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

On-Site Charging

Posted on September 5, 2018

On-Site Charging

Holiday park group Bridge Leisure has completed a project to add electric car charging points at eight holiday parks across the UK. The company, which owns parks and provides professional management and consultancy for the industry, teamed up with Lincolnshire-based electrical distribution systems specialist Caravan Park Electrical to install the charging points in time for the summer season. Parks that benefited from the development are Trevella Park, Seaview Holiday Village and Hengar Manor in Cornwall; Hedley Wood in Devon; Ashbourne Heights in the Peak District; Sand le Mere on the Yorkshire coast; Turnberry Park in Ayrshire and Silver Sands in Moray. Simon Williams, Bridge Leisure commercial director says: “The future of driving is electric, so having our own charging points will help us provide a better holiday experience of our electric-car driving customers. “We are already seeing high use of the charging points, particularly at our Peak District and Cornwall parks, so there is clearly demand for this kind of facility.”

Wellness Support Act At Welsh Park

Posted on September 5, 2018

Wellness Support Act At Welsh Park

Talacre Beach Holiday Home Park, in Prestatyn, is an award winning seaside holiday park with an on-site swimming pool and leisure facilities.
When upgrading their sauna and steam rooms, they turned to Preston’s Crystal Leisure. Crystal Leisure recommended Golden Coast’s sauna and steam room due to the high quality, good looks, and ease of installation. The initial stage of the project was done over two days, with taking down the current facilities, isolating the electrics, and retiling the floor. For the new setup to be installed took around a week, including fitting a new steam generator and sauna control.

Park Acquisition Trail

Posted on September 5, 2018

Park Acquisition Trail

The famous Somerset tourist attraction Wookey Hole Caves has expanded its business with the purchase of its second caravan park. Wookey Hole Ltd has bought Homestead Caravan Park in Wells – a residential park with campsite and holiday lodges. The move comes just over a year after Wookey Hole bought Bucklegrove Holiday Park in the Cheddar Valley – a seven acre mixed holiday park. The site has been extensively upgraded and business has doubled since Wookey Hole bought the site. Wookey Hole is a popular tourist attraction with over 20 attractions, including the famous caves, a 4D cinema, circus shows and a mirror maze. The business also runs a 58 bed hotel and 10 lodges at its Wookey Hole site. Stephens Scown LLP advised Wookey Hole Ltd on the six figure deal and funding came from Handelsbanken

Wookey Hole Ltd
Tel.01749 672243
www.wookeyhotel.co.uk

Holiday Habits Revealed

Posted on September 5, 2018

Holiday Habits Revealed

New survey data reveals the truth behind the nation’s holiday habits, and exposes exactly just how and what we’re spending on those all-important holidays. When it comes to holidays, the people of the UK certainly aren’t holding back on their spending. Ocean Florida’s data reveals that 16% of people in the UK are splurging between £3,000 and £10,000 on their summer getaway. It’s not just money, but time that people are willing to give as just under a third of holiday makers (31%) are opting to go on holiday, not once, but twice a year. Those with children are actually far more likely to take multiple holidays a year, with 34% of families taking two holidays a year, as opposed to only 28% of households without children. Millennials were also taking less holidays each year compared to families with kids, as only 32% stated they take two holidays a year. So, although it may be thought that millennials have more disposable income and time, it’s not always being spent on holidays. When it comes to spending money on holiday accessories, such as clothes, it’s those without children who are spending more. A third (30%) of respondents without kids spent between £101 and £250, compared to only a quarter of those with children.

For more information please visit www.ocean-florida.co.uk

Brexit Bonus For UK Holiday Sector

Posted on September 5, 2018

Brexit Bonus For UK Holiday Sector

A record number of Britons are choosing to take their holidays in this country, early reports on 2018 trends suggest. The Brexit decision fall-out, implicit in the the falling value of the pound, means holiday makers are being turned off the stress and strain associated with overseas trips. A survey published last month suggested that more than four out of five Britons would rather stay at home than suffer the stresses of traveling abroad. At the same time, they are being lured to stay closer to home by the extended spell of sizzling summer weather. Research, by Barclays, has found that more than a third of Britons will have taken holidays closer to home this year, with 21 per cent using this as their main holiday. Rural areas are expected to benefit most, with southwest England attracting 30 per cent of holidaymakers and Scotland drawing 22 per cent. This growing trend for staycations has led to a nine per cent rise in revenue at Britain’s biggest holiday parks, according to research by the lender Ortus Secured Finance. Turnover at the 100 largest operators reached £2.7 billion last year, up from £2.46 billion in 2012. “Caravan, camping and holiday parks are going from strength to strength,” Jon Salisbury, OSF’s managing director, told The Times.

TRAVEL STRESS

Parkdean Resorts, which was the UK’s largest holiday park operator, was sold to Onex, a Canadian private equity company, for £1.35 billion in December. Rivals, Park Leisure 2000, was sold for £103 million to a consortium led by Midlothian Capital Partners in February, and Intermediate Capital bought Park Holidays for £362 million last year. A rise in overseas visitors and the growing popularity of staycations have helped boost UK tourism. Inbound tourism to Britain is also booming, with foreign tourists attracted by the weak pound. According to Visit Britain, inbound flight bookings for April to September surged by 21 per cent compared with the same period last year. Patricia Yates, strategy and communications director of Visit Britain, said that there was “particularly strong demand from our long-haul, high-spending markets, China and the US”. However, foreign visitors prefer city breaks, with 67 per cent visiting only London while in the UK. About 30 million British citizens holiday in other EU countries every year, accounting for 76 per cent of the outbound travel market. However, John Lennon of Glasgow Caledonian University has forecast that the costs of flying, travel insurance and mobile data usage could soar after Britain leaves the EU. A legal framework for flights after Brexit has yet to be agreed and airlines warned that with more than 60 agreements to be renegotiated, planes could be grounded until a deal is reached.

Pooch Power

Posted on June 29, 2018

Pooch Power - Dog Friendly Parks

Dogs are one of the biggest winners of Britain’s holiday park boom with many more pooches now enjoying holidays, as part of the family, rather than being left at home in kennels. Park Holidays UK, for instance, confirms it welcomed more than 5,200 dogs in 2017, and is on target for even bigger figures this year. Overall, it says, guests bringing pets have risen by over 60% in the past three years. Now the group, which boasts 26 seaside holiday parks in southern England, has also decided that Rex will no longer have to ‘ruff’ it in budget Bronze accommodation. This year, the doors of selected Silver and Gold standard holiday homes are being fl ung open so that owners and their pets can enjoy their stay in style Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish said the move is designed to provide a wider choice for the growing number of people who are now opting for a UK holiday: “Staycations might be providing a big boost to Britain’s tourism economy, but it’s the nation’s dogs which have the biggest smiles on their faces,” he said. “Many families tell us they hated being separated from their pets when they went abroad, and felt guilty that their four-legged friends weren’t with them. “Our holiday parks are also a great place to exercise a dog on a lead as the grounds are virtually traffic-free, and all have nearby countryside and coastal footpaths. “Dogs benefit as much as humans from a change of scenery, and owners won’t be fretting that their pets are pining for them in expensive boarding kennels far away,” added Tony.

Holiday Resort Unity also offers a range of pet-friendly accommodation which equates to 15% of its total fl eet, as well as accepting pets on touring and camping fields. Last year, HRU say 9,432 dogs stayed with them. The company also allows holiday home owners to fence in their own gardens and this is a big draw when a dog-owning customer is looking to purchase a holiday home, so having a dog friendly venue is really important for the business. “Our location is a draw for customers with pets as we are a short walk from the sandy beaches of Berrow and Brean which stretches for nearly fi ve miles and from the other side of the park there are numerous footpaths that head out into the country side,” says Director Alan House. “We also have a designated dog walk area on the park which is very popular with guests and owners,” Alan adds. “With our pet friendly units, on our hiring fl eet, we have switched out carpets and replaced them with vinyl floor coverings to help with cleaning and we also have a number of units with fenced gardens.” With a new stretch of the England Coast Path just opened alongside Brean Leisure Park, an increase in the number of dog walkers would be inevitable. All pet owners would be welcome, said Alan, whether staying on the holiday park or not. Backing their pet-friendly mission, HRU’s Brean Somerset holiday park recently opened a new café, called Coast, which is welcoming both humans and hounds. HRU is putting pooches on a pedestal by offering them their own food and drinks menu when they visit with their owners.

Alfie and Poppy’s special menu includes starters, main courses and desserts – plus, of course, a selection of drinks such as Pawsecco and Bottom Sniffer Beer, both made for dogs. Instead of being forced to lie on a hard floor, Tysons, Milos and Max’s will have their creature comforts provided for by a soft blanket on which to recline. “We listen very carefully to our customers all the time, and their feedback on this issue was that they didn’t want their four-legged friends separated from the family at meal-times,” says Alan. “So when we created Coast, we decided to go the extra mile and not only invite dogs in to the café, but to present them with their own three-course menu to chew over. “Now we have solved everyone’s doggy dilemma at a stroke, and customer reaction has been brilliant!” he adds. Park Leisure, know that many of its owners see their pets as another member of the family, and there’s nothing worse than the prospect of having to leave your four-legged friend behind whilst you head off to make memories. That’s why every single one of their 12 parks are pet friendly, creating the perfect luxury home-from-home experience. Beautifully located across the UK in stunning country and coastal settings, many of our parks are perfectly placed just minutes away from spectacular dog-friendly beaches, pubs, and picturesque walking trails, creating an idyllic base for a getaway for the whole family. Home owners can obtain information about nearby dog-friendly destinations by popping into their owner’s lounge.

Approximately 50% of Park Leisure holiday home owners have dogs, and feedback demonstrates that the parks’ dog friendly facilities have been a real attraction when prospective customers are making a purchasing decision. Park Leisure ensures all facilities accommodate pets and their owners, with the following facilities currently available to dog owners: • Exclusive dog walking areas, offering a safe place for dogs to play freely • Disposal bins situated throughout the parks for easy dog-waste disposal • Designated drinking areas for dogs • An array of walking paths and routes to choose from, ranging from long adventurous walks to relaxing strolls • On-park convenience store offering dog related products Just recently, Malvern View Country & Leisure Park has added a custom-built, five-star treat and water station for the abundance of dogs on-site – one of Park Leisure’s most popular destinations for animal lovers, a whopping 60% at Malvern View are pet owners. For those who want to dine with their four-legged friends in tow, both Brynteg and Plas Coch Coastal and Country Retreats offer dog friendly restaurant and bar options. We hope you get the message. Holiday parks need to not just be Fido-friendly but specifically cater for our canine customers. For there is no doubting the pulling power of pooches when it comes to attracting and retaining a special breed of customer. Those who fail to heed the doggy command are truly missing out.

FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS

Whitehill Country Park in South Devon has set tails wagging with the launch of extra dog-friendly features for four-legged guests. Further fanning the Paignton Park’s pooch appeal are new ‘dogs welcome’ caravans, including a boutique range for hounds looking to holiday in style. Better still, the family-run holiday park has also introduced a warm doggy shower which offers Fido a nose-to-tail makeover after a muddy walk. The new sprinkle-spa is one of many dog-friendly facilities found at the park with its dedicated pet exercise area and complimentary doggy bags available to owners. Whitehill Country Park marketing director Claire Jeavons says there has been a steady rise in demand for dog-friendly accommodation over recent years: “It’s estimated that around twelve million households in the UK own pets, including over eight million dogs of all shapes and sizes. “Dogs are always regarded as very much part of the family, and our aim at Whitehill is to make them feel just as welcome as their human counterparts by introducing more dog-friendly caravans, and features such as our new doggy showers.” The wide range of dog-friendly accommodation includes caravan holiday homes, luxury lodges, and touring and camping pitches. In addition, all guests holidaying with dogs are given a Whitehill Doggy Information Guide on arrival which highlights delightful dog-friendly walks and attractions found in Devon.

SETTING DOGGY TAILS WAGGING

Family-run Beverley Holidays in Paignton set tails wagging with a Bring Your Dog To Work Day. Staff were joined in the workplace by their canine companions to support two top animal welfare charities as part of a nationwide initiative of which Beverley is an offi cial sponsor. Highlights of the day included a Crufts-inspired parade of pooches, a series of challenges to fi nd which pets had the Rex-factor, and a ‘Beverley’s Best in Show’ fi nale. The fundraising initiative coincides with news that the group has opened its doors to man’s best friend with a range of dog-friendly holiday caravans and facilities on Beverley Bay for 2017. Pet owners can now choose from a range of holiday caravans kitted-out for hounds who like to holiday in style, coupled with a dedicated dog exercise area. Its warm doggy shower is also proving a ‘pooch-tastic’ hit, providing dogs with privacy while they clean their muddy paws, plus an ‘A-la-bark’ menu, and Beverley Doggy Holiday Guide for guests. Beverley Holidays director Claire Jeavons, said: “Dogs are very much part of the family, and our aim at Beverley is to make them feel just as welcome as their human counterparts. “Our introduction of our dog-friendly caravans and facilities for 2017 is already proving very popular among owners and dogs alike,” she added.

FIDO-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY FACILITIES

Over several years the Bridge Leisure owned Hedley Wood site, in Bridgerule, on the Devon and Cornwall border, has introduced a wide range of outdoor equipment to appeal to pet owners. New dog kennels have been introduced for 2018, with outside showers also available to help owners clean their pets after walks along the park’s own nature trail, or on the region’s many pet-friendly beaches. Dog bins are located across the park, helping guests keep the setting clean and tidy. The park has complemented the outdoor developments with the addition of new dog beds for every caravan, and doggie welcome packs including biscuits, bags and information about local pet-friendly attractions. Bridge Leisure has also turned an empty field into a dog agility course at its Hedley Wood It’s the latest in a series of developments that the business hopes will help it become the South West’s most popular pet-friendly holiday park. The new development was the brainchild of general manager Paul Murphy, who believes the addition of specialist dog agility equipment will create a talking point that encourages guests to spread the word about the park’s pet friendly credentials. Says Paul, “It’s not unusual for holiday parks to have a dog walking area for guests, but how many pull out all the stops to make this part of their park memorable? “Around 90% of visitors to Hedley Wood come with dogs, so we’ve decided we’re going to tailor our outdoor spaces to suit them. The feedback from pet owners has been terrific – they love the fact that we are putting them first.”

Face-To-Face With Industry Experts

Posted on June 29, 2018

Face-To-Face With Industry Experts

The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show is back at the NEC, Birmingham on the 7th and 8th November providing holiday and leisure entrepreneurs with an unparalleled opportunity to make the most of their resorts, holiday parks and attractions by delivering first-hand the very best in advice, products and services.

Combining world class experts, face-to-face advice, 150 inspirational seminars, 350 leading suppliers, workshops, unrivaled networking and live features all under one roof - these two days are truly unmissable for anyone in this sector!
Whether you’re relatively new in the holiday market and looking for inspiration and advice or an established business looking for new and exciting ways to improve your offering, the event covers everything you need to run your holiday business more efficiently.
Discover all the latest technology and trends from within the sector and find out more about current marketing and business strategies. The industry’s most innovative and influential figures will pass on their peerless knowledge and advice and ultimately help you stand out from the competition and increase your occupancy rates.
Tickets to attend are free and you can register via the website at www.holidayparkshow.co.uk

Scottish Honours For Perthshire Park

Posted on June 29, 2018

Scottish Honours For Perthshire Park

Blairgowrie Holiday Park in Perthshire has been named as Scotland’s Best Caravan Site of the Year at the Scottish Hospitality Awards which took place at Crowne Plaza, Glasgow.
The annual awards highlight hospitality enterprises which offer exceptional standards of facilities and services, and take into account the feedback given by customers.
Wood Leisure started life just almost 40 years ago when husband and wife Colin and Margaret Wood acquired picturesque Blairgowrie Holiday Park. The couple invested much time, effort and resources to create what is now one of Scotland’s most highly regarded and multi-award winning holiday parks.
Building on their success, Colin and Margaret then went on to develop five other parks using the same business formula of combining high quality surroundings with excellent customer service. Their other parks are Corriefodly Holiday Park in Perthshire, Deeside Holiday Park near Aberdeen, Lomond Woods Holiday Park in Ballock, and Campsie Glen near Stirling.
The family’s portfolio was added to earlier this year with the acquisition of Callander Woods Holiday park - formerly Gart caravan park – in Perthshire. At Blairgowrie Holiday Park, guests have the choice of a wide range of accommodation options including luxury lodges with private hot tubs as well as touring pitches.
The Wood family are not strangers to receiving accolades for their parks, as all have been graded by VisitScotland at the top level of excellence

School Focus On Tourism Business

Posted on June 26, 2018

School Focus On Tourism Business

Owners of a picturesque Welsh border caravan holiday home park invited children and teachers from the local primary school to pay a visit during Wales Tourism Week.
Pupils of Brynhafren Primary School, Crew Green, between Welshpool and Shrewsbury, spent the morning at Seven Oaks Holiday Home Park where they were given a guided tour before enjoying a picnic in May sunshine yesterday (Thursday).
The 119-pitch park is owned by caravan and
motor-home dealership Salop Leisure and the company’s managing director Mark Bebb and marketing manager Ed Glover joined park managers Ron and Margaret Brace in welcoming the school party.
Mr Bebb spoke to the children about the aims of Wales Tourism Week and the importance of tourism to the Welsh economy. He explained that the five star park is popular with people living in the West Midlands who like to escape from urban areas to relax in the beautiful countryside of Mid Wales.
He explained that the school and the park had a longstanding relationship, as pupils had planted the first seven oaks there when it opened and then returned to plant more oaks on a new section a few years ago. The trees are now well established.
Most caravan holiday homes and lodges on the 40-acre park have views of the River Severn and are bordered by mature trees, banks of shrubs and immaculately kept grass down to the riverside.
Mr Bebb said: “Tourism is one of the major employment sectors in Wales and it’s absolutely vital that we engage with young people and make them aware of the exciting career opportunities that are available within the industry.”