Holiday Park Operator

Wish You Were Here

Posted on November 14, 2016

Quick snaps that capture the daily life at holiday parks across the country...

Picture postcards from Seven Oaks Holiday Park in Shropshire…

post1One of the most picturesque caravan holiday home and luxury lodge parks in the Welsh Marches can be found on the border with Shropshire. Overlooking the River Severn, Seven Oaks Holiday Park at Crew Green, between Shrewsbury and Welshpool, has been awarded the VisitWales five star rating. Most caravan holiday homes and lodges on the park have river views and are bordered by mature trees, banks of planting and immaculately kept grass down to the riverside.

River fishing is available and there are two fishing lakes for the exclusive use of owners. Non-anglers are able to relax on one of the many benches dotted around the lake and enjoy watching the abundant wildlife. The park’s facilities include a dedicated reception, laundry, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, a bowling green complete with pavilion and pitch and putt golf.

Recent investment has included 20 new riverside pitches on an elevated terrace, taking the total to 120. Open from March to January every year, the park is especially popular with caravan owners from the Midlands and North West England. “We are not just selling a caravan holiday home here, we are selling a new way of life,” says Margaret Brace, who manages the park with her husband, Ron.

Seven Oaks Holiday Park
Tel. 01743 617871
www.sevenoakscaravanpark.co.uk

Crowds Flock To Popular Caravan Events

Posted on November 14, 2016

Crowds Flock To Popular Caravan Events

Thousands of visitors descended on The Lawns and Beaulieu shows this September.

Thousands of visitors descended on The Lawns and Beaulieu shows this September.

The Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire Caravan Manufacturers’ Association (HERCMA) held their annual events at The Lawns and Beaulieu in September attracting thousands of enthusiasts and buyers from across the UK, eager to see the season’s newest models.

There was plenty to see at both shows with over 150 holiday homes, lodges and park homes as well as over 130 touring caravans. In addition to the caravans there were plenty of other suppliers and service stands selling decking, awnings, caravan movers, and insurance, and there was a large accessories shop within The Lawns Centre.

Entertainment at The Lawns saw clowns, face-painters, balloon modellers a local orchestra and a roaming jazz band as well as a small fun-fair. Beaulieu saw face-painters and a magician. Details of next year’s shows at The Lawns and Beaulieu will be released soon.

Visit the website www.lawnsandbeaulieushows.com for more information.

Making Waves

Posted on November 14, 2016

The UK’s best holiday park pools are celebrated at this year’s UK Pool & Spa Awards…

The overall category winner and coveted Holiday Park Pool of the Year title went to Tydd St Giles Golf & Country Club at the recent UK Pool & Spa Awards.

The overall category winner and coveted Holiday Park Pool of the Year title went to Tydd St Giles Golf & Country Club at the recent UK Pool & Spa Awards.

The UK’s multiple water leisure sectors celebrated their biggest night of the year at the hotly-contested UK Pool & Spa Awards last month. Overall category winners across 26 categories were each presented with a certificate and a trophy by Olympic swimmer and popular TV sports presenter Sharron Davies MBE at the special prize giving and networking evening, which was held at The Vox in Birmingham. Once again, the awards recognised the outstanding achievements of the country’s holiday park sector, with the Holiday Park Pool of the Year award. Within the category, six holiday parks were shortlisted and each received a Gold standard award. “Holiday parks play a big role in the UK’s provision of water leisure facilities and we’re delighted to be able to showcase some of the very best that the industry has to offer,” says Christina Connor, editor of Swimming Pool Scene magazine, the independent publication behind the annual competition.

STAND-OUT PARKS

“We received entries from a number of stand-out parks, who clearly value their pool facilities and work hard to keep them in top notch condition. The awards go some way in rewarding that hard work and raising the profile of those parks.” The overall category winner and coveted Holiday Park Pool of the Year title went to Tydd St Giles Golf & Country Club in Cambridgeshire, for its luxury heated swimming pool. The pool, which is located within a leisure complex on the lodge development, is open to holiday home owners, holiday guests and club members and welcomes around 23,000 bathers per year. The judges felt that the immaculate appearance and dramatic criss-crossing of exposed oak beams really makes this pool a head-turner. Meanwhile, the wellness facilities including a steam room and sauna further enhance the guest experience. The leisure complex at Tydd St Giles opened in 2013 and is managed by Lauren Buckingham, who has worked at the park in various roles since she was 13. Lauren is supported by a dedicated team who work hard to maintain the high standards that customers have come to expect.

GOLD STANDARD

Parks that achieved the Gold standard in the holiday park pool category included Lady’s Mile Holiday Park in Devon, Thornwick Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire, Plas Coch Holiday Homes in Wales, The Pickaquoy Centre Trust in Scotland and Brean Leisure Park & Holiday Resort Unity in Somerset. The operators of Brean Leisure Park also scooped a Gold standard award in the Water Leisure Operator of the Year category. The parks were presented with their certificates and awards by Olympic swimmer and popular TV sports presenter Sharron Davies MBE. “We introduced the Holiday Park Pool of the Year award last year, and it’s great to see even more parks being recognised in this year’s competition,” added Christina Connor. “The holiday park sector has certainly raised the water leisure bar this year and we hope to build on that success in the 2017 awards.Watch this space!”

Founded in 2010, the UK Pool and Spa Awards are organised by Waterland Media, the publishers of Swimming Pool Scene and Hot Tub & Swim Spa Scene, the market-leading magazines for the combined water leisure sectors. The UK Pool and Spa Awards are open to the entire water leisure industry and aim to celebrate outstanding swimming pools, swim spas, hot tubs design, management and refurbishment and the outstanding people in our industry who make a difference. On-line voting accounts for 40% of the overall vote. Voting by the Judging panel – made up of industry representatives and professionals from all over the world - accounts for 60% of the vote.

For more information on the competition, or to get involved in next year’s awards, visit www.ukpoolandspaawards.co.uk.

Lady’s Mile Holiday Park

ladyThe pool at Lady’s Mile Holiday Park in Devon is well known for being one of the warmest and cleanest pools in the area, with the average temperature around 33C. Complete with a flume and a separate paddling area, the pool very popular with young families, couples and older guests alike. The park also has a close connection to Ratcliff School for special needs, which uses the pool for private school sessions.

Thornwick Bay Holiday Park

thornThe main pool at Thornwick Bay Holiday Park was recently refurbished by Leisure Concepts. It features fun splash and spray jets, a new children’s pool area with water play slides, and an all new activity and swim pool. There’s also a new multi-lane family speed slide, new splash pool with tipping bucket, spray features and a bubble seat.

Brean Leisure Park & Holiday Resort Unity

breanThe large modern splash park at Brean Leisure is used by members of the public, holidaymakers, schools and triathlete clubs, for swimming lessons and fitness classes.
The pool was in operation for 30 years prior to the rebuild in 2011. Over £5 million was spent in the first phase of the rebuild, making the pool into a 25m indoor modern leisure facility.
The pool is operated by the House family who have owned the site for the past 70 years, and are involved in the day to day running of the business.

Plas Coch Holiday Homes

plasThe pool at Plas Coch park is open to private residents and offers a range of water-based activities such as swimming lessons, water walkers, snorkelling, scuba diving, pool parties, aqua fun and fitness classes. Welcoming up to 20,000 bathers each year, the pool is run by Park Leisure 2000, which operates ten holiday homes parks throughout the UK. The pool has recently had the walls, ceilings and floors refurbished and painted to ensure the integrity of the facility remains first class.

The Pickaquoy Centre Trust

pickaThe pool and spa the Pickaquoy Centre is used for a number of sessions from public swimming to group exercise classes, swimming lessons and inflatable sessions. Although the pool is part of the facilities the Trust manages on behalf of the Council, it is attached to the caravan and camping park and is used by holidaymakers and the general public. The pool has an annual bather load of 70,000.

Perfectly Manicured

Posted on November 14, 2016
importance of first impressions is not to be underestimated and you only get one chance to impress guests and provide a warm welcome.

The importance of first impressions is not to be underestimated and you only get one chance to impress guests and provide a warm welcome.

Perfectly Manicured

Ashleigh Bissett reports on making the most of your outdoor spaces…

Whilst we may not be able to control every element of our guest’s stay, we do get the opportunity to make sure the holiday gets off to the best start possible. The importance of first impressions is not to be underestimated and you only get one chance to impress guests and provide a warm welcome. Key to that success is ensuring that everything your guests see when they arrive is nicely presented - including the open spaces, driveways and garden areas.

QUICK FIX

A common problem encountered in many large grassed open spaces such as parkland, golf courses, bowling greens and even in domestic gardens is compaction of the soil leading to waterlogging. In some cases, this can render the areas unusable, sometimes for long periods of time. Deep penetration aeration has proved successful for many years and is well known by golf courses for relieving compaction panning on their greens, tees and even around tree roots. In fact, the technique was introduced with the invention of the Terralift machine in Germany in the early 1970’s. Since then different chassis versions of the Terralift have been designed to work in a wide range of applications. The deep aeriation technique was recently used in the glamping area within the grounds of Warwick Castle. The site features circular mediaeval themed tents, connected by coconut matting walkways to a large central tent that houses the food hall. Fully fitted with wooden floors, the tents have conical roofs that shed rain around the periphery of the tent and, as there is no provision for drainage, the medium to heavy clay soil does become very wet.

LONG-TERM SOLUTION

The deep aeriation technique was recently used in the glamping area within the grounds of Warwick Castle

The deep aeration technique was recently used in the glamping area within the grounds of Warwick Castle.

When the time came in October to remove the tents the areas that were covered by the wooden floors and coconut matting were left as bare, wet mud. These needed to be brought back to grass as quickly as possible, to meet the planning conditions for the glamping use of the historic and protected parkland.

“The first job needed once the tents were out of the way was to clear the surface water and ease any compaction in the soil that had been covered by the floors and pathways,” explains Lynda Green, Operations Director at Terrain Aeriation.

“The Tracker Terralift was used with up to a 100m long air pipe deployed to allow the compressor to remain on the main vehicle route through the entire site and not get bogged down.”

The Terralift treatment injects compressed air into the soil as much as a metre deep to de-compact, aerate and inject seaweed across the affected areas. The seaweed sticks to the walls of the fractures, swelling and contracting and keeping the fissures open. The process clears surface water areas, helping to dry up any mud, leaving the area ready for surface preparation and the replacement of the missing grass. Says Lynda: “The machine moves on two metres and repeats the operation, completing two metre spacings on a staggered grid pattern and each shot connects with the previous ones so the whole area is aerated and treated. The Terralift can treat approximately 2,000m² of turf in a day.” She adds: “The long-term solution causes little surface disruption and allows immediate play on sports pitches and greens after treatment.” Improved technology has made keeping outdoor spaces neat and tidy easier than ever before, with an abundance of high-tech equipment and machinery available on the market. For example, accessing every corner of a park or estate has become markedly easier over the years, since the introduction of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) some 30 years ago. Now the vehicle of choice for many landowners, ATVs are the ideal solution for those looking to get the job done on and off road.

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Butlin’s Plans For ‘Best Pool In The Country’

Posted on November 11, 2016

Butlin’s Plans For ‘Best Pool In The Country’

Holiday park operator Butlin’s says that their swimming pools, like the one at Butlins Minehead, are the second main reason that guests return each year.

Holiday park operator Butlin’s says that their swimming pools, like the one at Butlins Minehead, are the second main reason that guests return each year.

UK holiday operator Butlin’s has unveiled ambitious plans to build a new state-of-the-art swimming facility at its Bognor Regis resort.

If given the go ahead, the new £30million aquatic complex would include a lido, an indoor wave pool, a toddler pool, two flumes and a brand new outdoor rapid river, as well as new changing facilities. It would replace the resort’s existing pool, which is more than 30 years old.

A planning application will soon be submitted to relocate the pool from the west of the holiday resort to the east.

If granted planning permission, Butlin’s hopes to open its new pool in the summer of 2018. The current pool will remain in use until then.

Jeremy Pardey, resort director, commented: “Our customer surveys regularly tell us that our guests place much importance on our splash swimming pools. As a result of this and with the existing pool here at Bognor Regis reaching the end of its operational life, it was felt that the best option was to develop a new, replacement pool.”

Jeremy added: “After carrying out much work over recent months in the preparation of these plans, it’s great to have now reached this stage. We only thought it was right, however, that we provided a chance for residents to understand our proposals and importantly had time to discuss them with us.”

Sweet Success For Honey Bee Initiative

Posted on October 20, 2016

Sweet Success For Honey Bee Initiative

Back of Beyond park owners Martin and Vicky Bowrey have been praised for their outstanding conservation

Back of Beyond park owners Martin and Vicky Bowrey have been praised for their outstanding conservation.

Over a quarter of a million honey bees have helped a New Forest touring park achieve a top level Gold David Bellamy Conservation Award for the third year in succession. Back of Beyond Touring Park owners Martin and Vicky Bowrey have installed eight hives on their 30-acre park to try and help stem the sharp national decline in bee numbers. The initiative has been praised by botanist David Bellamy for its outstanding efforts to provide a safe haven for the bees.

Back of Beyond is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Martin says that visitors to the adult-only park are thrilled at the close encounter with nature on offer: “We’re fortunate to have two wildlife lakes in the grounds, and it’s possible to spot an amazing number of species including otters and red deer,” he said.

“The park is also rich in wild flowers including many high pollen-bearing blooms which bees and butterflies love – and that gave us the idea for the hives.

“Experts say that lack of foraging opportunities and the use of agricultural chemicals are causing bee populations to fall, but we’ve plenty of nectar here and a total ban on herbicides.” Covering 30 acres of quiet countryside, over half of which is woodland, Back of Beyond provides 80 pitches for camping, touring caravans and motorhomes. As well as the David Bellamy award, the park has also gained a raft of other accolades including the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for its consistently glowing reviews.

High Praise For New Welsh Park

Posted on October 17, 2016

High Praise For New Welsh Park

Following £1 million investment, Llanberis Touring Park has received a five star grading from VisitWales.

Following £1 million investment, Llanberis Touring Park has received a five star grading from VisitWales.

A brand new £1 million caravan park, which opened earlier this year, has received a five star grading from VisitWales. Llanberis Touring Park in Gwynedd was praised for its well-designed layout and high level of cleanliness, particularly in toilet and washroom areas.

The 54-pitch park was developed by Morris Leisure and was officially opened by the then Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism Ken Skates in March. Based on figures issued by the British Holiday and Home Parks Association, the company expects Llanberis Touring Park to generate in excess of £400,000 a year for the local economy.

Park managers Nick and Wanda Hilditch said they were delighted with the five star grading and the Visit Wales endorsement: “The park has become increasingly busy since it opened, particularly at weekends and some caravan owners have already visited up to four times,” said Wanda. “Customers love the park’s location because it’s a short walk from the town and not far from Snowdon Mountain Railway and Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales.”

Five Star Norfolk Park Under New Ownership

Posted on October 13, 2016

Five Star Norfolk Park Under New Ownership

Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth is the first acquisition for Parkdean Resorts since the merger.

Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth is the first acquisition for Parkdean Resorts since the merger.

Parkdean Resorts has snapped up a five-star resort in Norfolk in its first acquisition since the firm was formed following a significant merger of Parkdean and Park Resorts last November. The operator, which owns 72 holiday parks nationwide, has bought Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth for an undisclosed sum.

The park has been owned and developed by the Biss family since 1964 and welcomes in excess of 80,000 holidaymakers each year. The freehold park comprises 390 caravans and lodges, 48 apartments and 180 touring and camping pitches across 41 acres. It is well invested, with a substantial range of high quality retail and leisure facilities. John Waterworth, Chief Executive of Parkdean Resorts said: “This continues our long term buy and build strategy which has been successful in developing Parkdean Resorts into the sector leading business it is today. Vauxhall is a thriving and well-managed park that will fit perfectly into the Parkdean Resorts portfolio offering customers even broader choice in Norfolk alongside our other parks East Anglia.”

John also confirmed that Parkdean Resorts is confident of another successful year of growth, with holiday sales for the year 9% ahead of 2015: “The group has been acquisitive since its formation and we see further opportunities in this highly fragmented sector via both single parks and multi-site portfolios.”

Just One Click

Posted on October 13, 2016

Just One Click

You cannot afford to miss out on online bookings advises Ashleigh Mackenzie…

Eight out of ten Brits now book their holidays online.

Eight out of ten Brits now book their holidays online.

With eight out of ten Brits choosing to book their holidays online, it’s now more important than ever for parks to have their finger on the pulse in terms of efficient booking management systems. Holiday parks are increasingly looking for greater functionality from their booking and management systems. The ultimate goal is to provide online customers with a quality system that is simple and easy to use, that will not only save time but will also generate more bookings for their business.

“A sophisticated system needs to sit at the heart of any forward thinking holiday accommodation business. It is the glue that holds everything together,” says Wendy Radford-Gaby of Anytime Booking. “Just make sure the booking and management software you choose helps you to solve real life problems at your holiday park.” She adds: “Don’t try to retro-fit a software designed for another market. Use technology that understands you.”

Park owners can keep pace with technology by having a web based management and booking system which operates from one platform, so when an online booking is made it immediately goes into their management system avoiding mistakes and errors.

EARLY BIRD

“September to March is a busy time for system suppliers as it is naturally when new customers come on board. So get in as early as you can to have time to familiarise yourself fully with the system before your busy season starts,” advises Dawn Bee, Managing Director of Netguides.

Netguides offer GemaPark, a cloud park reservation management system with online bookings. The optional park website package gives holiday parks a modern responsive, optimised website with content management, to promote their park and provide integrated online booking. “Our solutions are fully hosted, backed up and managed and we offer 24/7 support,” says Dawn.
“We pride ourselves on our responsiveness and customer service and are constantly listening to customer feedback to make our products easier and more efficient for customers to use.” The system starts from £60 per month for 60 pitches or 12 statics and scales up. The prices include hosting, backup and support so there are no surprise extra costs.
Says Dawn: “With GemaPark we have new connectivity with other providers such as Hoseasons and Pitchup, we have lots more features to support holiday home parks and as always we have development in our online booking widgets to increase usability and conversion.”

In terms of setup, there is a data gathering stage where Netguides get to understand your park, what you offer and how you sell it. The company will then configure the system for you loading your units, pitches and prices and provide the link or widgets to your web developers to add the online booking elements to your website. Full staff training is offered to get the team up and running with the system.
“You will never realise just how important until you experience it,” comments Dawn.

“It improves customer experience, increases the number of sales and greatly reduces administration time. This allows you time to work on your business and then business growth and enjoyment in running the business increase significantly – and that’s important.”

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Holiday Snaps

Posted on October 3, 2016

Holiday Snaps

Christina Guppy: Reception Manager at Bagwell Farm Touring Parkguppy

In her final year of a Foundation Degree in Tourism Park Management, Chrissy Guppy started her career as a kitchen runner in the bar and grill at Bagwell Farm as a summer job.

What challenges are currently facing the holiday park sector?

With the restriction in term-time holidays, we have noticed a significant drop in the number of grandparents bringing children for long weekends or longer breaks. How are visitor expectations changing and how are you reacting to those demands? Electric hook-up for tents have gone from an unusual luxury to a must-have item. We are expanding the number of fully-serviced pitches to keep up with customer demand.

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

Customer service. You could go to a beautifully landscaped, clean site with great facilities, but if the customer service isn’t up to scratch chances are you won’t want to return.

What has been your most interesting experience in the industry?

Probably my first day in the job. I attended the National Caravan and Motorhome Show at the NEC which really threw me in head first! Being able to see all the different aspects under one roof provided a great insight into the industry and really showed me the huge potential it offered.

Where do you see the park in 10 years’ time?

We believe you can still enjoy a great family holiday by staying here in the UK, and hope we can continue to offer a service which attracts new people to the park and also to the local area. What is the best piece of business advice you have been given? There are two. The first is “don’t be afraid to try something out - if you haven’t made mistakes, you haven’t made progress,” and the other is “never stop learning.”

Where do you go on holiday?

Other than exploring other areas of Dorset, I’ve a real soft spot for Cornwall. I recently got to visit the Lake District and also Scotland as part of my degree and I would love to go back to see more of the stunning landscape.

Final Word?

We’re pleased to support a local charity called Hanger’s Heroes, which raises funds for small local charities who may struggle to gain enough funding on their own. Each year our staff members take part in the marathon to boost fundraising. This year will be my third year taking part and I’m hoping to top last year’s fundraising total!