Park News

Senior executives from the Caravan and Motorhome Club took a behind-the-scenes look this autumn at a major Lake District holiday park which is meeting new staycation opportunities.

Skelwith Fold in Ambleside, Lake District was the venue for the visit following a study tour earlier in summer to the Club's Coniston Park Coppice by members of BH&HPA's Cumbria branch.

The delegation was headed by the Club's director general Nick Lomas, and the aim was to see how one of the organisation's commercial counterparts was adapting to an evolving market.

Skelwith Fold director Henry Wild, who led the tour of the 130-acre grounds, said there was ample evidence this year that the demand for holidays in the UK was continuing to rise.

Wednesday 8th August at 7.30pm was a red-letter day for Campbells Cuerden Residential Park as it transpired to be the culmination of a tragic and heartfelt journey for one of their most respected and well-liked residents. Margerry Bradley suffered the heartbreak of losing her dear husband John to a heart attack on the 14thof May 2018 after 14 years together. Margerry had lost her first husband Geoff to cancer and as she mourned her John she thought about how little she could have done for Geoff, but she was determined that Johns legacy would be about what could be done for future families so they wouldn’t have to suffer what she and her family were living through.

Ustigate Waterplay is proud to announce their ocean themed splash zone at Ladram Bay is in play; opened by Olympic swimmer and gold medallist Liam Tancock. Liam was happy to support the event because enjoying water at an early age can lead to the next generation of competitive swimmers.

Devon's Beverley Holidays was celebrated as one of Britain's most outstanding family businesses this summer at London's Wembley Stadium. The Paignton park was among those selected to tread the red carpet at the 2018 National Family Business Awards after winning through to the glittering finals.

Founded 60 years ago by the same family which remains at its helm today, Beverley was the sole representative of the UK holiday parks industry at the prestigious event.

Organised by Britain's largest network of family-run companies, the annual awards are designed to highlight the important roles played by family-run businesses.

Many Caravan Industry readers will be aware of the major research being carried out this year into the impact of the holiday-park sector on the UK economy, funded by the Economic Impact Research Group (the BH&HPA, the Camping and Caravanning Council, the Caravan and Motorhome Council and the NCC).  Both individual parks and groups in all four countries have been contacted by the EIRG to encourage them to take part – as with all research, the more information gathered, the more robust will be the output!  

Such a UK-wide survey has not been done before and the report will be of significant importance not just to the sector as a whole, but potentially also to individual parks when applying for planning permission.  

A popular New Forest touring park which has declared itself a child-free zone was the focus of a recent BBC radio feature on the rising phenomenon of adults-only holidays.

Reporters travelled to Back of Beyond park near Ringwood for the hour-long look at why growing numbers prefer their escapes free from the patter of tiny feet.

Helping to explain the trend were Martin and Vicki Bowrey who acquired Back of Beyond almost five years ago, and immediately placed an 18-plus age requirement on guests.

The husband and wife team said that customer reaction had been "one hundred percent positive" from the outset, and that they often had to hang the no-vacancies sign up this summer.

A new £500,000 reception facility at the award-winning Min-y-Don Holiday Park in Harlech was officially opened by Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport Lord Elis-Thomas on Friday.

The minister, who is also the Assembly Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, said he was delighted to open the “splendid” reception facility at the park in the heart of beautiful Harlech and commended owners, Salop Caravans Sites, for their good work.

Harlech has so much to offer the visitor: the castle, a World Heritage Site and one of the Europe’s top golf courses sat next to outstanding beaches in an unbeatable landscape,” he added.