the new regulations. A cornerstone element of GDPR is customer data. Your online booking system is, potentially, storing thousands of customer records, accounts and, in some cases, payment details too.

Do you know for sure where all that customer data is? Is it stored directly on the computer in your office – and is this vulnerable to hackers? Or is the data stored in the cloud? Is it encrypted to the highest level? Are your online booking steps collecting marketing information even from those who don’t complete a booking? If so, what’s being done with all that data? All these are vitally important questions you should ask your current provider or ask yourself before changing to a new system as you will be liable, should the worst happen.If your online booking is the final part of the jigsaw, then getting your customers into that booking process, is the first. How do you attract the right sort of customer to your park to begin with?
Before you commit to spending hundreds or thousands of pounds per month on a Google AdWords PPC campaign or such like you need to ask yourself one fundamental question – who are your customers? How old are they? Where do they live? What interests do they have? What do they spend on an average holiday? Once you have a clear idea of the people you’re targeting then you’re more likely to achieve the desired result. Depending on the sort of customer you’re targeting, your marketing can be grouped into various activities, including your website, email, social media, pay per click (PPC) or printed media. All of this will filter back to the online booking process.

KEY WORDS

A good website that’s well optimised for all the relevant keywords is certainly a good start and will be integral for just about everything you do but it will not, necessarily, be the huge driver of traffic on its own, that it once was. Things are ever-changing in the world of the web and the level of competition has gone from stiff to fierce, especially in popular holiday destinations such as the South West of England.

That being said, there are some key things to consider with your current website to help it work best for you:

• Does it stand out from the crowd? Does it have a ‘wow’ factor?
• Is it quick and easy to use on a mobile device?
• Do the images properly showcase your setting and accommodation range?
• Are your CTAs (calls to action) clear and consistent – ‘book now’ ‘check prices & availability’ ‘call now’

How much do you spend on your marketing and what sort of Return on Investment (ROI) are you getting? Do you know? If the answer to this last question is a resounding ‘no’ then it’s time to take stock of your current activity…and think again. If, for whatever reason, you are not able to apportion revenue against your marketing then you are working with one hand behind your back.

MEASURE SUCCESS

E-commerce tracking really is the cornerstone of measuring a campaign’s success, whether it be a promotional email or a Google AdWords campaign. Without this knowledge it’s almost impossible to know if what you’re doing is right. So many people are obsessed with the volume of clicks and traffic that a campaign sends to their website but this can often be very misleading. Always think – quality over quantity! You’re aiming for ‘qualified’ clicks; those that come from an audience who are in-tune and interested in your product, not those who may have clicked your banner ad by mistake. To this end, your external marketing should follow the same premise. As mentioned, know your audience and aim your marketing at this focused bunch of people, don’t waste your time and money on a scattergun approach because it simply won’t work.

Pitched
Tel. 01726 418118
Pitched.co.uk

Holiday Snaps From Gary Molloy

Posted on September 11, 2018

Holiday Snaps From Gary Molloy

What was your career path into the industry?

Leaving school at the age of 15, I undertook an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering and tool-making before moving to Portugal to sell properties. On my return to the UK, I joined the Haven sales team for eight years, until . I felt I’d gained enough industry knowhow and confidence to go it alone. In 1997, I set up my own company, Park Leisure 2000 Ltd. It’s amazing to think that I started the business from my spare bedroom and ended up selling it 20 years later when we were operating 12 5-star parks and employing more than 350 people across the UK.

What is your current role in the industry?

I set up Leisure Resorts in May 2017. Just over a year later and we have three parks in operation with a fourth scheduled to join the Leisure Resorts portfolio later this year. My mission is to develop Leisure Resorts into a small but perfectly formed group that will concentrate on delivering the very best that the industry has to offer.

How has the market changed during your time in the industry?

As customers’ expectations have increased, the market has listened and adapted. Holiday homes now offer an incredible range of options to suit every taste and budget. Located across the UK in the most desirable and picturesque locations they offer spacious accommodation within easy access of fun things to do, whether you’re eight or 80.

How do you predict things will change in the next five to ten years?

Holiday home manufacturers are producing some amazing designs and it’s great to see how far they’ve come and what they’re planning next. The ‘staycation’ is certainly helping our industry and I expect this trend to continue. As more private equity money enters the market, I see the holiday park market going from strength to strength, particularly as the UK is constantly improving its position as a world-leading tourism destination.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your working life?

The biggest challenge is staying ahead of the competition - the better we get, the better they do. What is the best piece of business advice you have been given? I have two pieces of advice that have always been important to me. One, never ask anybody to do something you wouldn’t be prepared to do yourself. Two, always pay suppliers on time and if you have the cash to hand, pay them early.

How do you most like to spend your time out of working hours?

Family and friends are, and always will be, the most import thing to me. Work commitments often make it hard to spend as much time with them as I’d like, but I ensure I make the most of the time we do have. I am also a huge Manchester United fan and have followed them through thick and thin ever since I was a little boy in the early 70’s.

If we could give you three guests, who would you most like to sit down to dinner with and why?

My first would be Margaret Thatcher. Love her or loathe her, a truly amazing lady. As a Manchester United fan, how could I not invite Sir Alex Ferguson? In my opinion, the greatest sporting team leader of all time. My final choice would be Carl Pilkington, The Idiot Abroad. He just doesn’t realise how funny he is.

Where do you prefer to take your holidays?

If I am staying in the UK, there’s no better place than the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. I guess it’s my love for these places that has heavily influenced the locations of our Leisure Resorts’ sites.

The Fun Factor

Posted on July 10, 2018

The Fun Factor - Water Play

Think swimming, then think fun, with water leisure attractions one of the biggest draws for the modern holiday park destination.
Consistently one of the top holiday choice markers, a resort that offers the additional splash appeal, will reap the rewards, with not only a booking but those all-important repeat bookings. “More and more facilities are looking for resorts that offer more than just a pool,” explains Simon Smith of World Leisure. “Knowing how crucial it is to customer appeal, pools should be offering so much more than a basic swim,” he emphasises. World Leisure recently completed a £1.5m overhaul of the swimming pool facilities at Ribby Hall Village Holiday Park in Lancashire. Last December Ribby Hall won an unprecedented four Gold Awards at the UK Pool & Spa Awards. The new pool features new slides including a 48m interactive play slide. Swimmers can climb a tower to the top of the slide, which then takes them out of the building and back inside again. As they come down the slide, they can play an interactive touchpad game on the inside of the slide, with scores recorded once the ride is complete. Scores can be uploaded to social media platforms, with the top three scores displayed in the pool area. World Leisure also refurbished the splash pool and added an interactive aqua deck play structure, with tipping buckets and integral slides. A themed GRP (Glass Reinforced Polyester) toddlers’ pool links into the splash pool, with a slide and steps to open the pools up to all ages. World Leisure also installed a new sauna, steam room and feature showers, with all new filtration and controls. Mark Leech, senior manager of Ribby Hall Village, said: “It is important as a business to continually invest and improve the facilities we offer to our customers" Mark added: “We believe the new interactive slide and new splash pool features will be real talking points that will bring family visitors back again and again.”
Park operators need to provide appealing facilities for all age groups, with a typical water leisure offering including cannons, waterfalls, rain curtains, fl oor volcanoes and wall-mounted massage jets to add more attractions to the pools. Achieving this – and still providing an acceptable return on investment – requires very careful planning at the design stage, particularly where space is limited. Water slides and flumes have always been popular, but they require a significant capital investment, huge amounts of energy to drive massive pumps and constant life guarding.

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PLAY OFFERS WATER FUN

The main aim of aquatic play equipment is to allow kids to have fun in a safe environment. Playing with water is also a vital part of a child’s development. Hippo Leisure’s modular play equipment, including Water Factories, Interactive Masts and Play Platforms are all extremely versatile products and can be expanded or updated to help to encourage regular, repeat visitors.
“What you’re aiming for in your facility is a way to keeping the whole family entertained, regardless of age or ability,” comments Teresa Metherell, Marketing Coordinator for Hippo Leisure. “This can be achieved by installing a variety of interactive water play features that provide both low level sensory play for toddlers as well as high level anticipatory and big splash play for older children and even adults,” she adds.
“It’s important to keep water play areas fresh and appealing.”

Hippo Leisure
Tel. 01752 771740
www.hippoleisure.com

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SPLASH PADS OFFER FAMILY APPEAL

The naturally inclusive and adaptable nature of a zero-depth splash park makes it an excellent amenity for holiday parks seeking to increase family attendance. Ustigate is a partner of Vortex International of Canada, offering a product portfolio of over 300 aquatic structures specifically designed to meet any specification, from low water consuming products for once use systems to super soaking buckets which create tidal waves.
The range includes many interactive free-standing products, the Water Journey collection, inspired by nature’s streams, and the Elevations range, are play structures that provide great combinations of water features between platforms of varying heights, encouraging children to climb and move between levels while engaging with children on and off the unit. The Elevations can be installed inside or outside, as part of a splash pad scheme or in a wading pool – They are designed to take fun to the max and are offered with a choice of water slides for the ride down.
Vortex is a world leader in aquatic play solutions, having completed 7000 installations in 45 countries, all of the products are renowned for being robust and innovative. Vortex recently announced the Explora collection has won two International Design awards, taking Gold in Leisure Games and Fun and Silver in the Social Impact category. Like all Vortex products, the Explora collection integrates a strong active play component that keeps children moving, pushing, pulling, spinning and exploring. The price of a typical splash pad depends mainly on three factors; size of the scheme, the type of water system – either a once-use or recirculating – and finally the selected water features. A typical once-use system would cost about £100,000 and the majority of recirculating systems are priced from £250,000.
Ustigate’s splash pad designers divide all waterplay installations into three bays; toddler, family and teen, in which they place specific products that are designed for each age group, therefore increasing play value and popularity. “By effective selection, combination and positioning of aquatic play features for your scheme, it will speak for itself and attract and retain customers naturally,” says Ustigate’s Ernie Hemming. “In addition, 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 playing!”

Ustigate Waterplay
Tel. 01322 424445
www.ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

Tackling Booking Fraud

Posted on November 3, 2017

Tackling Booking Fraud

Haven, the holiday firm that runs the Craig Tara site, said it had recently introduced state-of-the-art software that seeks to target and report suspicious pages and listings across social media sites. This follows a report from BBC Scotland which highlighted that dozens of people had paid for holidays in caravan parks, only to discover the real owner knew nothing about their booking.

Fraudsters using fake identities have been using social media channels to book families into caravans they do not own and claiming the money. Jane Clark, from Stevenston in Ayrshire, advised people not to believe what they read and make proper checks after she booked a bank holiday weekend at the Craig Tara caravan and paid £180 plus a £50 deposit – all through Facebook.

A Haven statement said: “Whilst we have only experienced a relatively small number of people who have been duped into making fraudulent bookings, we are committed to proactively targeting these sites where we can.” Haven advised customers to only book through “trusted channels” such as official websites, ABTA agents or affiliated third parties. It said: “We would urge customers not to attempt to make bookings through social media channels.”

A New Level For Haven

Posted on August 1, 2016

A New Level For Haven

Deck Houses have been introduced at Haven’s Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Norfolk.

Haven has expanded its accommodation portfolio with the introduction of brand new Deck Houses exclusive to Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Norfolk.

The contemporary Deck Houses are available on the first or second floor and include a large open plan living space and adjoining family dining area. Guests can stay entertained with a 40” flat screen HD TV with DVD and Bluetooth speaker in the lounge, and enjoy the sun on the balcony or patio area.

Gareth Brown, General Manager at Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park said: “Our new Deck Houses are taking accommodation at Caister-on-Sea to the next level. The sheer size and quality of these units is fantastic.

“We’re immensely proud to be Britain’s oldest holiday park and the Deck Houses are the latest exciting chapter in our wonderful history,” he added.

Wish You Were Here…Berwick Holiday Park

Posted on July 11, 2016

Picture postcards from Berwick Holiday Park in Northumberland...

Set on a clifftop, with views overlooking the North Sea, Haven’s Berwick Holiday Park offers the ideal location for exploring the Northumberland coast.

There are two sandy beaches scattered with rock pools, which can be accessed via steps from the park, or guests can discover the rugged coastline via the coastal path.

Facilities at the park include a convenience shop and a recently refurbished restaurant and bar with a dedicated sports area. Other amenities include a multi-sports court, launderette and the Showbar, not forgetting the 18-hole golf course situated next to the park.

Berwick Holiday Park’s extensive water play facilities are a highlight for holidaymakers.

Facilities include an indoor heat swimming pool with a water chute, a heated outdoor pool and a dancing water play splash zone, which is open from May until the end of August.

Nearly 70 per cent of the caravans on the park are privately owned and owners can make use of their own lounge and health suite, themed parties and events and generous discounts in the shop, restaurant and on all activities.

Berwick Holiday Park - Tel. 0333 202 1463 www.haven.com