summer season

HIGHLAND CALVES HELP DRIVE BOOKINGS

Posted on August 3, 2026

MEET EDDIE AND DEAN, Lynmouth Holiday Retreat’s newly christened cows with a Highland heritage

A light-hearted social media competition has delivered serious business benefits for Lynmouth Holiday Retreat, with the North Devon holiday park reporting a surge in summer bookings after inviting the public to name its two new Highland calves.

The five-star holiday park, overlooking Lynmouth on the edge of Exmoor, launched the competition after its family owners were unable to agree on names for the popular pair. The campaign offered a complimentary holiday as the prize and attracted thousands of views and entries across social media.

The winning names, Eddie and Dean, were chosen as a tribute to the Scottish cities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen, celebrating the calves’ Highland heritage. The prize was awarded to Helen Peers and her son Ollie from Leicester, who will enjoy a stay in one of the park’s Stargazer Geo Domes.

Park director Ian James said the campaign had significantly raised the profile of the business, helping boost bookings ahead of the peak summer season. He added that many families have specifically asked whether they will be able to meet Eddie and Dean during their visit.

The campaign highlights how creative, low-cost marketing initiatives can increase engagement, generate online visibility and help holiday parks strengthen bookings by creating memorable experiences that extend beyond traditional accommodation and facilities.

HOLIDAYS ON A SHOESTRING

Posted on May 15, 2024

Latest consumer spending figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal UK households spent over £175.4bn on hotels and restaurants in 2023, as the holiday industry rebounded from Covid. The figures reveal a rise of almost 6% on 2022’s spend of £165.7bn.

Brits also splashed £21.8bn on UK-based tourist activities, up from £16.7bn in 2022. It wasn’t only hotels that benefitted from last year’s ‘staycation’ bug. Last year, they also spent £38.3bn on holiday accommodation, such as holiday lets. That was up 6.7% from 2022’s £35.9bn.

While these record figures eclipse even the peak pre-Covid year of 2019, and are encouraging results for Britain’s tourist trade, the sharp rise in spending is also causing some concern. “It’s really great to see Britain’s hard- pressed hotel and tourism industries bounce back from the horrific impact of Covid,” says Lily Smith, a travel expert from the specialist accommodation finder UniversityRooms.

“The amount Brits spent on UK hotels and restaurants plummeted from a height of £144bn in pre-Covid 2019 to £88bn in 2020 – a collapse of nearly 40% – so damaging was the impact of the virus. “Similarly, spending on other accommodation fell from £31.9bn in 2019 to £15.4bn in 2020 as Covid took a grip.”

Looking at these ONS figures, it’s little wonder that many Brits, who want to enjoy seeing new parts of their own country, are now thinking twice. Some Brits clearly feel overseas holidays already represent better value than holidaying in the UK. “We spent £77.9bn on foreign holidays last year, another new record and up significantly from £66.8bn in 2022,” says Lily.

“Clearly, Brits on a budget need to think beyond traditional hotels and holiday accommodation to visit some of our most popular holiday spots. That’s why an increasing number of us are planning to stay in vacant university rooms for our next holiday. “That’s a clever call, as many universities offer rooms that are great value, centrally located and are still readily available to book for the peak summer season.

Best of all, you can stay in them even if you are not a student. Some universities are a destination in their own right. It’s possible to stay in rooms in historic locations such as Oriel and Magdalen colleges in Oxford. Similarly, you can have rooms dating back centuries in Corpus Christi or have breakfast or brunch in the dramatic Gothic dining Hall at Kings in Cambridge. A night’s stay in Magdalen college can cost as little as £55, dependent on date.

HOLE IN ONE FOR STONHAM BARNS

Posted on May 11, 2023

HOLE IN ONE FOR STONHAM BARNS

STONHAM HAVE ADDED a pay and play adventure footgolf course to its sporting offering.

The Golf Park at Suffolk’s Stonham Barns Park is a family business – owned by Tony and Helen Dobson – which has been operating since 1996 and has evolved from a driving range and mini putt course to a full-blown golf activity centre including Adventure Golf, Indoor Simulator Golf, Scenic 9 Hole course with Footgolf and now a dedicated Adventure Footgolf course.

The centre employs eight members of staff plus it has three PGA coaching professionals, Tony Dobson, Rob Pritchard and Luke Green. The business peaks during the summer season but stays busy during the off season with its variety of golf facilities including its indoor golf simulators.

Stonham Barns Golf Park has been offering Footgolf – the hybrid sport combining football and golf – since 2014 and as a result of the Golf Park’s growing reputation, has developed its facilities to include a new nine-hole Smugglers Pass Adventure Footgolf course from this spring. Its name Smugglers Pass Adventure Footgolf works in synergy with Stonham Barns Golf Park’s ever-popular Pirate Themed Adventure Golf Course which is already a favourite with both holiday visitors and locals alike.

The Smuggler’s Pass Adventure Footgolf Course includes …
• Pirate Themed - 9 holes
• Par 36
• 632 yards long
• Suitable for all ages and abilities
• Still a challenge for the serious player
• Over 700 plants/trees on the course
• Over 50 barrels as obstacles

Footballs are provided by the club and once players have finished their game, they can head over the Legends Sports Bar for drinks and food. The bar has Wi-Fi access and BT Sport and Sky Sports to catch up on all the sporting action.

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS FOR WOOD LEISURE

Posted on October 27, 2022

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS FOR WOOD LEISURE

PHOTO LEFT TO RIGHT: Bruce Thomson, Carlie Woods, Margaret Wood, Sarah Wood MacGregor, Kirsty Wood Thomson, Calum MacGregor.

 

Wood Leisure Holiday Parks are enjoying a double celebration after winning the Best Holiday Park, in the coveted Scottish Hospitality Awards, whilst celebrating their 40th anniversary in business. The award was won by Wood Leisure for Blairgowrie Holiday Park, which was the very first holiday park opened by the company 40 years ago.

The family owned and operated company was founded in 1981 by Colin and Margaret Wood, and has its head office in Blairgowrie, Perthshire. The business has almost 500 holiday homeowners, 130 self-catering lodges, caravan holiday homes, ensuite glamping and camping pods.

Colin Wood commented: “Family has always been at the heart of the business. I am delighted that our three daughters, Rachel, Kirsty, and Sarah, having grown up on the parks, have each returned to take their place within the family business. They continue to uphold our family values for the parks, whilst bringing fresh innovative ideas to take the company forward.”

Sarah Wood, Sales Director added: “We are delighted to be kicking off the summer season by winning Best Holiday Park in Scotland and to be able to bring the trophy back to Perthshire, to our team at Blairgowrie Holiday Park. We recognise that The Scottish Hospitality awards are voted for by the public, and we would also like to thanks all our guests and holiday home owners that took the time to vote for us.”

“After an incredibly difficult period for all tourism business, it is wonderful to be able to celebrate this good news. Demand for staycations with Wood Leisure continues to be incredibly positive in 2022. “The company has also seen increased demand for holiday homes as people chose to invest in lodges and caravan holiday homes for their families to come together and enjoy. The business has also benefitted from the increasing popularity of motorhomes and touring, with the popularity of the Northcoast 500.”

£200K SUPER PITCHES INVESTMENT

Posted on October 28, 2021

£200K SUPER PITCHES INVESTMENT

 

Cofton Holidays has invested £200,000 in 48 new super pitches to cope with record demand for staycations from caravaners and owners of recreational vehicles (RVs).
Named as the UK’s Best Caravan/ Campsite at the prestigious iTravel Staycation Awards 2020/21, the family-run holiday park, situated close to Dawlish Warren’s Blue Flag Beach, has increased the number of super pitches for RVs and caravans from 26 to 74 pitches, almost tripling its offering.
The holiday park experienced a dramatic surge in bookings from guests with caravans and RVs over the peak summer season. Bookings were up 20% on 2019, hitting a record high for occupancy levels. The lift in demand followed news that the number of people buying caravans in the UK has increased by around a fifth, according to caravan trader Robinsons Caravans*.
Solidifying its reputation as an all-weather all-year-round holiday destination, Cofton’s new super pitches feature brick paver and gravel bases which protect each pitch from the rain. To ensure that camping enthusiasts experience a stress-free staycation too, Cofton is also offering electricity access to those with tents during the peak summer season.
The new hard-standing super pitches include water and waste connections and 16-amp electric hook-ups.
Located towards the top of the park as well as close to the popular fishing lakes, users have access to covered washing up areas, a grass area behind the hard-standing pitches, an on-site laundrette, newly refurbished heated toilet and shower blocks, TV aerial points and Wi-Fi at an extra charge. Nearby, the camp shop stocks everything campers might need, ranging from freshly baked croissants to tent pegs.