Low Cost Short Breaks For British Troops

Posted on January 6, 2016

Low Cost Short Breaks For British Troops

Trustees for the Give Us Time charity include Lady Kitty Spencer, pictured
here with two British service personnel.

A national charity is appealing to holiday park owners to help British troops by donating holiday accommodation during the low season.
Give Us Time helps British military personnel and their families by providing holidays for those in need of rest and rehabilitation.
The charity connects service families with hotels, resorts, holiday cottage owners and timeshare properties that, during low seasons, have empty rooms or accommodation to fill.
A spokesperson for the charity explains: “Family is the support system around a soldier’s rehabilitation, however, re-adjusting to family life while dealing with the triumphs and traumas of an operational tour can be extremely difficult, even more so with physical or psychological damage.
“The scheme is a low cost way of caring for military personnel by nurturing this essential family time with week-long holidays on neutral territory, away from the barracks and comrades, just pure family bonding. The effect this can have on the family cohesion and marriage on these families has been invaluable.”
Give Us Time has over 1,000 soldiers registered to its database, who are in need of rest, rehabilitation and reconnection with their families.
The charity currently already works with several holiday companies, such as Center Parcs in the UK, which donate low-season holidays to the British troops.
For more information, visit www.giveustime.org.uk

Park Owner Awarded Living Wage Accolade

Posted on January 6, 2016

Park Owner Awarded Living Wage Acolade

Park owner Patrick Langmaid, has been chosen as the winner of the Living Wage Leadership Award 2015 for the South West region.

Keen campaigner for the living wage, Patrick Langmaid, has been chosen as the winner of the Living Wage Leadership Award 2015 for the South West region.
The Cornish businessman was the Living Wage Foundation SW overall champion and in addition, Patrick’s Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park in Padstow was also declared the winner of the Living Wage Employer Champion Award in the South West.
Award judges highlighted the tireless campaigning for the living wage which Patrick has carried out both within and without the tourism industry, and the fine example set by his business.
Patrick has already argued the case for the living wage on television and in the Press, and he says he now intends to use the publicity from his two awards to help spread awareness even more widely: “For many businesses, including mine, the living wage does represent an additional cost, but I believe there are also tangible savings to be made from managing a happy workforce.
“I know from our experience that a firm’s long-term interests are often best served by looking beyond the immediate impact of salaries on the balance sheet.
“Productivity, loyalty and staff retention are just two important factors which can translate into an overall cost benefit for the business,” he added.

Holiday Snaps: Zoe House of Ladram Bay Holiday Park

Posted on September 8, 2015

Holiday Snaps: Zoe House of Ladram Bay Holiday Park

Zoe House was brought up at Ladram Bay Holiday Park in Devon, which her father opened in 1943. Zoe took over the day-to-day running of the park in 2006, along with her brother Robin.

How has 2015 been for Ladram Bay Holiday Park?

It has been a fantastic season. The introduction of our brand new swimming pool and the refurbishment of Pebbles restaurant has had a great effect on business. This year we have seen a 15 per cent increase in bookings.

What are the main challenges facing the industry at the moment?

With the strength of the pound, holidays abroad are appearing cheaper this year, so it is really important that British holidaymakers have an incentive to holiday in the UK.

If you had to identify one element, what is the most crucial aspect to the success of your park?

As an independent park, we have the ability to constantly reinvest to ensure our facilities exceed customer expectation. We also can’t forget our stunning location on Devon’s Jurassic Coast.

What does a typical day in the office for you consist of?

My jobs range from managing staff and customers to investment planning, marketing and advertising. The variety makes it all the more interesting.

What has been your most interesting experience in the industry?

Last winter we undertook the biggest redevelopment since I became director in 2006. With the seasonal nature of the tourism industry in the UK, we only had four months whilst the park was closed to build our state-of-the-art swimming pool and adventure golf course, while also refurbishing the restaurant. Fortunately we finished just in time.

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given and by whom?

My father said that “without guests, Ladram is just a bay”. To me, this sums up everything we do, ensuring the Ladram experience is of the highest standard.

Where do you go on holiday?

I love to travel with my family, especially disappearing in our tourer for a short break and exploring the UK. This country has so much to offer.

Tell us a joke…

What do you call a man with a seagull on his head? Cliff!

Net Gains

Posted on September 8, 2015

Net Gains

Almost 80 per cent of Brits now use the internet to research their holidays.

Revolutionising the way that we live, work, shop, and communicate, startling figures from the National Office of Statistics revealed that 38 million adults in the UK accessed the internet every day in 2014. What’s more, 74 per cent of people bought goods or services online, up from 53 per cent in 2008.

The tourism industry is continuing to evolve around technology, with increasing access to information and services available at the customers’ finger tips. Guests now expect to see clear and representative images of accommodation and resort facilities online before they book. They want to read reviews, share other people’s experiences of the resort so they can decide whether or not it meets with their needs. And they expect to be able to do all this online, using whatever device they choose, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet PC, handheld computer or laptop.

“Users are booking when it’s convenient for them,” says Dawn Bee of website and business system provider Netguides. “Younger users don’t want to talk to anyone to book, it’s just not familiar behaviour for them anymore so they feel uncomfortable doing it. This means you are missing out on a lot of customers if you don’t take online bookings.”

Niall Norris of management and booking software CampManager concurs: “The number of holiday parks and campsites taking bookings online has increased dramatically in recent years,”

“We can see similar trends from all our clients across the UK, Ireland and France, that the proportion of bookings being made online is now averaging between 50 to 75 per cent of all bookings.”

The number of holiday parks and campsites taking bookings online has increased dramatically in recent years. Pic: CampManager.

Keeping up-to-date with the latest technology by moving to a computerised booking and management system may seem daunting, but Niall stresses the importance of moving with the times: “The right booking and management system will actually save you money, generate more business and free up so much of your time.

“We recommend that all parks to update their online booking pages and websites to be Mobile and Tablet compatible. We see clear trends that over 50 per cent of online bookings are now being made on Tablet and Smartphone devices.” He adds: “To ensure that you are catering for these customers and not losing out on bookings, it is important to address this immediately.”

CampManager offers a complete end to end process for managing a caravan park or campsite. Covering all aspects of site management, booking management and online booking, the system is user-friendly and can be tailored to suit the individual needs of each park.

“It is important to remember that not all visitors to your website have stayed at your park before. Therefore it is hugely important that your website is maintained as much as the park,” advises Niall. “An old and tired looking website, with poor quality photos will not attract new customers. Also a poor booking system that takes a long time just to check availability and does not provide alternative dates will frustrate your customers and potentially drive them elsewhere.”

The biggest change to online bookings that Dawn Bee of Netguides has seen in recent years is the move to mobile responsive online booking. Dawn explains: “There has been a surge in the popularity of mobile responsive bookings following Google’s emphasis in their search algorithm for mobile search and the growing use of mobile devices to book online.”

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Working Smarter on Insurance Matters

Posted on June 26, 2015

Working Smarter on Insurance Matters

Peter Heffer, director of holiday and residential parks at Lorica Insurance Brokers offers his views on the ever-growing world of glamping

Selecting the right insurance company can be more complex than is readily apparent. For example, the lowest price is not necessarily the best value.

Smart buyers seek out insurers that offer a tailored product to suit their requirements at a competitive price.

Peter Heffer of Lorica Insurance advises buyers to take their time when choosing a provider: “Look for a partner who specialises in the sector and tailors cover to your specific needs.

“Failure to understand the level of cover provided by a policy is a common pitfall for buyers, particularly in the holiday park sector. A generic broker is unlikely to understand the nuances of the sector - you need a specialist.”

With this in mind, Lorica has created an exclusive holiday and residential parks combined policy. The product is both competitive in terms of premium and provides extensive cover designed specifically for parks.

Peter comments: “Of course we cannot guarantee to save you money and improve your cover, but you can be confident that we will give it our best shot. We have experts around the country who are on hand to meet you to explain more about how we can help.”

The biggest type of claims affecting holiday parks can be split into two categories; the first is low likelihood but high severity, meaning they don’t happen very often but when they do the impact is catastrophic, for example a flood. The second type is high likelihood but low severity, meaning they happen frequently but only impact individual policyholders. For the privately owned parks these tend to be customer injury related.

Peter adds: “All policyholders have a duty to ensure reasonable precautions are taken to prevent injury or damage. This is an underlying principle applying to all insurance and owners should act as they would were they not insured.”

Lorica Insurance Brokers
Tel. +44 (0)7827 895671
www.loricainsurance.com

Marina Work Is Underway

Posted on June 26, 2015

Marina Work Is Underway

Refurbishment work at Port Haverigg Marina Village will improve the quality of the park.

Wyldecrest Parks is breathing life into Port Haverigg Marina Village in Cumbria as part of a £1.2 million refurbishment programme at the park.

Soon to be a flagship holiday park for Wyldecrest, improvements will include new tarmac roads throughout the entire site, new drives for all plots, new plot bases and also a brand new play area.

A selection of premium plots will also be added to the park’s current offering of 197 caravans and lodges.

Wyldecrest Parks’ chairman Alfie Best comments: “I’m completely delighted with this improvement programme. We are working to increase our holidaymakers’ quality of life, but also moving forward, to offer even more people the chance of spending true quality time with friends and family at this stunning park which is full of potential.”

Holiday Bookings Enjoy Seasonal Boost

Posted on September 3, 2014

Holiday Bookings Enjoy Seasonal Boost

High July temperatures have boosted domestic holiday figures, across the UK, with operators reporting strong demand and an increase in last-minute bookings.

Sustained hot weather provided a boost for the country’s holiday businesses, as holidaymakers lapped up the good weather with a seemingly unquenchable thirst for last minute domestic breaks.

Hoseasons reported a sharp rise in bookings boosted by the beautiful weather, recording an 11 per cent increase in bookings for the school summer holidays compared to last year’s figures, with a reported rise also in last minute holidays as people decided to make the most of the sunshine.

“These figures clearly demonstrate the continued appeal of the domestic holiday among UK consumers,” said Simon Altham, managing director of Hoseasons. “The convenience and ease of just being able to pack up the car and go and grab a late deal seems to be an ever more attractive trend amongst Brits.”

WARM SUNSHINE

Temperatures for July and August were above average across the UK, reaching a scorching 32.3 °C in Kent in mid-July.

Simon continues: “The warm sunshine obviously helps when it comes to the ‘book and go’ culture, but the weather was good last year so it’s not the only factor. We firmly believe that continued innovation in the quality and range of accommodation styles available is also playing its part alongside the growing investment in major UK tourist attractions which combined are making the UK a convenient and hassle-free choice for many Brits this year.”

Record numbers of Brits took to the beach this summer, with Cornwall, Blackpool and Brighton proving to be popular hotspots. Pic: VisitBritain

Bookings across Butlins resorts have also been up this season, and the company has been operating at nearly 100 per cent occupancy through the summer period. Butlins spokesperson James Silverstone commented: “We always see an increase in demand during good weather and this year has been no different. However, all our resorts are geared up for all seasons, so even if it does rain we can still accommodate our guests without spoiling any fun!”

As record numbers of British holidaymakers chose to stay at home for their summer break this year, coastal locations such as Cornwall, Blackpool and Brighton were especially popular, as well as city breaks in London, Edinburgh and York.

Beverley Holidays and Whitehill Country Park, two sister holiday parks in Paignton saw a rush in bookings as visitors flocked to the English Riviera to revel in the heat wave. Numbers were up at both parks by more than 10 per cent compared to the previous year, and the parks were also benefitting from the news that the area is fast becoming the top seaside destination in the UK.

Claire Jeavons, head of marketing for Beverley Holidays and Whitehill Park, is thrilled with how the businesses are performing: “How customers choose and book their holidays has changed dramatically over the years. We have invested heavily in digital marketing with online channels such as social media campaigns and e-blasts, and this has really paid off.”

Claire added: “The recent hot weather looks set to stay and our outdoor and indoor pools are proving very popular among those looking to bask in the Great British sunshine, with plenty more visitors expected.”

Further good news for the industry is that tourism spend is up by 6 per cent on last year, according to the latest research by VisitEngland.

Net Gains

Posted on August 29, 2014

Net Gains

The caravan and holiday park sector is recognising the value of cashless card systems like Embed.

Startling figures from internet giants, Google, show that more than 80 per cent of Brits use the internet to research their holidays.

With more holidaymakers than ever then going on to book their holidays; from holiday and touring parks to caravan and campsites.

Sharp and effective websites with user-friendly online booking systems, search engine optimisation, e-blasts, apps and cookiebased promotion – the e-marketing revolution is here and is ignored at your peril.

“In today’s day and age, it’s more important than ever that park operators keep pace with technology – especially when it comes to maximising online bookings and sales,” urges Niall Norris of management software CampManager.

E-marketing is not just about selling holidays, but also about user-friendly booking systems.

“There are basic principles, which if adhered to can really make a difference to a park’s online booking service,” Niall adds.

For a visitor to the website, the online booking system should be straightforward and easy to use, and clearly provide the visitor with all the information they need to book their stay. It must be logical, with quality pictures and descriptions so that customers can make their preferred selection.

“Customers like to feel comfortable and secure as they navigate around the website booking pages. Having the booking page designed in the same style as the website and having the payment taken directly from the website page considerably helps this, and directly increases the number of online bookings made,” advises Niall.

MAKING IT EASY

Equally, the system should be just as simple for the reservation team to use, making it easy for them to carry out tasks such as taking payment, amend bookings, calculate tariffs, generate arrival and departure reports and undertake online marketing initiatives.

“A common mistake that park owners make is using a system more suited for hotels,” says Niall. “A more flexible booking system is required for campsites and caravan parks, as the accommodation options are far more complex, plus all of the added extras available.”

“A key advantage of having a web based booking system that operates from one platform, is that when an online booking is made it immediately goes into the management system, therefore avoiding mistakes and errors.”

CampManager is fast becoming a popular choice for campsites and caravan parks looking for a complete management and booking system that is efficient and easy to use.

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Butlins Defends Holidaymakers’ Legal Action

Posted on July 3, 2014

Over 200 holidaymakers are suing Butlins after suffering a gastric illness while staying at the Bognor Regis resort between May and July 2011.

Butlins Defends Holidaymakers’ Legal Action

Butlins’ parent company Bourne Leisure says it will ‘robustly defend’ legal action being taken by more than 200 holidaymakers in relation to problems at their Bognor Regis resort in 2011.

Legal firm Irwin Mitchell is representing more than 215 holidaymakers following a denial of liability by Bourne Leisure. Court proceedings relate to an outbreak of illness at the Bognor Regis resort between May and July 2011.

The holidaymakers are said to have cited a range of issues at the resort, including undercooked food, flies seen on and around food, pigeons on tables, rude staff, managers ignoring requests for help and asking ill guests to leave early, sewage smells around the resort, a cloudy swimming pool with slime around the edges, and failure to clean communal areas.

Elizabeth Tetzner, at Irwin Mitchell, who is representing the holidaymakers said: “Our clients have given us worrying accounts of their stays, including concerns regarding cleanliness, standards of food preparation and service as well as their treatment by staff.

"Bourne Leisure has denied liability and as such our clients have been left with no other option than to issue court proceedings as they seek justice for their ruined holidays.

“Gastric illness can have a devastating impact on people’s health and the effects of it cannot be underestimated,” she said.

In response, Butlins issued a statement, which read: “We will robustly defend this speculative action raised at the High Court in Birmingham. We operate our resorts to the highest health and safety standards and work closely with the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that our guests’ safety takes priority.

“Our standards of cleanliness and hygiene are recognised throughout the tourist industry worldwide. Such is our reputation on health issues that environmental officers from around the UK have described our policies and procedure as outstanding.”

First Guests Arrive At Center Parcs Woburn Forest

Posted on July 3, 2014

Center Parcs Woburn Forest Village is predicted to inject £20 million into the local economy.

First Guests Arrive At Center Parcs Woburn Forest

Center Parcs has welcomed its first guests to the new Woburn Forest village in Bedfordshire.

The doors were officially opened at the fifth Center Parcs village on Friday June 6th, with an estimated 350,000 guests expected to visit each year. It is hoped that the village will inject over £20 million into the regional economy annually.

Martin Dalby, CEO of Center Parcs, said: “After years of hard work, dedication and passion, we’re thrilled to be welcoming our first guests to Woburn Forest and strongly believe the new village has all the ingredients for a very special family break”

The new village boasts Center Parcs’ largest Subtropical Swimming Paradise, along with an Aqua Sana spa, 625 lodges, a 75 bedroom hotel, six spa suites and a host of restaurants, shops and leisure activities.

Woburn Forest is one of the largest development projects of its kind in Britain for many years and represents a £250 million investment. Center Parcs owners Blackstone invested £100 million in the project whilst the remaining £150 million was financed from four UK lending banks.

“Center Parcs Woburn Forest will provide a massive boost to the area,” says Martin. “In addition to the 1,200 people employed in the construction of Woburn Forest, we have recruited and trained 1,500 employees, most of which live within a 15 mile radius. These are local jobs for young local people.”

Last year Center Parcs welcomed 1.7 million guests to its four existing Villages, the opening of Woburn Forest will increase that figure to over 2 million.

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Low Cost Short Breaks For British Troops