Acclaim For Former Dairy Farmers

Posted on November 3, 2017

Acclaim For Former Dairy Farmers

A family-run holiday business has claimed a double victory at this year’s Rural Business Awards (RBA’s).

Not only did Hoe Grange win the Best Rural Tourism Business category, it also pipped 12 other category winners to be crowned as the Champion of Champions. The Derbyshire farm, which specialises in high quality disabled access, was awarded the prize by Harper Adams University, ahead of runners-up Barleylands Farm Park and Craft Village in the only UK-wide programme dedicated to showcasing the success of rural businesses.

David Brown from Hoe Grange Holidays said: “We started out as dairy farmers but spotted an opportunity to diversify our business and offer a positive experience for people to enjoy the Derbyshire countryside.

“To have our success acknowledged at the Rural Business Awards is testament to all our hard work and to the people who have supported us along the way. It’s obviously a great honour to be named as Champion of Champions at this year’s ceremony and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for our business.”

When David and Felicity Brown first investigated self-catering tourism to supplement their dairy farm income in 2005, market research showed there was a large supply of standard self-catering properties in the Peak District but a lack of accessible accommodation. Over the past decade Hoe Grange Holidays has become a specialist in accessible accommodation, winning many national awards.

Top Scoring Shropshire Parks

Posted on September 8, 2017

Top Scoring Shropshire Parks

Five touring caravan parks owned by Shrewsbury-based Morris Leisure based have all achieved a Certificate of Excellence from the traveller review website TripAdvisor.

Stanmore Hall Touring Park at Bridgnorth, Ludlow Touring Park in Ludlow, Oxon Hall Touring Park in Shrewsbury, Riverside Touring Park in Betws-y-Coed and Llanberis Touring Park in Llanberis have all been recognised by TripAdvisor after receiving consistently great reviews from caravanners and motorhome owners over the past year.

Rural Business Award Celebrations

Posted on September 8, 2017

Rural Business Award Celebrations

The best of the country’s rural tourism sector – from fully disabled-accessible cottages to the best in-farm visitor education – have been rewarded by being named finalists for Best Rural Tourism Business in the Rural Business Awards (RBAs) 2017. The awards, run in partnership with the CLA and Amazon, are the only UK-wide programme dedicated to showcasing the success of rural businesses. Now in their third year and with nearly three times as many entries as in 2016, they are split into 13 sections across the industry. The five finalists for Best Rural Tourism Business:

• Hoe Grange Holidays, based in Matlock, Derbyshire

• Barleylands Farm Park and Craft Village, based in Billericay, Essex

• The Rookery, based in Roughlee, Lancashire

• Ceridwen Centre Ltd, based in Llandysul, Carmarthenshire

• Humble Bee Leisure, based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Wish You Were Here – Highlands End Holiday Park

Posted on September 7, 2017

Wish You Were Here - Highlands End Holiday Park

For TV drama fans, Highlands End Holiday Park is spectacularly located on the clifftop overlooking West Bay, the setting of ITV’s Broadchurch.

The lodges and some of the touring caravans and motorhome pitches on the park have views out over Broadchurch while some of the other caravans, and camping pitches overlook the ‘Broadchurch Hut’ and Eype Beach. Part of West Dorset Leisure Holidays, a family run group, Highlands End Holiday Park is located on the clifftop near West Bay in Dorset and enjoys panoramic views across 99 miles of World Heritage Jurassic Coastline.

Highlands End has been providing memorable holidays for families, friends and couples for decades and todays accommodation includes luxury lodges, glamping pods, caravan holiday homes, apartments, bungalows and pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes and tents – many of which enjoy fantastic views over the surrounding coast and countryside. The park is particularly popular with star gazers and dog owners, who enjoy the clear night skies and mile after mile of footpath to explore.

The Park has a newly refurbished bar and restaurant with one of the largest and most important private collections of fire service memorabilia in the country. The collection has been built up over three decades by Martin Cox, a member of the family who have owned Highlands End – and its four sister parks – for 45 years.

As well as ‘Martin’s Bar & Restaurant,’ the parks highly-praised facilities include a Leisure Club which incorporates a pool, sauna and steam room, a shop specialising in fresh Dorset produce and a pitch and putt course that is great for the whole family.

Highlands End Holiday Park
Tel. 01308 422 139
www.highlandsendholidaypark.co.uk

Return On Searles Leisure Investment

Posted on September 1, 2017

Return On Searles Leisure Investment

Norfolk’s Searles Leisure Resort says investments of over £1 million have helped put the park on course for the busiest ever summer in its 60-plus year history. The multi-award winning Hunstanton venue met its deadline of adding the extra facilities by the start of the school holidays with the investments in a raft of new activities, including an innovative new indoor splash zone.

Managing Director, Paul Searle, Chairman of the BHPHA says providing first-class facilities and experiences for touring guests is still the park’s core aim. He commented: “I think that many people now realise that, compared with going abroad, British park holidays offer great value and a far more relaxing time for the whole family.”

The site is also celebrating receiving AA’s Gold Pennant after meeting the stringent conditions of a five-pennant rating – and then going on to achieve a quality score of over 90 per cent in that band. “The AA’s awards put a strong emphasis on the hospitality which qualifying parks provide, and here we are indebted to our hard-working staff team at Searles,” said Paul adding: “Our thanks go to them, and to our many loyal touring customers.”

New Seaside Star For Park Holidays UK

Posted on September 1, 2017

New Seaside Star For Park Holidays UK

Park Holidays UK has completed the acquisition of Pevensey Bay Holiday Park near Eastbourne in Sussex. Formerly known as Martello Beach Holiday Park, the site boasts private beach access and a jetty for boats and jet-skis, and is the 28th park to join the Park Holidays UK group.

The site presently provides 265 holiday homes, both privately owned and available to rent, all set in picturesque landscaped grounds amid the countryside of the Sussex Weald. Owners and holiday guests are provided with a long line-up of leisure facilities including an indoor swimming pool, spa pool and sauna, and a fully equipped gym and fitness centre. Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish said the Pevensey Bay’s previous owners had done a magnificent job in creating a park which provides a true sense of privilege: “The lovely setting obviously gives Pevensey Bay a head start, but the park and its superbly high standards is a perfect match for its surroundings,” said Tony.

“As a group, we have always been committed to operating parks which offer only the very best customer experiences and the best value in their class. “That’s why we will ensure that Pevensey Bay continues as an ideal base for families and those who enjoy activities such as sailing, rowing, jet-skiing and sea fishing. “All of our parks make important and substantial contributions to the local economies where they are based by generating millions of pounds of visitor spending,” said Tony. “Our intention is that Pevensey Bay will build even further on the support it already provides to many local small businesses and the people they employ,” he added.

Web Wise

Posted on September 1, 2017

Web Wise - Online Bookings

The sense that many potential customers are just looking, not booking is common. Web visitors often just want to get a picture of what’s available. At other times they’re unable to commit to plans until they’ve settled on exact dates with friends and family.

Whatever the reason, conversion rates in the travel industry are surprisingly low, and that’s why it is crucial for holiday park owners to get the booking process right. More people are using the web to shop around for holidays than ever before, and this means they’re only a swipe away from comparing prices with a competitor.

Research has shown that 37 per cent of consumers abandon travel purchases at the last minute because they want to do further research or find a cheaper price. But when margins in the industry are low, competing on price is difficult. Instead, holiday park owners should focus on delivering a streamlined shopping experience and a fuss-free checkout process. With so many holiday options on offer, it’s vital that potential customers don’t vanish at the finish line.

Choosing the most appropriate booking system requires park owners and managers to match their needs with the features of a product. But no two holiday parks are identical and it might seem difficult to find a system with all the necessary functions and flexibility. This is why CampManager, a leading Park Management Software provider, assists more than 300 campsites and caravan parks throughout the UK and Ireland with an online booking solution suited to the individual parks’ requirements.

“There are many different booking systems in the market, some of which have been adapted from hotel booking systems, which may not provide you with the pricing functionality that you require,” says Niall Norris of CampManager. “It’s important to select a booking system which is specifically designed to manage all your different pricing requirements – season dates, minimum stays and set arrival dates – and all your different rental accommodation and touring pitch characteristics.”

However, park owners should realise that the best solution may not come right out of a box. Sometimes choosing a booking system is more about modifying an existing offering to fit a park’s individual specifications. For Dafydd Lawrence, head of information systems at Bluestone National Park Resort, an award-winning retreat in the rolling Pembrokeshire countryside, it was important to create a bespoke solution that would fit with the park’s existing digital infrastructure.

“Having a web API in our main booking system allowed us to write our own online platform that talks directly to our booking system,” Lawrence explains. “Any system that makes you use an ‘off-the-shelf’ website or their own web booking engine can severely limit how much you can customise the experience for your guests.” The most obvious step to making booking on your site easy is to ensure that it works well on mobile devices.

To read more about getting 'Web Wise' please subscribe to Holiday Park Scene here.

COMPANY CONTACTS

CAMPMANAGER - Tel. 02081 331 005 - www.campmanager.com

GEMAPARK - Tel. 01983 282 420 - www.gemapark.co.uk

PITCHED - Tel. 01726 418 118 - www.pitched.co.uk

Peas In A Pod

Posted on September 1, 2017

Peas In A Pod

One in four holidaymakers are now choosing to stay in the UK rather than travel abroad. So, having compromised on flights, when it comes to booking closer to home, the calibre of accommodation is undoubtedly the decision maker or the deal breaker for potential holiday park guests.

From lodges to hobbit holes and from safari tents to yurts, holiday parks offer multiple levels of accommodation, with both varied quality and pricing. Of these, it is the fast-moving pod sector that currently stands out from the crowd.

The explosion of interest in pods is one of the key factors behind the rejuvenation of British camping with increasing numbers of young people and families opting to experience ‘the great outdoors’ while still appreciating the comforts of home. Since its first appearance in 2008 the pod has become a well-established and much enjoyed alternative to the tent and the caravan holiday home and is now a widely available feature on many sites throughout the UK and Ireland as well as most of the countries in Europe.

Although selling the idea of the new concept pods to holiday park operators was a challenge ten years ago, owners are now seeing the perks and can create an interesting setting with the added benefit of using ground that may be unsuitable for camping or tourers. “Pods can and will provide a good stream of income as they are set up nicely to offer an exclusive visitor experience,” says Ian Bone, Director of the Original Pod Company. Creators of the trademarked Pod range, Newfoundland Lodges are the originators of the pod concept.

CANVAS HOLIDAYS

Ian says the growth in the industry is a cause for innovation. “Our recent wet summers have tempered the ‘canvas holiday’ to some degree which has certainly been to our advantage, plus the pods are an all year round option and will see occupancy outside of the traditional camping season,” comments Ian. The Cowshed - a ‘boutique bunkhouse’ hostel in Uig on the Isle of Skye - highlights where the Pod is well placed, and how to make the most of this sector of the industry.

The Cowshed site was initially transformed by the new owners and quickly became a highly popular stopping off point for visitors to Skye and the Western Isles. To increase capacity and add interest an area of ground was developed at the back of the hostel which offered excellent views down to the harbour and the island seascapes beyond.

Says Ian: “The north-west coast of Scotland is a tough place when it comes to weather so it was decided to use Thermowood as external cladding on all seven of the MegaPod-S units as well as using double skinned outer walls.” The hostel is open all year and comfort levels need to be maintained.

“Overall, I think the diversity on offer is healthy and gives this sector energy,” says Ian. “We have been here from the start and have seen ideas come and go but it does seem to be the case that you have come to the market with something original if you want to survive” Although the glamping experience may be usurping the traditional camping holiday, there are still a variety of options for visitors hoping to have a break under canvas.

To find out more about accommodation options, please subscribe to Holiday Park Scene here.

COMPANY CONTACTS

BOLDSCAN - Tel. 01823 665 849 - www.boldscan.co.uk

FUTURE ROOMS - Tel. 01452 501 455 - www.podsbyfuturerooms.co.uk

NEWFOUNDLAND LTD - Tel. 01539 532 245 - www.thepod.info

PATHFINDER - Tel. 01626 833 799 - www.pathfinderhomes.co.uk

Haute Cuisine

Posted on September 1, 2017

Haute Cuisine

According to a 2017 report from the Office of National Statistics, Britons are spending more on eating out and short breaks than ever before. Great news for holiday park owners who, post-Brexit, are already reaping the benefits of the staycation trend. Increasingly demanding, UK holidaymakers want a whole lot more than a home away from home.

The trend for greater sophistication and refinement in holiday home design is filtering through to modern catering solutions too. A fine dining restaurant might not be the first thought when you think of a holiday park but Islawrffordd Caravan Park is no ordinary holiday park. Owned and run by the Evans Family since 1957, award-winning Islawrffordd provides the very best in quality facilities for its 201 holiday home bases, 75 fully serviced hard standing touring caravan/motorhome plots and 30 camping pitches.

Situated in the village of Talybont, at the southern end of the magnificent Snowdonia National Park coastline, Islawrffordd has seen considerable recent investment. In a park blessed with luxurious leisure facilities, even the toilet block of the touring area boasts under-floor heating. In 2015, a £500,000 investment brought to life a new fine dining experience, Nineteen57 restaurant.

“It was important to give the park bar and restaurant facilities that match the high standards of the rest of the site, explains Jane Evans. “Nineteen57 offers both formal and relaxed areas, and menus that appeal to the widest selection of customer tastes.”

A glance at the fine dining menu is enough to make your mouth water with such delights as pheasant with potato and thyme gratin and Welsh lamb, served with leek and cheddar croquette. Meals are prepared using locally sourced items and a 24 hour notice period for table bookings ensures the absolute freshest ingredients.

Jane Evans says; “The project has been incredibly successful for both the park and the local area. The park leases the building to chef Sion Wellings. We don’t have the expertise to run such an operation ourselves and outsourcing has given the chance for Sion, a talented local young chef, to have his own business.”

Outsourcing to catering professionals or franchises may be the norm but keeping catering services in-house can have benefits too. “The case for franchising a park’s catering operation can be quite compelling admits Michael Holgate of the Holgates parks group. “For a start, you can say goodbye to a whole host of admin issues, not to mention staffing headaches…but franchising will never happen at Holgates.”

To find out why, and to read more about making the most of 'Haute Cuisine' subscribe to Holiday Park Scene here.

Sub-Let Owner Pay Outs

Posted on September 1, 2017

Sub-Let Owner Pay Outs

People who turn their holiday homes into cash generators during the school summer holidays are now scooping pay-outs of more than £5,500 each, according to research undertaken by Park Holidays UK.

The group says that many owners let go of just six weeks in July and August to maximise income, and then enjoy well over 40 weeks of their own exclusive use. But such people aren’t necessarily missing out on a summer break, says Park Holidays UK, because what they earn can more than cover the cost of a holiday abroad.

Others simply prefer to make use of their holiday homes outside the main summer season, and to leave the busier weeks to fun-loving families and children.

Holiday Park Scene Magazine

Staycation

Acclaim For Former Dairy Farmers