Here, Adam Jurka at Ramtech looks at why UK holiday parks will be this year’s getaway of choice when the lockdown is lifted.
If you thought that a Spanish beach holiday was going to be your holiday destination, get ready to enjoy the delights of a UK holiday park this summer. Parks are set for a staycation boom once the travel restrictions are eased as more Britain’s abandon their plans for travelling abroad, and operators eye up the opportunities that will arise from a surge in demand for domestic breaks.
Park operators are particularly hopeful of being able to welcome guests this summer because their facilities are ideal for social distancing. With self-contained units, contactless check-ins and the ability to drive right up to your door as well as being completely self-catering, holidays parks don’t get much safer. And, given the size and extensive nature of parks, social distancing is eminently possible for the duration of the holiday. With the parks located in some of the UK’s most scenic areas, there are few better places to get away from it all this summer.
Holidaymakers themselves get a break they can rely on with all the comforts of home, without the hassle of overseas travel. It must also be in the back of everyone’s mind about being stranded somewhere in a foreign country should the worst happen. And who can predict what comes next in this saga?
Operators are already seeing a significant increase in people searching for UK breaks. All this is good news for park operators that can deliver a fantastic experience for customers, whilst creating an efficient and safe working environment for staff. In order to achieve this, operators are choosing business information and monitoring platforms that provide real time alerts and date remotely about security coverage, energy metering, fire safety, equipment failure, occupancy monitoring, staff management, contactless checkin-checkout and access history.
Stay connected
Creating a home from home holiday experience for guests that are used to full connectivity and control can present a challenge to park owners. Many holidaymakers view their technology as an essential part of the holiday experience, whether it’s Instagramming the accommodation or sharing snaps about their trip. The benefits of technology aren’t just restricted to the rooms, either.
Holiday parks need to make their guests’ holidays as seamless as possible. The varying size of the accommodation, length of stays and diversity in the landscape – plus additional numbers of staycations forecast for this year – means that changeover days are likely to be hectic. Guests can often overlook this, although operators that embrace technology can ensure that their customers’ holiday is as enjoyable as it should be.
Using this kind of smart technology on the park, such as our WiSE system, allows managers to map the cleaned accommodation in real-time to swiftly release it to the next customer promptly, smoothing the handover process and enabling managers to deploy staff where they are needed most.
When guests arrive at their accommodation the same technology can facilitate a ‘smart’ stay with an array of connected wireless, battery operated devices monitoring all elements of the property. This kind of technology has the potential to improve the holiday experience with automated billing for efficient tracking of periodic site fees, insurance or utility bills. Plus, there is the possibility of smart metering for easy access and analysis of electricity, gas and water meters as well as billing from a central location. Capturing and logging occupancy data, too, will allow operators to manage arrival days, reduce cleaning costs, track maintenance visits, monitor security patrols and manage third party contractor management.
Wish you were here?
By using these devices, parks will be able to harness data to pre-empt their guest’s needs and even offer automated customisation for individuals, tailoring their holiday experience even further. It’s clear that data tracking can offer a step change allowing park managers and their staff to run their business more effectively through insight driven operations. By automating and simplifying tasks, parks can enhance their engagement with guests, staff and visitors, which is the experience that customers remember long after they go home.
So, to start on your journey to becoming this year’s favourite holiday destination, simply look at how incorporating relevant technology to your park can bring about a positive change to how you work. We understand that it has been painful for everyone in the sector so far this year, but we are here to support you.
For more information on Ramtech Electronics’ WiSE technology, click here, or call 00 44 (0) 115 957 8282
