Holiday Scene With Hywel Davies

Posted on July 4, 2015

Holiday Scene With Hywel Davies

Hywel Davies is the owner and manager of South Wales Caravan Park in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. His parents started the park in 1978 and Hywel has lived on the 15 acre site since he was three years old. Hywel and his sister Cathrin took over the park four years ago and continue to improve the farm and its facilities each year.

How do you see the UK holiday industry at the moment?

In Carmarthenshire alone Tourism is worth £350 million. It is taking over farming as the most important industry in the area. Our county is getting its name out there and I have no doubt there will be changes soon in Local Authority boundary locations in Wales - I just hope that whichever way it goes that the good work will carry on.

What are the main challenges facing the industry and how are you meeting those challenges?

Our main challenges are rising fuel and electricity costs. We are currently looking into installing solar panels and heat pumps to warm water and facilities.

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

Good customer service. I trained at Walt Disney World in Florida and from my days there I soon realised that exceeding all my guests’ expectations is the way to succeed.

Has it been a good year so far for South Wales Caravan Park?

It has been excellent year so far. We are lucky as we only have 25 pitches to fill in total, which is much easier to fill up than a few 100 pitches. Word of mouth, a couple of awards and repeat visitors are helping us a great deal.

What has been your most interesting experience in the industry?

Becoming an adult only park. When we made the decision just over two years ago, we were worried if it would work out but it has been the best decision and best experience we have had so far.

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

“Never miss an opportunity to market your business” - it was given to me by my father. We wear our Llwynifan Farm branded t-shirts and hoodies everywhere and even our hand towels in the ladies and gents toilets are branded!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

Our park isn’t going to grow further, but I would like to improve our offering and facilities. Each year we like to do one big project to improve our offering.

Where do you go on holiday?

My partner and I drive to Italy usually towards the end of September for a week or two, and I leave my sister in charge of the park.

Anything else you would like to add?

I wish everyone a good season and hope we all have a sunny successful summer.

Poston Mill Takes Top Spot

Posted on July 4, 2015

Poston Mill Takes Top Spot

Poston Mill received the top gold honour in the parks category at May’s VisitEngland awards ceremony.

Herefordshire is now home to England’s highest rated holiday park after Poston Mill emerged as the overall victor in the 2015 VisitEngland awards for Excellence.

Poston Mill received the top gold honour in the parks category at May’s VisitEngland awards ceremony, beating nearly 2000 other eligible parks in England to the title.

Stepping up to receive the accolade from VisitEngland chief James Beresford at The Sage in Gateshead were the family business’s co-owners Wayne and Sarah Jones.

Sarah commented: “From the outset we wanted to make this a park where guests would feel genuinely welcome.

“That’s why the VisitEngland award for excellence means so much to us, because it is based not just on the quality of the park, but also the standards of service we provide."

Beautifully landscaped, Poston Mill has come a long way since first being taken over as a basic farm-based park just over 20 years ago. Since then, Wayne and Sarah have invested much time and energy into creating a high quality destination for discerning guests.

“I hope that one effect of our award will be to help other tourism businesses in the area by highlighting what a beautiful region this is to enjoy a truly memorable holiday,” added Sarah.

Memory Makers

Posted on July 2, 2015

Memory Makers

Above: Holidaymakers are now more than ever regarding their break as a chance to enjoy a new experience. Pic: Park Resorts

Holiday park operators remain cautiously optimistic as Ashleigh Mackenzie reports… Above: Holidaymakers are now more than ever regarding their break as a chance to enjoy a new experience. Pic: Park Resorts

2014 was a strong year for UK tourism. Not only did we see record breaking numbers of holidaymakers from abroad visit the country, but tourist spending hit the dizzy heights of £21.7 billion – three per cent up on 2013 and a record in both nominal and real terms.
Building on the success of last year’s tourism boom, the industry has enjoyed a solid start to 2015, but holiday park operators remain cautiously optimistic.
Latest figures from the International Passenger Survey show that overall visitor numbers for the first three months of this year were up by one per cent compared to 2014, while UK-based holidays have seen an increase of four per cent.

ABOVE: Britain’s holiday parks industry, comprising more than 3500 parks in total, plays an important role in the country’s economy. Pic: National Caravan Council

“The industry in general is reporting steady performance across all business fronts and is optimistic about future prospects in the short to medium term,” says Bob Hill, sites director at The Camping and Caravanning Club.
“There is growth across most aspects of the sector and the majority of operators are reporting an increase in consumer confidence.” “These are very positive times for the holiday park industry,” comments Dan Steadman, sales and marketing director of Hoburne Holiday Parks, that operates seven holiday park sites.
“At Hoburne we have seen booking figures increase every year since 2008 and manufacturers are seeing increases in the numbers of holiday homes built and sold. This is an area we have seen particular growth in with holiday home sales across our seven parks more than doubling in the past year.” “It is shaping up to be a good season for us,” agrees Cathie Higgs of John Fowler Holiday Parks, like Hoburne with parks centred around the south west of England. “We are up on 2014 figures in terms of sales and growth and the reduction of petrol prices has certainly had a positive effect on our business.”

VITAL ROLE
Britain’s holiday parks industry, comprising more than 3500 parks in total, plays an important role in the country’s economy.
The sector provides one in six of all holiday bed-nights in Britain each year and generates a huge £2.26 billion annual turnover - with the vast majority of the cash being funnelled by park visitors into local businesses.

Above: Henry Wild, national chairman of the British Holiday and Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) says that frequent shorter breaks is the
continuing pattern of holiday-taking

For many such local enterprises, tourism is crucial for their survival and ability to sustain jobs. Parks are estimated to provide some fifteen percent – a total of 53,000 - of all full-time and seasonal tourism-dependent jobs in Britain.
The majority, some 95 percent of UK parks are family-owned businesses, some with farming histories stretching back over generations and for which tourism is now a much more realistic alternative to the declining agricultural industry. The sector also comprises a number of extremely successful holiday park groups including Haven Holidays, Park Resorts and Park Holidays UK.
“While it has been a strong start to the year, there is no complacency among BH&HPA; members and nobody assumes that the main factors which influence our sector and UK tourism as a whole – principally the economy and the weather – are always going to take our side,” says Henry Wild, national chairman of the British Holiday and Home Parks Association (BH&HPA;).
STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY
It should be remembered that the term ‘the industry’ pulls together a diverse range of businesses from small farm-based parks with a handful of touring pitches to major multi-park operators with incomes dependent on holiday homes sales and rentals. Some of these parks may be affected by factors to which others are immune. For example, a touring park in a remote part of the country may see rising car fuel costs as its chief enemy – while parks with holiday homes to buy might find that lending restrictions by banks are putting a ceiling on the number of people able to take out personal loans to fund their second home purchase.
“It’s important to use both experience and common sense to try and determine what changes are likely to be in the park’s long-term interests, and which are unlikely to have any lasting impact,” says Henry.

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CONTRIBUTING COMPANY CONTACTS

BUTLINS Tel. 01442 230300 www.butlins.com

BRITISH HOLIDAY AND HOME PARKS ASSOCIATION Tel. 01452 526911 www.bhhpa.org.uk

THE CAMPING AND CARAVANNING CLUB Tel. 024 7647 5448 www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk

HAVEN Tel. 08712 301900 www.haven.com

HOBURNE HOLIDAY PARKS Tel. 01425 277661 www.haven.com

JOHN FOWLER HOLIDAYS Tel .01271 866766 www.johnfowlerholidays.com

PARK HOLIDAYS UK Tel. 01424 751185 www.parkholidays.com

PARK RESORTS Tel. 01442 414100 www.park-resorts.com

Show Visitors Spoilt For Choice

Posted on June 26, 2015

Above: The World of Park & Leisure Homes Show took place at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire in June.

Show Visitors Spoilt For Choice

Visitors from across the country descended on Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire last month to visit the 2015 World of Park & Leisure Homes Show – the biggest in the show’s history.

With over 50 homes on display from some of the UK’s major manufacturers in the leisure lodge and park homes industry, the visitors were spoilt for choice at the four day outdoor exhibition.

The feel good factor was evident among exhibitors and the trade preview day was an ideal opportunity for park owners, site managers and others working within the industry to visit the show ahead of the general public.

As in previous years, the 2015 show was a one-stop-shop covering all aspects of park life. A varied selection of exhibitors were on hand to offer expert advice and guidance on choosing the right park and the right lodge or park home to fit any budget.

Above: Omar Park Homes celebrated its 50th year in business with a cake cutting ceremony and drinks reception.

A highlight of this year’s show was a pop-up holiday park created by park and holiday home specialists Pathfinder Homes. Located at the main entrance to the show and aptly named the Pathfinder Garden Quarter, the area was equipped with aweinspiring gardens, luxury lodges and a courtyard, and featured some of Pathfinder’s most popular lodges – The Summit, Keeper’s Lodge, Meadow View and Country Retreat. In fact, The Summit lodge was voted ‘Ultimate Lodge of the Year’ at the show for its innovative design and evolutionary detailing.

Mike Wills, Pathfinder Homes MD stated: “We are delighted to have won the Ultimate Lodge of the Year Award for the third consecutive year. The industry is experiencing such an exciting period and we are proud to continue to innovate the standard.”

Meanwhile Omar Park Homes celebrated its 50th anniversary at the show with a special cake cutting ceremony and the launch of its brand new park home – ‘The Anniversary’.

Aside from lodges and park homes, there was plenty of information and advice on refurbishment, maintenance and of course those must-have little luxuries such as spas and hot tubs.

To read more of this story, please subscribe online.

World of Park & Leisure Homes Show
Tel. 01789 491451
www.parkhomeandleisure.co.uk

Part Exchange Solution

Posted on June 26, 2015

Part Exchange Solution

Verna and Richard Culpeper part-exchanged their semi-detached house in Harrow for a park home in Pembrokeshire with Quick Move Properties.

Offering a property part exchange service can have a huge impact on sales figures and until recently it was a luxury available only to large house builders due to the financial risk and large balance sheet required.

But Quick Move Properties, the UK’s largest property part exchange company, are now looking to change that by offering a funded part exchange solution to park home providers and leisure home providers.

“Offering a part exchange service has several benefits for a park home or leisure home operator,” says Patrick Chambers, sales director at Quick Move Properties

“Firstly it removes the risk that a sale will fall through due to chain collapse, it also frees your customers up to commit to a purchase – helping to convert potential customers into proceedable buyers – and, because we use our own balance sheet to make the purchases, we are able to offer a great deal of flexibility.”

Quick Move Properties have also recently teamed up with Prestige Homeseeker, Omar, Tingdene and Pathfinder to offer a new stock support service.

Quick Move Properties.
Tel. +44 (0)1793 840917
www.quickmoveproperties.co.uk

Pool Cover Cost Savings

Posted on June 26, 2015

Pool Cover Cost Savings

Hoburne Holiday Parks has saved thousands of pounds on its gas bills, following the introduction of Heatsavr liquid pool cover in the indoor pool at its site in Torbay.

Evaporation control within the pool hall remains a challenge for many pool operators. While a pool cover will insulate your pool to a degree, it is the slowdown in evaporation that is key to saving money.

It is estimated that a pool running at 55% humidity with a pool temperature of 30C and an air temperature of 31C will lose approximately 2 cubic metres of water per day with no cover in place.

Heatsavr biodegrades naturally into water and carbon dioxide within 72 hours and can be added to any type of pool. Using Heatsavr will not stop evaporation, but it will certainly slow the rate of evaporation, working in conjunction with an effective dehumidification and ventilation system.

“One of our clients has been closely monitoring their water top up following a Heatsavr installation and reports that they are now saving 20m3 of water per month,” reveals Peter Marshall of Brenntag.

“The first obvious saving relates to the water top up required and not only in the cost of the additional water but more so in the energy required to raise the temperature of the incoming water to that of the pool.”

Brenntag
Tel. 01133 879200
www.heatsavr.co.uk

Lock Down

Posted on June 26, 2015

Above: Walk-in burglaries are known to increase during the summer months, so there’s no better time to assess the effectiveness of the security measures in place.

Lock Down

A man found guilty of burglary at Parkdean’s West Bay Holiday Park was recently handed a four year custodial sentence. During the trial, the jury heard how Anthony Bown had burgled the Nisa convenience store on the park, stealing cigarettes, cigars and tobacco worth £3,300.

In a separate incident, a cleaner admitted stealing electronic devices from caravans at Haven’s Devon Hills Holiday Park in Exmouth last summer. Richard Copley admitted two counts of burglary when he appeared in court and was subsequently jailed for eight months, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay almost £1,400 in compensation.

Incidents like these are unfortunately all too common in holiday park locations. While complete protection from such occurrences can never be guaranteed, there are a number of measures and precautions that holiday park operators can implement to safeguard their parks.

The good news is that the latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales and police revealed that crime level fell by 16 per cent in 2014. Decreases were evident for all major crime types compared with the previous year; violence saw a 23 per cent fall, criminal damage fell by 20 per cent, and theft offences decreased by 12 per cent.

Above: The Irish-manufactured HKC system is backed by Crosby Intruder Alarms and offers a flexible solution for caravans, lodges, lockers and sheds.

Walk-in burglaries are known to increase during the summer months, so there’s no better time to assess the effectiveness of the security measures in place to ensure that your park is well protected.

“Holiday park theft is becoming a big issue as caravans, lodges and holiday homes increasingly have more valuables in them,” says Roy Williams of security provider Crosby Intruder Alarms.

“It is commonplace these days to have two or more televisions, Sky boxes and other audio and video entertainment systems. It can be lucrative for a thief to target these units, particularly in the closed season when there is less chance of being disturbed.

“There is also an increased risk of theft from lockers or sheds, as these often go completely unprotected.”

While simple measures such as door and window locks and burglar alarms offer some degree of security, Roy recommends an all in one wireless system for intruder, fire, personal attack and mains fail.

To read more of this story, please subscribe online.

CARDEA SOLUTIONS
Tel. +44 (0)161 413 0766
www.cardea-solutions.com

CROSBY INTRUDER ALARMS
Tel. 0844 588 6912
www.crosbyintruder.co.uk

FRONTIER PITTS
Tel. +44 (0)1293 548 301
www.frontierpitts.com

Family Values at Dornafield Caravan Park

Posted on June 26, 2015

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

Family Values at Dornafield Caravan Park

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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 Park Scene Magazine

Holiday Park Operator

Holiday Scene With Hywel Davies