UK Holiday Park Sector

THE UK’S BIGGEST TOURISM & LEISURE EVENT RETURNS

Posted on November 4, 2025

Taking place on 5-6 November 2025, NEC Birmingham...

The Land Leisure & Tourism Show is the UK’s largest event dedicated to holiday parks, leisure, attractions and rural businesses. Welcoming over 400 exhibitors and thousands of visitors, the show provides a creative space where you can gather ideas and learn from other experts in the field.

Whether you’re an established industry professional seeking fresh concepts or a newcomer looking to maximise your land’s potential, this event provides a unique platform for networking, learning, and innovation.

A HUB FOR INDUSTRY GROWTH AND INSPIRATION
This year’s show brings together three sectors under one roof, Holiday Parks, Family Attractions and Resorts, and Hospitality, creating an unmissable opportunity to explore the latest trends, connect with leading suppliers, and discover innovative solutions to enhance your business.

Plus with the Farm Business Innovation Show running alongside, farmers and landowners can access even more expert guidance on diversification and land optimisation.

EXPERT-LED SEMINARS & INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLES
Gain valuable insights from industry experts through a packed schedule of seminars, workshops, and discussion panels. The show’s keynote, Geoffrey Smith, CEO of Meadow Bay Villages, will open with a fresh perspective on the UK holiday park sector, rethinking the holiday experience through innovation and investment.

Expect thought-provoking discussions, covering key issues, trends, and opportunities that will shape the future of land, leisure, and tourism. This unique platform provides both professionals and newcomers in the industry the opportunity to network, learn and explore new opportunities.

Gain valuable insights from industry experts through a packed schedule of seminars, workshops, and discussion panels.

NEW FOCUS ON HOSPITALITY & VALUE-ADDED SERVICES
For 2025, we’re placing an even stronger emphasis on hospitality offerings, helping holiday park operators and rural businesses expand their services and increase profitability.

Expect tailored insights into enhancing guest experiences, adding premium facilities, and implementing effective marketing strategies to drive success.

YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT & GROW
Whether you’re looking to source new products, gain expert advice, or network with industry leaders, the Land Leisure & Tourism Show is the must- attend event to take your business to the next level.

Join us on 5-6 November 2025 at NEC Birmingham and be part of the UK’s most influential event for the tourism sector.
Scan the QR code to register for your free ticket today!

SPEAKERS NOT TO MISS!

MEADOW BAY VILLAGES REIMAGINING THE UK HOLIDAY PARK EXPERIENCE
05 Nov 2025 @ 10:00 - 10:30
Land, Leisure & Tourism Theatre

Geoffrey Smith, CEO of Meadow Bay Villages, opens the Land Leisure Tourism Show with a fresh perspective on the UK holiday park sector.

Discover how Meadow Bay is rethinking the holiday experience through innovation and investment and explore the opportunities shaping the future of holiday parks and rural leisure.

THE REAL COST OF ENERGY METERING - HEAR FROM PARKS WHO HAVE MADE THE SWITCH
05 Nov 2025 @ 10:00 - 10:30
Land, Leisure & Tourism Theatre

Join industry leaders and park owners as they share their real experiences with energy metering.

From reducing costs to improving guest satisfaction, hear first-hand what works, what doesn’t, and how.

HOW GULLIVER’S WORLD IS SHAPING TOMORROW’S ATTRACTIONS - JULIE DALTON, MANAGING DIRECTOR - GULLIVER’S THEME PARK RESORTS
06 Nov 2025 @ 10:00 - 10:30
Land, Leisure & Tourism Theatre

In this opening address, Julie Dalton, Managing Director of Gulliver’s Theme Parks and Resorts group, which includes Gulliver’s World, shares the journey of the independent, family-run theme park group as it adapts to shifting visitor expectations and industry challenges.

From launching immersive events and unique guest experiences to navigating changing leisure trends, Julie offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Gulliver’s has evolved its offer while staying true to its core values of affordability, accessibility, and family-first fun.

THIS YEARS MUST-SEE EXHIBTORS INCLUDE: TOP TEN

 

 

PARKDEAN RESORTS PROVIDES FREE ACCOMMODATION TO FRONT-LINE NHS WORKERS NATIONWIDE

Posted on May 19, 2020

13th May, 2020: The UK’s largest holiday park operator, Parkdean Resorts, has provided free accommodation to front-line NHS workers during the Coronavirus crisis.

After government instruction in March, the company’s 67 parks shut down, and were left empty, save for a handful of key security and maintenance staff on each park. With caravans and lodges available, Parkdean Resorts took the decision to contact local healthcare authorities to offer free accommodation on selected parks to NHS key workers in need of a convenient place to stay at the end of their shifts, or living with any vulnerable or at-risk family members.

So far, free accommodation has been offered to NHS workers at four parks across the country: Torquay, Whitley Bay in Northumberland, Vauxhall in Great Yarmouth, and Southview in Skegness. In total, the four parks have housed more than fifty key workers for a total of more than 1000 nights, with a total value of over £70,000.

Rob Warner, Operations Director for Parkdean Resorts said: “The vast majority of our teams live locally to our parks so they’ve been keen to give back to the local community and in particular to support NHS staff who have been doing such an incredible job throughout the Coronavirus crisis. As our own small way of showing our thanks and appreciation for all they have been doing, we were happy to offer our park facilities for free to support key workers.”

NHS Community support worker, Stephanie Head, was one of the key workers who took advantage of Parkdean Resorts’ offer of free accommodation, at Torquay. She said: “Due to living with my parents who are in their 70s, I had to find temporary accommodation to keep them safe. I cannot thank Parkdean and their staff enough for making this possible! The overall experience was perfect. The staff were friendly and helpful, and I could not fault the accommodation.”

NHS Operating Department Practitioner, Mark Simpson, stayed at Whitley Bay, adding, “I have three young children at home, who have been worried about the situation. I cannot thank Parkdean enough, their staff have been very friendly and the overall experience has been amazing.”

And NHS Pharmacist, Samuel Tsui, was grateful to be able to stay at Vauxhall: “I had come down to Norfolk to cover NHS Staff shortages in the area for a week. I had been struggling to find accommodation until I came across Vauxhall Holiday Park! I really can’t thank Parkdean Resorts enough. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, the park was very secure with locked gates and the caravan I stayed had everything I needed and was very comfortable, this allowed me to self- isolate efficiently and get a good night’s rest after a long day at work. Thank you, Vauxhall, for opening your doors for NHS staff in these uncertain times!”

Throughout the lockdown, many of Parkdean Resorts’ holiday park teams have also shown support for their local communities by donating tens of thousands of pounds worth of unused food to local foodbanks and charities.

Parkdean Resorts is the UK’s largest operator of caravan, lodge, cabin, glamping and camping holiday resorts, and was named Best UK Family Holiday Company 2019 at the British Travel Awards, the UK’s biggest opinion poll for travel and tourism in the country. Earlier this year, the company announced an investment of over £80million in its business across Britain.

Don’t Slip Up

Posted on January 6, 2014

Don’t Slip Up

Be sure to choose an insurance company that structures cover around your needs.

Be sure to choose an insurance company that structures cover around your needs.

Recent times have highlighted the need for robust insurance protection as climate change brings unprecedented challenges to the UK holiday park sector.
We have not yet witnessed a re-run of the disastrous 1987 storm but we are seeing a rise in the frequency of significant flooding and storms across the country. We have also seen the effects of earlier than anticipated and prolonged winter periods.
Holiday parks offer a unique blend of risks to the insurance market and choosing the right partner can be the difference between success and failure in the event of a catastrophe. Parks are, by their very nature, exposed to the elements, presenting challenges to the insurance market.
Lorica Insurance Brokers specialise in the leisure sector, providing individual solutions for the protection of property, income and legal liability to employees and visitors. Stefan Puttnam, executive director at Lorica explains: “When considering risks to a holiday park we tend to concentrate on the core facilities and what would happen were they to suffer loss but, just as important, is the interdependent relationship between this and the guest accommodation whether it be holiday homes, chalets, lodges or caravans. Losing one will impact on the viability of the other ultimately leading to lost revenue.”
He adds: “There are many complex and supposedly sophisticated ways to arrange cover but the simple fact is that nothing beats a straightforward conversation based around ‘what if’ scenarios. Every business is different, so when it comes to insurance, it’s not a case of one size fits all.”

MIND THE PITFALLS

Coast Insurance stress that insurance doesn’t just protect against small accidents, losses or theft, but it could save a huge financial bill in the event of something beyond control.

Coast Insurance stress that insurance doesn’t just protect against small accidents, losses or theft, but it could save a huge financial bill in the event of something beyond control.

Stefan urges holiday park owners to insist upon your insurance advisor not accepting any policy warranties or conditions precedent to liability within the contracts of the insurance they arrange for you. These restrictions are particularly dangerous as they will require you to do, or not to do certain things. Failure to comply can result in policy cancellation or refusal to pay a claim despite the fact that the breach may bear no relevance to the claim itself. They should be avoided at all costs.
Basic level cover falls under the banner of Increased Costs of Working, which merely provides protection for additional expenditure reasonably and necessarily incurred after a loss. However, park owners should be made aware that there will be no cover to meet lost revenues.
Stefan says: “Like anything, there needs to be a balance between peace of mind and the level of premium you are able to expend.
“My advice is to firstly explore your unique exposures before considering the costs. Rash decisions based merely on premium costs could cripple your business. Understand the exposure, establish the cover needed, define the mitigating factors and let your broker sell it to the insurance market rather than the other way around.”
Insurance policies generally contain an overarching requirement for holiday park owners to disclose all material facts to an insurer. Failure to do so can ultimately render the cover void. Whilst it is unlikely to be able to negotiate removal, it is possible to water down the requirement so that in the event of an innocent non-disclosure of a material fact, it will not render the cover void and insurers will meet the claim subject to park owners paying an additional premium.
When taking out insurance, Stefan advises holiday park owners to consider less obvious scenarios – “What would happen if your guests were unable to gain access to their brand new holiday home due to an incident outside the park? What would happen if there were an outbreak of a notifiable human disease?
Ultimately you know your business best, align this to the specialist support of an insurance broker who understands the holiday park sector to put you at the front of the queue to not only survive a catastrophe but thrive where others may not.”

Company Contacts

Lorica Insurance Brokers
Tel. 0844 573 7691
www.loricainsurance.com

Coast Insurance
Tel. +44 (0)1892 784059
www.coastinsurance.co.uk

Wilby Ltd
Tel. +44 (0)1422 358525
www.wilbyltd.co.uk

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