Michael Paul

OOH LA! LA! BRITISH LURED TO FRENCH PARKS

Posted on February 15, 2022

OOH LA! LA! BRITISH LURED TO FRENCH PARKS

 

PARKS SUCH AS SANDGREEN Caravan Park in Dumfries & Galloway, pictured, have converted many to UK holidays.

 

Holiday park owners in France are training their sights on British holidaymakers in a bid to make up huge revenue losses suffered during recent overseas travel restrictions.
Helping lead the assault is French holiday parks giant Yelloh Village which operates more than 100 parks in its home country, as well as offering hot spots in Spain and Portugal.
The group, based near Nimes, has this month appointed Caravan Sitefinder to take the lead in publicising its holidays to the online booking platform’s million-plus annual visitors. CEO Michael Paul says Yelloh anticipates that mainland Europe will be fully open for business by next spring, and that many UK families will be thirsting for a continental holiday. Caravan Sitefinder, says Michael, will be actively marketing Yelloh’s parks to consumers via its huge database, and through high-profile website promotions. “The British holiday market is massively important to French park operators, and the widescale absence of UK visitors for almost two years is being keenly felt,” said Michael. “But they sense that payback time will be coming shortly and want to claim as large a share as possible of the market by going all out for bookings made this winter and spring.

 

 

LICKING WOUNDS
“This clearly has ramifications for UK park owners as they too are still licking their wounds after so many lockdowns and Covid-related cancellations in recent times. Many will be pinning their hopes on the trend for domestic holidays to continue next year, and I think they have some cause for optimism,” continues Michael.
“A lot of families have been converted to stays in this country after enjoying positive experiences this and last summer and may choose to continue doing so. “But there will inevitably be others who are now looking forward to returning to Mediterranean sunshine, and will be booking with overseas park operators such as Yelloh. So the main priority for most parks will be to seize as many bookings as possible from those intending to stay in the UK, and to do so as early as possible. “In other words, they will have to market themselves far more aggressively than this year, and not rely on travel limitations providing an almost literal captive audience,” said Michael. Yelloh’s parks, located largely on the coast and in popular mountain areas, range from simple touring sites to multi-activity centres with luxury accommodation.

POP-UP SITES SHOULD CARRY WARNING

Posted on October 28, 2021

POP-UP SITES SHOULD CARRY WARNING

MICHAEL PAUL believes pop-ups should warn about their unregulated status.

Families should be warned of the risks if they are planning to stay on an unlicensed camping site, says major holiday parks booking agency Caravan Sitefnder.
Pop-up sites, the company believes, should make it clear that they do not hold a licence from their local authority, and are not subject to the same controls as permanent parks.
Without such a warning people may be in for a bitter disappointment when they find that quality standards fall far below their expectations.
“Allowing farmers to operate a campsite without planning permission for up to 56 days a year during the pandemic was a well- intentioned move,” said the firm’s Michael Paul.
“But the reality has been a raft of complaints from local communities and others about the safety, noise and pollution which these unregulated sites are generating.
“Some guests have also been shocked on arrival to find that aspects such as hygiene standards, proper supervision and distancing between pitches fall far below their expectations.
“There have been widely reported instances of inadequate toilet facilities, excessive noise and bad behaviour by other guests, and no efforts made to keep the site safe and clean.
“Permanent parks, by contrast, are subject to a raft of checks and balances by their site licences which ensure that everyone’s best interests are being served,” said Michael.

JABS BOOST FOR LONGER SEASONS

Posted on August 6, 2021

JABS BOOST FOR LONGER SEASONS

AUTUMN WILL STILL feel like peak season for holiday parks says Caravan Sitefinder CEO Michael Paul.

Vaccinations are giving a shot in the arm to the business hopes of British parks this year – and with every likelihood that the busy season will continue well into autumn. Caravan Sitefinder’s annual spring survey reports more than half of those surveyed (57%) planned an exclusive UK holiday in 2021, whilst around another third (31%) hoped to enjoy both a domestic and a foreign holiday. Almost half (43%) said that the success of the vaccination programme and the sharp fall in Covid infection rates were the main reasons they felt confident of taking a break.

The Caravan Sitefinder website, which has around one million visitors annually, provides booking facilities and user reviews for thousands of camping, glamping and holiday parks. Caravan Sitefinder CEO Michael Paul, whose company is marking its tenth anniversary in 2021, said the survey results contained many positive messages for UK parks: “The faith of people in the ability of British parks to provide a safe holiday environment came across strongly and is testimony to the precautionary measures these businesses have adopted. “But given the unpredictability of this crisis, it’s not surprising that many customers wanted a refund safeguard in place if anyone in their party had to pull out for Covid-related reasons,” Michael continued.

“Parks may also want to heed this concern, and to encourage customers to have a refund plan in place so that their business will be protected from possible revenue losses. “Very encouragingly, almost a quarter of those canvassed said they planned to take a holiday in autumn this year, supplementing in many cases their summer break. “At present, this seems an unlikely prospect – but we should not ignore the possibility that some UK bookings are predicated on the assumption that overseas simply isn’t an option,” said Michael.