Holiday Parks Management August Issue

Holiday Parks Management

tHe UltiMate sUPPliers gUide for Holiday Parks, caravan Parks and caMPsites

August 2018 • Issue 34

ABBEYFORD LEISURE A New Generation of family business

PARK improvements

Saltex and The Glamping Show

PREVIEW

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Hello

and welcome to Welcome to our August issue of Holiday Parks Management magazine. We dedicate this issue to park improvements and bring you an array of products and services to consider. The heatwave this summer has been great news for the holiday park sector with operators reporting record bookings – Love2Stay – Salop Leisure’s park in Shrewsbury is fully booked throughout the holidays and their caravan dealership is seeing first-time buyers up 40 per cent on the same period last year.

With the staycation trend showing no sign of slowing – and Brexit likely to boost it still further, now is the time to look to maximise rental income on holiday parks with a refreshing mix of

What’s in this issue?

Holiday Parks

Management accommodation styles. We have carried out independent research which shows that around 30 per cent of UK holiday parks are now offering glamping options. The BH&HPA is also taking a large stand at September’s Glamping Show in Stoneleigh. Perhaps this is the year you join the glamping trend and find out how it can entice new customers to your park. Check out our Glamping Show preview for more details.

Steph Editor

Main cover image Castaway Beach at Elie Holiday Park, image below St Andrew’s Holiday Park, both Abbeyford Leisure

05 news 17 Interview with David J Evans of Abbeyford Leisure

22 Forest Holidays – branching out 25 Park Improvements 34 Landscaping news 35 Environmental news 36 How to Sell Your Park 37 Outdoor Play 39 Saltex preview 40 Glamping show preview Published by: Upgrade Publishing Ltd. t: 07887 928819. Registered Business: 47 Oliver Close, London, W4 3RL Other Publications: International Glamping Business - www.glampingbusiness.com Publisher: Upgrade Publishing Ltd. Steph Curtis-Raleigh e: steph@upgradepublishing.com Editor: Steph Curtis-Raleigh t: 07887 928819 e: steph@upgradepublishing.com Sales: Kathryn Kelly t: + 44 (0) 7575 408580 e: kath@upgradepublishing.com Design: Dean Coulter, Design on Tap www.designontap.co.uk www.holididayparksmanagement.com Other Events: The Glamping Show - www.glampingshow.com © Upgrade Publishing 2017. No part of this publication may be reproduced nor stored in a retrieval system by any means without the prior permission of the publisher.

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parkNews Luxury holiday park specialists, Leisure Resorts, has launched a brand-new development in the Yorkshire Dales.

Showcasing the brands’ 5-star stance, the opening represents their first foray into the burgeoning lodge rental market, with a £12 million investment and the creation of 35 jobs. The level of investment, one of the largest in the area for decades, will also support in driving tourism to the region.

One of three award-winning parks owned by Leisure Resorts, Aysgarth Lodge Holidays is the first to benefit from the brand’s new positioning and investment approach, offering guests the ultimate retreat in gorgeous accommodation with first-class service and facilities. All of Leisure Resorts

Leisure Resorts Launches Aysgarth Lodge Holidays

sites are now available to book via its holiday expert booking partner, Hoseasons.

With community at its heart, the entire development is inspired by and supportive of its surroundings. From onsite Experience Managers to the goal to be a plastic-free and sourcing wherever possible from nearby farms, manufacturers and suppliers – great experiences, giving back and celebrating locality is fundamental to the future footprint of Aysgarth and Leisure Resorts.

Combining luxury with tranquillity, this unique new holiday destination comprises of 75 holiday lodges set within 33 acres of North Yorkshire’s finest landscape. Each

boasts beautiful views, a private hot tub and decked area in which to relax. Furthermore, the cosy, contemporary interiors and modern conveniences make for a homely home-away-from-home feel all-year round.

Gary Molloy, Managing Director at Leisure Resorts, said: “For too long, park holidays have been perceived as a cheap and lower quality choice. Aysgarth is our first-step to proving that need not be the case, placing exceptional, purpose-built, individual lodges within the most beautiful of settings which is finely equipped.”

Doonpark Holiday Park For Sale Well-established Doonpark Holiday Park in Dumfries & Galloway is being sold as a goingconcern.

The park offers wonderful views over the Urr Water and surrounding countryside. The village of Kippford is a very popular tourist destination with an established sailing community and an annual regatta organised by Solway Yacht Club.

The caravan park extends to about 10.75 acres (4.35 hectares) and is licenced for 154 units. The park is well established and has been developed over a number of years with a network of internal roads providing access to the static pitches. The park currently has 123 static pitches and 6 touring pitches, accordingly, there is scope for additional pitches within the site. The park has been immaculately maintained and is very well presented. The three-year average turnover is in the order of £205,000; further details of the trading accounts are available to interested parties from the agents.

The sale also includes a well-appointed fourbedroom house which would be ideally suited as accommodation for the owner or manager of the park.

Harry Stott, handling the sale of the holiday park for Galbraith, said: “Doonpark is in an idyllic location in one of Dumfries & Galloway’s

most popular tourist areas, very close to Kippford and the Solway coast and surrounded by beautiful, unspoilt scenery. The East Stewartry coastline is designated as a National Scenic Area with sandy beaches, lovely walks and varied countryside.

“The business was established in 1969, is family-owned and its residents return year after year. The excellent relations between residents at the caravan park and the current owner is one of the features which will be of considerable benefit to a purchaser. There is significant scope to increase the caravan park’s marketing profile together with development of the site.

“The holiday park has generated consistent turnover for the current owner over a number of years and it would be expected that a purchaser could continue and potentially further expand the business.”

Doonpark Holiday Park is for sale for offers over £1,200,000. For further details please contact Galbraith on 01786 434600 / stirling@galbraithgroup.com

Award judges pick Perthshire park for top Scottish honour Blairgowrie Holiday Park in Perthshire was named as Scotland's Best Caravan Site of the Year at the Scottish Hospitality Awards which took place at The Crowne Plaza, Glasgow.

In front of VIP guests from Scotland's tourism industry, members of the Wood family and its management team stepped up to receive their honour from popular STV radio presenter Zara Janjua.

The annual awards highlight hospitality enterprises which offer exceptional standards of facilities and services, and take into account the feedback given by customers.

Wood Leisure started life just almost 40 years ago when husband and wife Colin and Margaret Wood acquired picturesque Blairgowrie Holiday Park.

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park News Verdant Nominated for Best Holiday Park Operator Verdant Leisure has been nominated for the Best UK Family Holiday Park Operator in the prestigious 2018 British Travel Awards (BTAs). The winners will be determined by the consumer, who has until 30 September to cast their vote, with the successful companies announced at the BTA Gala Awards Dinner, being held in London on 28 November 2018.

Verdant Leisure is a bespoke holiday park operator offering self-catering holidays

and holiday home ownership at its eight holiday parks across Scotland and the north of England. The company, established in 2010, has grown steadily and is now a key player in the industry.

Verdant Leisure is headquartered in Lancaster and currently employs 250 staff.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be nominated for a BTA award. The Best UK Family Holiday Park Operator is a

fantastic category and we truly believe it is an award we deserve. We’re hoping our holidaymakers and holiday home owners agree and continue to vote for us! I’m incredibly proud of the whole team at Verdant Leisure and their hard work over the last year to deliver excellent customer service. The BTA accolade would be incredibly well deserved for each and every one of them,” said Bev Dixon, Commercial Director, Verdant Leisure.

Heatwave boost sales of touring caravans and motorhomes The prolonged summer heatwave has been great news for the caravan industry in Shropshire and Mid Wales with sales of touring caravans and motorhomes to first time buyers up 40 per cent on the same period last year.

Salop Leisure, who have just been named large touring caravan dealer of the year by Swift Group, is delighted by the sales boom but believe the real benefit of the hot weather will not be seen until next year.

“Based on previous experience, we believe the heatwave will have the most positive effect next year when couples and families are booking their holidays,” said managing director Mark Bebb.

“Because they have enjoyed themselves so much this year by taking a staycation during the heatwave, they are more likely to want to spend their holiday here again next summer.

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Hot Springs

Love2Stay in Shrewsbury is fully booked throughout the school holidays and every weekend until the end of September.

“The last time we had a heatwave like this was 1976 and there’s nowhere better than the UK to spend your holiday when the sun is shining and it’s great value for money.

“This week, there are 650 people staying at Love2Stay and we have a huge waiting list, which shows the demand for staycationing and the concept of the resort,” said Mr Bebb. “We are passionate about camping and caravanning and we believe it should be peaceful, restorative and enjoyable.”

“More people are opting to invest in touring caravans, motorhomes, caravan holiday homes and luxury lodges, which give them the chance to get away for a break any time they wish.

The resort recently opened Hot Springs, 240 square metres of heated rock pools, a real sandy play beach, waterfall, boardwalk and deck chairs, which is proving a big hit with visitors.

“We are expecting staycations to become increasingly popular due to Brexit, which is causing great uncertainty in the country and is likely to cause even longer delays at airports and ports due to customs checks.”

The £6 million resort aims to raise the bar for quality UK holidays. It has 122 touring caravan pitches and a village of 11 luxury glamping lodges on a 22-acre site offering panoramic views across to Wales and the Shropshire Hills.

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parkNews Philippa Harris joins the Family Holiday Association as Chair of Trustees The Family Holiday Association charity has announced that travel professional Philippa Harris will become its new chair of trustees.

She will take over from travel journalist and broadcaster Alison Rice who has held the post since 2012.

Philippa brings with her a wealth of experience from the travel sector. During her career she has held senior roles at First Choice Holidays, Sovereign Luxury Holidays, Harlequin Worldwide Travel, Eurotunnel and most recently Take One Media; part of Menzies Distribution.

Commenting on her appointment, Philippa said “This is an exciting time to join. Alison leaves the charity in good health but, knowing how valuable a break could be for so many children and families, there is even more we can do in the future. I very much

look forward to working with the team and trustees.”

To help mark her appointment, Philippa is taking on a mammoth cycling challenge – riding the length of the Rhine from its source in Switzerland to the North Sea at the Hook of Holland - to raise money for the charity. “I agreed to the challenge before I had worked out how far it was. Now I have looked in more detail it seems I will be cycling a total of 920 miles! 50-60 miles a day - it isn't hilly but this distance every day for 18 days will be a challenge for me!” The adventure starts on Friday 8 June. Anybody wishing to sponsor Philippa can do via her fundraising page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ Philippa-Harris4 Stepping down from the Board of Trustees is

Alison Rice. Alison first got involved with the charity over 30 years ago and has served as an ambassador, trustee and chair.

Alison said “It’s been an honour to serve the charity and help it progress and grow over so many years. I now wish Philippa, the Board and staff every success as they move into an exciting new period. Helping families enjoy their first break together is close to my heart and I will continue to offer my support where I can.”

Charity Chief Executive, John McDonald, said “Our sincere thanks go to Alison for all her efforts over so many years. She has made a huge contribution to the charity and left a lasting legacy. At the same time, I’d like to welcome Philippa and wish her every success in the role of Chair.”

Brixham Park Reveals new luxury lodges One of Devon's most dramatically located holiday parks, Riviera Bay in Brixham, will shortly be raising the curtains on a new development of luxury lodges.

Perched on a cliff-top with breathtaking views across St Mary's Bay, the newly-built lodges will give families the chance to own a holiday home like no other in the West Country.

Park Holidays UK describes the development as the most prestigious it has ever completed and held a public preview weekend on 16/17 June.

The celebration event saw the official opening of the development with guests enjoying guided tours of the lodges, and free day-long use of all the park's facilities.

And that, says the group, would be minus the views, privacy, and living space of its lodges.

Lodge owners will also be able to enjoy holidays throughout the four seasons in their leisure homes as Riviera Bay is open for eleven months of the year.

All-weather comfort is assured by the high-efficiency central heating and the superior levels of insulation with which all of the lodges come equipped as standard.

These include an swimming pool complex, entertainment centre, and bar and restaurants.

There is a choice of two and three-bedroom models – and all have two bathrooms, generous living areas, fully-fitted modern kitchens, luxury furnishings, and a large external veranda.

The 17 new lodges for sale in the first phase are located in separate grounds adjacent to the main park, and owners will have access to a beautiful dog-friendly beach via the coastal path.

The amazing setting, says the group, is likely to provide a massive second income potential through sub-letting via Park Holiday UK's optional management programme.

Starting at just over £157,000 and rising to almost double that figure, the lodges are just a fraction of what it might cost to own a cottage in picture-postcard Brixham.

There will also be a substantial cost saving for early buyers on the new development as the company is promising free pitch fees for the next two years.

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park News Park's stunning sea views win the vote of Wales MP Mid Wales MP Ben Lake has described as "breathtaking" the sea views from a new development of pitches for motorhome guests at Morfa Bychan Holiday Park near Aberystwyth.

The Ceredigion MP was a special guest at the Llanfarian park during May's Wales Tourism Week when he cut the ribbon to officially open the newly created pitches.

Morfa Bychan, with its own pebble beach, provides spectacular panoramas across Cardigan Bay and a range of guest facilities including a heated outdoor pool.

It has received both regional and national recognition for its quality

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Charles Lloyd-Jones, Ben Lake MP, Jenny and Gary Brunt standards including the David Bellamy Conservation Gold Award for the park's many wildlife friendly initiatives.

Today, Hillandale has grown to seven award-winning holiday parks located in tranquil locations.

Present at the opening ceremony was Charles Lloyd Jones whose family business, Hillandale Caravan Parks, began over 60 years ago and owns Morfa Bychan Holiday Park.

Also in attendance were park managers Gary and Jenny Brunt who led the development of the new pitches, all of which are generously sized with private electricity and water points.

parkNews Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas (left) joins Huw Pendleton outside one of the park's hot-tub lodges

Wales Tourism Minister Opens Celtic Escapes Wales tourism minister Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas opened a new chapter in luxury holidays recently when he cut the tape on a Pembrokeshire holiday park's latest development.

Called Celtic Escapes and based at top-rated Noble Court Holiday Park near the market town of Narberth, it promises guests a pampering experience like no other.

In front of more than 200 VIP guests, Lord Elis-Thomas welcomed the ÂŁ1 million venture and congratulated the family-owned business behind the enterprise.

He also took a tour of the development which includes high-end holiday lodges with private hot tubs and safari tents with all home-from-home comforts.

Accompanying Lord Elis-Thomas, who is the Welsh Government's minister for tourism, culture and sports, was Celtic Holiday Parks' managing director Huw Pendleton.

Huw's business, which employs around 50 local people, owns three holiday parks in Pembrokeshire with a raft of awards for their quality standards and environmental care.

Noble Court was one of the first parks in Wales to introduce the concept of glamping five years ago, and its cosy "log pods" quickly won an enthusiastic following from guests.

But now, says Huw, the experience has been taken to a new level with luxury lodges and safari tents designed to appeal to comfort-loving couples and families: "Pembrokeshire and its gorgeous coastline is a stunning place to come on holiday, and is a world-class destination by any standards," said Huw. "We wanted to create a match for these surroundings with a range of high quality accommodation in which guests can enjoy a first-class holiday experience.

"Advance booking are already extremely strong for both the Hampton Lodges and the safari tents, and I suspect that many guests will want to return to try both!

"We were delighted that Lord Elis-Thomas was able to take time out to visit Celtic Escapes, and to officially launch this exciting new expansion phase of our business," added Huw.

Willie Rennie MSP opens the new Elie holiday home development with (left) Alex Nairn of Elie Estate and Kevan Lodge, director of Abbeyford Leisure

Fife MSP cuts red tape to open park's new holiday homes Fife's tourism industry received another boost this summer when Willie Rennie MSP took time out to launch a new development of leisure homes at Elie Holiday Park.

The MSP, who is Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said the 20 Castaway forest holiday homes would make a valuable extra impact on the local tourism economy.

Mr Rennie was the VIP guest of Abbeyford Leisure which has owned Elie Holiday Park for over 30 years, investing continually in new guest facilities and attractions.

Its latest initiative at the East Neuk of Fife park creates an additional area of high quality homes available for holiday rentals by families staying in the region.

Set on the edge of Elie forest, guests will enjoy not just first-class accommodation but also picture-postcard views across the surrounding countryside.

The development has been made possible by a partnership between Abbeyford Leisure and Elie Estate which own the land on which the holiday homes are located.

The new holiday homes at Elie Holiday Park has almost trebled the number of properties available for hire, and complements its existing popular beachside Castaway holiday homes.

Located on Shell Bay near the village of Elie, the park also provides luxury holiday homes to own, a lodge with hot tub, plus pitches for campers, touring caravans and motorhomes.

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parkNews

Group grows park portfolio with Mid Wales acquisition The park facilities include two fully stocked fishing lakes, and an indoor swimming pool.

North Wales based holiday parks group Thornley Leisure Parks has announced its acquisition of Brightwater Lakes in Mid Wales, one of the region's most highly regarded holiday retreats.

The deal was signed in late June this year, and brings to nine the number of parks now in the group.

Situated on the picturesque PowysShropshire border and set over 30-acres of grounds, Brightwater Lakes boasts magnificent valley and country views.

Brightwater Lakes provides over 150 plots on the park, including around 50 holiday chalets and 100 privately-owned caravan holiday homes.

Now the park is set to benefit from even further investment in its facilities from Thornley Leisure which owns eight other holiday parks in North Wales, Cheshire and North Yorkshire.

The Thornley family's business, established over 55 years ago, has achieved a raft of honours for the quality of its parks and the

many initiatives taken to protect the natural environment.

For this reason, says managing director David Thornley, Brightwater Lakes represents a perfect fit for the company's existing parks portfolio: "One of Brightwater Lakes' greatest strengths is its appeal to people who want a holiday home location where the main attractions are the tranquillity and beautiful surroundings," he said.

"We are now keen to continue moving the park forward, and to raise the quality bar even higher for the benefit of the holiday home owners," said David.

Caravan Guard Raises Funds For Yorkshire Air Ambulance Caravan and motorhome insurance specialists Caravan Guard and Leisuredays have once again raised thousands of pounds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The Halifax-based company runs an ongoing initiative for the charity - donating money for every Gadget and Leisure and Home Emergency policy it sells. This year, the company took the opportunity to boost their annual fundraising total further when staff got involved in some serious fun for Yellow Yorkshire Day. Teams dressed up in a variety of yellow costumes and had a yellow-themed bake-off competition and other crazy games. Through the generosity of the company and staff, they were able to write Yorkshire Air Ambulance a cheque for a whopping £3,170.80.

Caravan Guard Director Laura Wilby said they were proud to have once again been able to donate lots of money to the life-saving charity.

Last year, the kind-hearted company helped to pay for a set of specialist helmets for the air crew, which allowed them to attach their new night vision goggles, and fly in the sky for longer.

“We’re delighted to be able to continue to support Yorkshire Air Ambulance to enable them to save lives across our vast county,” said Laura. “One of our company values is care completely, demonstrating our commitment to proactively supporting others.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep its two helicopters flying.

World Cup Fever Boosts Bookings Footie fans took additional time off to enjoy the World Cup, according to Park Holidays UK. It says that holiday bookings during the tournament, were up by just over 20% compared with the same period last year.

But, says the group, later summer bookings are as buoyant as ever, suggesting that many people are taking an extra break to cheer on the England squad.

Park Holidays went all out to create a festive atmosphere of football fun at its 29 parks in southern England, with large flat-screen TVs, along with soccer-themed quizzes and competitions.

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parkNews Holgates Wins 9 Blooming Awards

Erwlon is a beacon in the Beacons Erwlon Caravan and Camping Park in Llandovery scooped the gold accolade for caravan, camping and glamping parks in the Carmarthenshire Tourism Awards.

Based in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons, the five-star park was one of hundreds of businesses competing in the prestigious awards, held every two years.

Stepping up to receive their honour at the finalists' ceremony were members of the Rees family whose farm-based park has been welcoming holiday guests for over 50 years.

Its tranquil location with far-reaching views over the surrounding countryside has long been a favourite of caravan and motorhome owners as well as campers.

But according to the award judges, visitors to Erwlon praise not just its setting but also the friendly and welcoming atmosphere created by the family on the park.

Excellent reviews from guests are received too for the park's luxury glamping pods which were introduced last year in a picturesque riverside location.

Sleeping up to four people, the pods provide all home-from-home comforts including fullsize beds made up with top quality linen, kitchen and shower areas, and television.

Peter Rees, a member of the park-owning family, said that everyone was delighted that Erwlon had achieved the top gold accolade in the Carmarthenshire Tourism Awards: "Hospitality and quality of service are two important criteria in these awards, so naturally we are extremely pleased that the judges were impressed with what they found here," said Peter.

Cumbria's Holgates Holiday Parks have returned from the North West in Bloom awards with a whole bunch of floral and conservation accolades.

The six-strong group scooped no fewer than nine top prizes in the annual competition which saw hundreds of businesses and communities take part from across the region.

But there was a tenth fanfare after the glittering ceremony when parks owner Michael Holgate gave special thanks to a member of staff who helped make it all possible.

Kim Hodson-Walker, warden at the Holgate group's Netherbeck Park, was praised by Michael for her "amazing energy and inspiration" in laying the ground for the awards.

Green-fingered Kim, assisted by other park staff, helped all six Holgates parks gain top gold honours in the North West in Bloom awards.

Kim Hodson-Walker (right) with the park's Michael Holgate and Ellen Cartwright There was another gold too for the fantastic floral displays at The Royal gastro-pub in the village of Silverdale which the Holgates group owns.

But the judges still hadn't finished, for they then went on to name the company's flagship Silverdale park as the overall winner in the "Best Caravan Park" category.

And the spotlight continued to beam on Silverdale as it was announced that it had been awarded a discretionary trophy for its outstanding conservation and environmental achievements.

Exeter-born Olympics swimmer Liam Tancock took time out from the fast lane recently to help an East Devon holiday park make a big splash with its guests.

Gold-medallist Liam was at Ladram Bay Holiday Park in Budleigh Salterton where he declared open the new Splash Zone, aimed especially at energetic youngsters.

Swim star Liam opens Devon park's new water fun feature

The 160-square metres of wonderfully wet activities and challenges is already proving a hit with grown-ups as well.

Set alongside the park's main swimming pool, the zone includes interactive water features, spray guns, and even a sea serpent that sprays water.

Ladram Bay's Splash Zone is part of a ÂŁ1 million investment made by the family-owned park in the run-up to the 2018 summer season when its 75 anniversary is being marked.

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park News Lakeland Leisure Expands into Essex Windermere-based Lakeland Leisure Estates used acquisition financing to buy Roydon Marina Village, an inland marina and leisure complex in Essex, close to the northern outskirts of London. The 56-acre site is the firm’s first foray into the South East of England.

As a result of the expansion, the business has created six new jobs at its Windermere headquarters and expects to grow its revenue by 33 per cent over the next 12 months.

Alongside a 350-birth marina, Roydon Marina Village has more than 60 holiday lodges, a hotel, café and an Italian restaurant, all within a 20-minute train

journey from London’s Liverpool Street station. Following the acquisition, Lakeland Leisure Estates plans to refurbish the site’s rental lodges and café, as well as investing in new Wi-Fi facilities and site infrastructure.

Nigel Wimpenny, Managing Director of Lakeland Leisure Estates, said: “This excellent site is a key part of our strategy to grow our marina portfolio, mainly through the acquisition of wellestablished locations. This is the second large purchase we have made with the support of HSBC this year and our relationship director, David Edwards, provided invaluable support throughout.

We are now looking to expand and

Bankside Patterson Inspires Britain Market-leading holiday home chassis manufacturer Bankside Patterson, has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. The East Yorkshire-based company has been recognised in the fifth edition of the report, which is seen as a celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small- and medium-sized businesses.

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diversify our holiday park offering to customers throughout the UK.” Established in 2009 by Phill and Carol Morgan, the family-run Lakeland Leisure Estates owns and manages a portfolio of leisure complexes, including five marinas and a number of caravan holiday parks in the Yorkshire Dales and the Costa del Sol. In January this year the business also acquired the Deganwy Coastal Marina, North Wales from the Crown Estates, with the backing of HSBC. Law firm Addelshaw Goddard acted for HSBC and Lakeland Leisure estates was advised by Walker Morris.

Ladram Bay Celebrates 75 years The Carter family, owners of Ladram Bay Holiday Park, pulled out all the stops in June to ensure that its milestone year will long be remembered.

To be included in the list, companies needed to show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, significantly outperforming their industry peers. More detail on the methodology can be found in the report online at www.1000companies.com.

A raft of different events, activities and entertainment took place, including a family fun day with live music, stalls, a bouncy castle and other games.

“Bankside Patterson is proud be recognised in this prestigious report,” explains Managing Director Neil Taylor. “We are delighted, especially for the team whose have played an invaluable part in the continuing positive momentum and growth that as a company we have enjoyed over the past few years.”

The celebrations continued into evening when an anniversary party night, for all guests staying on the park, welcomed guest performers The Wurzels, Somerset's world-famous "scrumpy and western" band.

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The park is still owned today by members of the Carter family who, in 1943, first began welcoming camping guests to their farm with its own private beach.

Landscaping News GreenMech To Show Vast Range at APF

Europe’s top-selling wood chipper manufacturer GreenMech will have a vast range of machinery on display on stand

80-110, in the outside area, at this year’s APF exhibition. In addition, visitors will also have the opportunity to find out about a number of special deals and flexible finance options available exclusively at the show.

Next year sees the introduction of new, more stringent Stage V emissions standards covering diesel engines above 26hp, so a particular highlight on the GreenMech stand will be the petrolpowered Arborist 130 and Arborist 150p models. The Arb 150p is fitted with a 37hp Briggs & Stratton Petrol engine which can

offer comparable performance to the higher horse-powered diesel engines, but at a much-reduced cost. For those users who prefer diesel power however, GreenMech’s popular Arborist 150 powered by a Kubota 26hp engine, remains in the range and is unaffected by the new regulations.

Also on show, for the first time in the UK, will be GreenMech’s new Combi 200 wood and green waste processor. Based on the successful Arborist 200, it features a robust conveyor and a large in-feed chute to make loading safe and easy.

THE TYM T393: MAKING GROUNDS MAINTENANCE LOOK EASY A vital part of the success of one holiday park over the next is the quality of its grounds maintenance and in every park’s artillery of equipment will be a tractor. A workhorse that makes the hard work look easy is TYM tractors’ mid-duty T393.

Transportation, ground preparation, seeding and mowing, there’s a reason the T393 is nicknamed a ‘multi-tasking marvel’ and that’s thanks to its ability to be able to switch from one task to another, or from one operator to another, all vital considerations for park maintenance teams.

Bridging the gap from the compact utility range into the midduty range, the T393 is a good choice for grounds maintenance professionals who need a powerful, but compact tractor that is more than capable of managing the small and large jobs. It has one of the highest lift capabilities in its class with a lift capacity of 1200kg and has one of the highest hydraulic flow rates with a maximum output of 42 litres per minute.

It has a robust 38hp 3-cylinder liquid-cooled Yanmar engine, dual element air cleaner and independent rear and mid PTO selection allowing for the use of various implements including a range of rear mounted attachments including but not limited to finishing mowers and rotary tillers. And if that wasn’t enough, the T393 is also easy to use with an excellent turning radius and maximum traction, too.

For those wanting a slightly smaller model, the TS25 tractor tackles maintenance and transporting tasks at holiday parks, caravan sites and campsites like a pro. It’s one of the few subcompact tractors on the market available with either a manual or hydrostatic transmission and that means the tractor can be tailored to specific turf maintenance needs. For example, for loader and mid-deck work, the simple-to-use hydrostatic transmission is the best choice, whereas for aeration and sprayer work, which requires a set working speed, the manual transmission machine will deliver the best results.

Transporting tools, towing trailer, moving tasks (logs, rubble, soil) the TS25 can do it all! There’s no need for a dedicated mower, the TS25 can be equipped with a 60inch mid-mounted deck which provides an excellent finish and can cope with vast stretches of grass. Plus, its 25hp three-cylinder engine gives it enough power to perform its tasks with ease while its lightweight credentials mean it’s the perfect choice for fine surfaces without being detrimental to turf.

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East Sands from St Andrews Holiday Park

ABBEYFORD: the Next Generation

of Family Business

david J evans comes from one of the original holiday park families, he is the step-grandson of gerald vose, who founded abbeyford leisure in the 1950s in towyn in north wales.

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David joined Abbeyford in the 1990s, becoming Chairman in 2011, having first pursued his own career as an electrical mechanical engineer, running his own successful company for a number of years.

Castaway (forest) holiday home at Elie Holiday Park

“It was a tradition in the family that you needed to go off and experience other types of work before joining the business. I am grateful that I did that, I feel it has made a great difference to the way I run the company. If I had joined at 16, I am not sure this would be the same business it is today,” he says.

Abbeyford Leisure now owns 6 parks – three in Scotland and three in North Wales.

Abbeyford, Lyndale and Kingsley Holiday parks are exclusively for holiday home owners and are all based on the North Wales Coast. “We see the same faces come to the parks most weekends,” says David. “There is a great sense of community and people use the parks as a base to go sightseeing in the area. A lot of our guests bring their dogs, that’s a big part of the attraction.”

Elie Holiday Park joined the group in the 1970s – based in Fife – it is a hidden jewel, accessed by a forest road with a sandy beach right on the doorstep. In 1984, Abbeyford acquired St Andrew’s (formerly Kinkell Braes) and St Monans Holiday Park.

“There is no particular reason why we have parks in Scotland and Wales,” says David. “In fact, the group has bought and sold a number of parks over the years including one in Ireland and we also had our own caravan dealership for a time. We are still on the

lookout for new park acquisitions like many in the industry although we are happy to wait it out until the right one comes along.”

Given the size and geographical spread of the business, David splits his time between the two locations and is lucky enough to have a fantastic team to back him up.

“Although this is still a family business, we have definitely moved away from the ‘one guy’ fiefdom of the old-school. It’s not about me, it’s about Abbeyford Leisure and the people I have brought in to support the business. This has been one of the strongest contributing factors to our success, the people I have brought in to the management team – I am not an expert accountant for example, so we all have skills to complement each other.”

Robinson Crusoe Adventures at Elie Holiday Park

It is a format that seems to work well for the staff as well as the parks. Abbeyford Leisure has won an impressive number of awards.

“One of the awards we are most proud of is when we named as one of the most inspiring businesses in Britain and among the top performing firms included in the "London Stock Exchange 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain" for 2016,” says David. “This is not an award that we entered, it was judged independently and we were compared with other companies of our type and size, so it really was a big deal.”

Also in 2016, Abbeyford Leisure was named one of the top places to work in the UK as part of The Sun's Best of British initiative, ranking higher than many big brand names including Tesco and Premier Inn. Abbeyford group was the only holiday park operator in the country to receive such recognition.

The Sun Awards celebrate UK-owned companies creating jobs, building local communities and keeping the economy growing. Staff vote for their own firms, ranking them on dozens of factors including career progression, community support and working environment.

Creating a close connection with the local community is also very important to Abbeyford Leisure. The company has sponsored local football teams, donated furniture to local charities and contributed towards the building of sports infrastructure in their local areas. “We feel it’s very important to give back to our local area,” says David. “As Abbeyford Leisure grows and our head office is no longer on the park itself, we want to make sure that we retain those close links with the people who live nearby.”

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Multi award winning Elie Holiday Park At Elie, the connection with the local area is possibly the closest, as the holiday park is actually open for locals and tourist to use the amenities alongside the guests. “Elie is unique in that it is a destination in itself,” says David. “I think of it as an end-point with its beach café and bars – in fact we have found that removing all the barriers to entry for the general public has helped to boost bookings, as people see the facilities for themselves and come back to holiday with us.”

Elie has a connection with Robinson Crusoe, as Alexander Selkirk – who inspired the book – was born in Lower Largo nearby. In 2011, the holiday park opened its Robinson Crusoe adventure park, and in 2015, it revealed its exciting range of Castaway Holiday Homes. In the same year, Elie Holiday Park was voted as 'The Best Visitor Attraction in Fife' by Kingdom FM listeners. “Again, that was an award that meant a lot to us, as it was not for the best holiday park – but the best tourist attraction,” says David.

In fact, continuing the Robinson Crusoe theme, Abbeyford Leisure has also invested in two cottages in Lower Largo, below the famous statue of Selkirk. “This is the first time we have invested in bricks and mortar to expand our accommodation offer,” says David. “It is us dipping our toe into the quirkier end of the market.”

In fact, David feels strongly that the government should do more to encourage holiday park expansion in areas where there is pressure on the local area due to demand for second homes. “I see this all the time, particularly at Elie,” he says. “If you go up mid-week you will find the village is empty and the local shop only stocks 3 newspapers – but at the weekend there are 30 newspapers there and the place is full. The demand for holiday homes destroys the infrastructure and drives up housing prices – pricing local people out of their own area. Holiday Parks offer people the chance to own a second base in a beautiful part of the country without negatively affecting the local economy.”

David may be the third generation to join his family’s business, which started with stepgrandfather Gerry Vose, but although he is proud of the company’s legacy he is not defined by it. “Of course, I have grown up around the holiday parks and I always knew that one day I would likely go into the business,” he says. “But I really believe that it is important to bring fresh blood into an enterprise of this size. It’s not possible to run it in the old way, with one person in charge, it would just tick along. Abbeyford Leisure aims to offer hotel-level accommodation and service that is still far from the standard in our sector.”

The Mirador Cafe at Elie Holiday Park

Future plans for Abbeyford Leisure include expansion – either by acquisition as mentioned earlier but also of the existing parks. Both St. Andrews and Elie have scope for expansion. St. Andrew’s, which is only five minutes’ walk from the famous golf course, already has planning permission for further growth.

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NCC Training Academy is the centre for training and specialised skills development for the holiday park industry. 93% of delegates rate courses as ‘excellent’.

The Training Academy offer a number of courses for the industry including the NCC Park Management Qualification, developed for aspiring or newly appointed holiday home park managers. The course provides a sound basis for a successful career in park management.

The course combines online and face-to-face learning, providing employees with the confidence and relevant practical and academic skills to become a successful holiday park manager.

Most importantly you can personalise the qualification, allowing you to choose modules, based on your staff or personal requirements. All courses are CPD Certified or endorsed by Awarding Bodies.

What will participants achieve?

Successful completion will result in a qualification equivalent to diplomas and master’s degree level.

Training will cover compliance topics mandatory to the industry along with a thorough understanding of the Combined Purchase and Licence Agreement Code of Practice.

How much does it cost?

You can get interest-free monthly instalments from £165 per month to help spread the cost. The total cost of the qualification starts from £2,970 +VAT per person.

How long will the qualification take?

We recommend you allow a minimum of 12 months, with most applicants expecting to take between 14-18 months for completion.

NCC Training Academy is the centre for training and specialised skills development for the holiday park industry. 93% of delegates rate courses as ‘excellent’.

The Training Academy’s latest offer is Siting of Single & Twin Units. This course has been specifically developed for those directly responsible for siting caravans.

This is a two-day programme covering both single and twin unit operations and includes a combination of classroom-based learning, practical on-site exercises and virtual reality experience.

Our ground-breaking technology shows you how to site a unit in a safe and controlled environment. It is an exciting and vibrant initiative which simulates your role and ensures you are confident in the essential aspects of siting a caravan unit.

With small classes we want you to receive the very best from our professional siting trainers who bring real experience to this safety critical operation.

This course is an assessed qualification and provides an NCC Certificate of Achievement in Siting of Single & Twin Units.

If you are interested in a course just for your company, please ask us about our in-house training offers and benefits.

We are exhibiting at HERCMA The Lawns Show, so please come and talk to us to find out what new courses we have just for you.

For a bespoke quotation or to find out more email info@nccacademy.org.uk

or call 01252 796090.

Visit nccacademy.org.uk

Forest Holidays branches out Back in 1973, a unique partnership began that remains a shining example of how the public and private sectors can collaborate profitably and sustainably. Based in Moira, derbyshire, forest Holidays set up shop with the forestry commission with the shared goals of doing business while protecting and enhancing wildlife and the natural environment.

Forest Holidays is co-owned by the Forestry Commission and the private equity firm Lloyds Development Capital (LDC). With 10 locations in England and Scotland and 571 cabins, the joint venture has developed apace and in February was named Britain’s Favourite Getaway, chief executive Bruce McKendrick told the Leicester Mercury.

McKendrick, 56, has headed the group since September 2014, having shepherded annual turnover from £25.6m to £36.2m in 2016. He ascribes this success to a “unique business model” that sees it working “hand in hand” with the Forestry Commission on a daily basis.

New investors and partners have come on board since 1973. “It’s a very sustainable partnership,” McKendrick says. “And I believe this is the ideal model of how public and private sectors can successfully work together.”

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While the Forestry Commission holds the land in trust for the nation – an arrangement McKendrick approves of – Forest Holidays pays rent on the land that its sites are based on as part of a 125-year agreement, which began in 2006 and terminates in 2131. That rental money is then invested by the commission to maintain and enhance the forest as well as improving recreational facilities for the public.

“We’re one of more than 640 commercial businesses who support the Forestry Commission on the Public Forest Estate and these enterprises provide a wide range of recreational opportunities for the public,” McKendrick says.

“Forest management means planning for the long term and the rent we pay the commission is index-linked, providing a

reliable and sustainable income. There’s a real synergy between our organisations and together we work closely to ensure the commission’s Public Forest Estate contributes to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the country.”

The 10 sites equate to a seven-figure rent income for the Forestry Commission. As well as every cabin creating about one job per unit, each is also estimated to boost the local economy by more than £30,000.

Forest Holidays’ guests account for an £18m annual spend with local businesses, and this benefit to rural economies is set to rise further as the company expands by investing millions into increasing its cabins to an anticipated 750 over the next few years. The investment comes after planning permission was granted for four sites.

The operation’s 10th location, set in a woodland glade at Beddgelert, deep in the Snowdonia National Park, features 16 luxury two- and three-bedroom cabins, complete with the now almost requisite hot tubs, and pets are welcome.

Work is expected soon to get under way on 40 cabins in the Brecon Beacons, in a partnership with National Resources Wales.

There are other sites in the pipeline, with 56 cabins at Glentress Forest in the Tweed Valley of the Scottish Borders— part of a £11.3m project with Forest Enterprise Scotland – and at Delamere Forest in Cheshire, scheduled for 67 cabins.

A principal benefit of the symbiosis between Forest Holidays and the commission is the ability to take a strategic long-term view of expansion. “With this relationship, there is vigorous environmental scoping we go through,” McKendrick says. “We can take several years looking at potential locations and, if after going through testing we’re not happy that we can achieve our core aim, then we simply don’t do it.

“We may look at several sites but not take any of them forward. Our development might be slow, but we only bring proposals forward for public engagement if we can build a site that enhances as well as protects the environment.”

The Delamere Forest project has been in consultation with local people and other relevant parties for nearly a decade, and is likely to achieve the company’s objective of enhancing both the forest and visitor experience. There will be a visitor centre and a cafe, new and improved trails for walking and cycling, and a network of bridleways as well as ample parking facilities.

night vision to bush skills. Third-party activities such as pony-trekking, canoeing and archery can also be arranged.

“Our concept model was certainly innovative when it began in the 1970s, but I think it’s up to us to assess new environmental and ecofriendly developments,” McKendrick says.

The Forest Holidays’ stakeholder LDC is a spin-off from Lloyds Bank and has been involved since 2012. Chief executive Martin Draper said last year that he had “continually been impressed by the ambition of Bruce and the management team”. He added: “They’ve maintained a clear vision on how to generate growth, and as a result of strong demand have more than doubled cabin numbers.”

McKendrick is clearly ambitious for the company and passionate about the concept at its heart, but a concern for sensitive development is a key facet. “My management team and the rest of our staff share my belief that a sense of alignment is very important. We come to work to create memorable experiences within the natural environment, with long-term sustainability.

“We’re endorsed by many of the businesses and local people around our sites.

Sometimes there is inevitable misinformation when people hear about us building in a forest area, but once they see in detail what we’re going to do, the rigorous process we go through and what we are all about, many became supportive.”

Only once all the relevant local factors — from archaeology to ecology, topography to

wildlife — are assessed does the design of cabins and specific layouts begin. “We have a very light touch and take out the minimum number of trees for our cabins, but we always plant more in their place.

At Beddgelert we took out 15-18 trees but planted 168.”

Cabins are constructed on stilts, so the forest floor remains unaffected. The company has also implemented a darkskies policy at night, so there is minimal down-lighting to guide visitors to their cabins. The ecologically minded approach includes pellet boilers, air-source heat pumps and a happy absence of tarmac.

Forest Holidays runs various training programmes to help its workers develop and progress, and is also a keen investor in apprenticeships, with eight currently running that can provide a compelling career path in rural areas. “This is one of the things that drives me more than anything,” McKendrick says. “I’m really pleased that one young man, who started out as a part-time cleaner, has progressed to become our operations manager at Blackwood Forest, which is one of our most popular sites. It’s a fantastic story.”

He adds philosophically: “I don’t really have a mantra, but I do believe in giving people freedom to succeed – and don’t let anyone tell you that youth is a barrier to success. I believe in trusting people and giving them enough freedom to fulfil their potential.” forestholidays.co.uk

The central hub of each site is the Forest Retreat; incorporating a shop, an eatery, a bar and reception, the retreat serves locally sourced produce and hot snacks and is a great place for guests to mingle. Most of Forest Holidays’ cabins have private hot tubs and there are in-cabin spa treatments for the camper who likes a pamper. All the accommodation is equipped with traditional board games, TVs and access to wi-fi.

Guests are encouraged to participate in a range of outdoor pursuits on site and in the surrounding countryside. All Forest Holidays locations have a dedicated ranger skilled in the dark arts of survival, from

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Tel: 02921 280422 Email: sales@spachem.co.uk

park Improvements Sanifos – now with VORTEX The Sanifos lifting station from Saniflo is the ideal product for leisure facilities, campsites and parks looking to carry out improvements or install extra facilities on site. The pump sits below ground, externally to a building and pumps waste when the drainage requirements are too low for the sewer or for a surface mounted pumping station.

There are 3 models – the Sanifos 110, 250 and 500 - which were originally launched with the renowned Saniflo shredding blades to condense waste and allow it to pass through the discharge pipes. Whilst the blades continue to be a mainstay for many installers, Saniflo has now launched a VORTEX system for customers who prefer blade-free operation. The two larger units can be specified with VORTEX which allows for a clear passage of 50mm and is appropriate for high flows. With a vortex version of the Sanifos there is no need to macerate. It’s a system preferred by some installers who believe it can eliminate clogging issues from prohibited items being flushed away. In reality the performance of both bladed and vortex pumps is the same.

However, peace of mind for customers managing public spaces is important because clogging can lead to unwanted downtime and associated maintenance costs. Whilst both products are equally efficient at discharging waste, it is personal preference which system is chosen. Saniflo offers both systems to ensure customer choice.

It is the ability of the Sanifos to discharge waste from areas without traditional gravity drainage that is the main appeal. It means that holiday parks, camp and glamping sites and leisure

providers can consider unused or underused areas of their sites and consider installing extra shower and WC blocks, cafés, laundries and even pods, cabins and accommodation with its own bathroom. Helping to maximise the use of spare space, the flexible Sanifos can take waste from a single storey building that incorporates kitchen, bathrooms, en-suites, utility room whilst the larger models will work with multiple small holiday homes or one large commercial building.

The Sanifos 500 is also now available as a three-phase model to provide even greater performance in industrial applications and is supplied with a Smart Monitoring System complete with remote alarm unit. www.saniflo.co.uk

Increase Security With Frontier Pitts for-life, no-maintenance bearings on the drive shaft; while both barriers and control cabinet are supplied with a 20-year protective alkyd paint finish as standard. The FBX accessories options include a variety of warning signs, lower folding skirts, boom lights, articulated boom, over-ride key switch, magnetic locks for the end-rest, with a choice of ‘pogo stick’ or fixed end-rests.

Over the years, Frontier Pitts have installed perimeter security equipment on many caravan park sites nationally, to ensure the holiday park sites fulfil their security requirements with costeffective traffic management.

Roadblockers and Rising Kerbs are impact-resistant barriers, which control vehicle access and are well suited to ‘High Security’ sites. Such installations range from car parks through to antiterrorist protection of defence installations. There are a few models of road blockers available, including the Parking Height Rising Kerbs and the Security height Roadblockers.

Frontier Pitts manufacture many market-leading solutions, which are ideally suited for controlling constant access to and from site.

From the traffic control Automatic Barrier model FBX, to the parking height Rising Kerb, to the Anti-Ram Terra 180° Swing Barrier, Frontier Pitts install many solutions for Caravan Parks The FBX Automatic Barrier is manufactured in boom lengths up to six metres, up to five metres for booms with skirts, and each boom can be fitted with warning lights and signs to the customer’s specification.

Frontier-Pitts, based in Crawley, Sussex, is the acknowledged leader in perimeter security equipment. Our services include design, manufacture, civil and electrical services, site surveys, installation, spare part and a full Maintenance Contracts package to give you complete peace of mind. Our product range includes security gates, automatic barriers, road blockers and rising kerbs, bollards, and pedestrian control gates and turnstiles

The FBX is designed for reliability and durability, featuring sealed-

www.frontierpitts.com

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Where Will Electric Vehicles Charge On Your Park?

park Improvements

this summer, record numbers of electric vehicle (ev) and Plug-in Hybrid (PHevs) drivers will be out and about on the nation’s roads.

Demand for EVs is at an all-time high in the UK, with year-on-year sales of EVs/PHEVs having increased by more than 27%, building further on an already bumper year previously.

With leading car manufacturers around the world having introducing new EV and PHEV models, the current monumental increase in EV sales is set to continue at an increasingly rapid rate.

The Government is investing heavily into the industry too - with nearly one billion pounds being directed into promoting the growth and support of EV uptake in this country.

Martin Georgeson, Sales Director of Rolec Services, the award-winning company widely recognised as one of Europe’s leading designers, manufacturers and suppliers of EV charging points and accessories, commented: “As a company, we have been actively involved in the EV industry for over 8 years and are well placed to meet the increasing demand.

“Increasing numbers of caravan parks across the UK are installing Rolec EV charging points as an added feature for their visitors and staff to use to keep pace with the trends of modern day motoring. We are aware of a number of disgruntled visitors to other leisure parks around the country who have been airing their disappointment at the lack of EV charging points on EV

internet forums, highlighting the fact that demand is out there.”

Rolec, the benchmark brand for any caravan park requiring EV chargers, has to date manufactured over 95,000 EV charging points - supplying some of those to companies such as Tesco, Boots, McDonald’s, Hilton Hotels, Heathrow Airport and many more.

Martin continued: “Park managers may think that installing an EV charging pedestal will be complicated and very costly, and will cause lots of disruption to a site, but this is not the case with our products. Our EV charging points are specially designed to be easy and economical to install, safe, and adaptable to a variety of requirements.

“We manufacture ranges with caravan sites in mind - offering both free to charge and pay to charge options, and providing simple solutions for even challenging locations. Our EV charging points are approved by many of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers, including Nissan, Renault, Vauxhall, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Volvo and Tesla.

Leading Scottish holiday park finds simplified solution for efficiency savings

Piperdam Gold and Leisure Resort offers facilities for holiday lodge guests and day visitors alike, combining luxury lodge accommodation with award-winning facilities including a spa, golf course and a host of indoor and outdoor activities. The resort also hosts large-scale events and one of the finest wedding venues in Scotland.

It’s diverse revenue streams made for an ideal client of Elite Dynamics, who have developed a unique software solution named EliteParks to simplify management systems and encourage efficiency savings. Built on Microsoft Dynamics NAV technology; EliteParks encompasses functionality that covers all aspects of a holiday park operations including Lead Management, Sales Management, Park Management, Owner Management, Reservation Management and Finance.

Samantha Wall, Operations Director, Piperdam Golf & Leisure Resort comments, “We are excited about our decision to invest in the EliteParks platform to support our operation. We have so many different strands to our business that a solution to simplify our management system made complete sense. The team at Elite Dynamics have been fantastic throughout the evaluation process and we cannot wait to release the significant benefits that EliteParks will bring.to both our employee and customers.”

Jamaine Campbell, Commercial Director at Elite Dynamics said ‘’Elite Dynamics are delighted to welcome Piperdam Golf & Leisure Resort to our portfolio of professional Holiday Parks wishing to make improvements. We are currently working on new developments that will directly benefit Piperdam’s Events and Wedding management operations too.”

“We are also a government approved manufacturer and are proud to be able to offer Europe’s most competitively priced charging points.”

Piperdam Resort joins other holiday Parks such as Park Leisure, Park Holidays, Shorefield Holidays Ltd and Holiday Resort Unity in the shift to simplify management systems. EliteParks is a software and services portfolio, allowing holiday park operator’s complete transparency and control of their end-to-end business process.

For more information about Rolec’s huge EV product range go to www.rolecserv.com

www.elitedynamics.co.uk

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park Improvements Quality Outdoor Commercial Furniture To Enhance Your Holiday Park leisureBench ltd. is one of the country’s leading suppliers of quality commercial outdoor furniture offering a huge range. some products are suitable for both outdoor and indoor use.

All furniture is selected for good quality and strong construction, representing excellent value for money. The service also extends to help and advice on choosing the right products for you, if required.

The range is offered with a 2 year commercial guarantee.

Leisure Bench will ensure that the furniture you order fits your needs and your budget.

The product choice is extensive, including picnic tables, teak benches, hardwood tables and chairs,wooden buildings, parasols, rattan furniture, polypropylene lightweight chairs, planters, recycled plastic, table tops, bases and much more.

LeisureBench prides itself on giving you the best quality outdoor furniture and aims to provide it at the lowest price possible to all customers.

Volume Related Pricing Buy more and pay less!

The VRP engine on their website will give you lower on the spot pricing for multiple purchases. The savings for each product can be viewed whilst shopping on line and the more you buy, the cheaper it gets.

New product ranges and special offers LeisureBench is constantly on the lookout for new exciting products and keeps a close eye on the latest trends in fashion.

Their new Dorset tables and chairs range is made from quality timber, with metal frames and are tough, long lasting and durable.

The new Guernsey picnic tables are designed to be more user-friendly than traditional ‘A’ Frame designs, making it easier to sit at or alight from them. They come in three sizes and are made from 32mm thick FSC pine.

Mega Deals Mega Deal packages have been put together to match some of the most commonly sized orders.

In addition to these unbeatable offers, every Mega deal is delivered free of charge and fully assembled.

You will always find special offers on the LeisureBench website, for limited periods only, so take a look to see what is currently available.

To see these and our full range visit www.leisurebench.co.uk.

What padlocks do I need for my Holiday Park?

But if you’re looking for something with a bit more security, a key system would be better; “keyed alike” padlocks essentially mean that the same key will open multiple padlocks.

Nothing But Padlocks stocks a wide range of padlocks that can be used in Holiday Parks.

For ease of access in environments with multiple users, most businesses in the UK use a combination padlock.

Some of the popular ones from Holiday Parks include the Abus 165 series, which is great for lockers, luggage and travel bags.

The weatherproof Abus 180IB long-shackle series can be used outdoors to secure gates, lockboxes and compounds.

A lot of holiday park customers go with this system. There are a great number of choices including the budget options of the Shield B20 series. But with the increasing expense of brass in the marketplace, the future lies with titalium padlocks such as the Abus 64TI series.

There may well be a need to secure a gate, lock box or doorway, where you only want one key to open the padlock. You could then choose a “keyed different” padlock.

The padlock may need to be weatherproof for example if your holiday park is near the sea, therefore you may look at something like the Abus 65IB series or the Abus 70IB for even more outdoor protection.

Both padlocks are great to use in outdoor situations as they have mechanisms that should not rust. The Abus 70IB can also be used in locations where there are sea/salt water environments close by.

Sometimes, a higher level of security is required to protect items that are insured.

The company stocks a range of highsecurity padlocks that can meet these demands. Such as the Abus Extreme padlocks that have a CEN insurance rating and are weatherproof.

The padlocks can be purchased in bulk if required and there are varying levels of discounts for each product. Next day delivery via courier is available for faster shipping. www.padlocks.co.uk

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park Improvements Switching your Park Management & Online Booking Provider Moving to a new booking provider is now a very common occurrence, however there are many owners who want to make the move but are hesitant, believing the task as complicated and time consuming. leona Mills, Marketing Manager at campManager provides insight into the reasons why Parks are on the move, what is involved and what they need to consider before doing so.

4 reasons why Holiday Parks switch to an alternative Park Management provider 1. Ease of use Your booking system must be simple and easy to use for your staff and online visitors and provide them with all the information they require to make a booking. Your system should provide users with availability and pricing for all your accommodation units or touring pitches from one view, allowing them to select the best one that suits their requirements. If your system does not do this your online customers will get frustrated while navigating through the booking process. Your online booking should be clearly laid out, selfexplanatory and intuitive to use otherwise you run the risk of lower booking conversions. It is also important that you and your staff are confident in using the system, that it is quick and straightforward to enter telephone, email and on-spec bookings and that it is tailored to your Park’s individual needs, from the different pitch and unit properties to the different arrival dates and minimum stays.

2. Outdated technology In a competitive market it is important that you stay ahead of the game. Your booking system should be continually developing so it remains up to date with your needs and your customers’ needs. A superior solution will be technologically advanced, packed with rich features and flexible functionality. Your system should be able to optimise bookings by placing them on a back to back basis to reduce wasted nights and provide you with direct integrations to different 3rd party booking websites allowing you to maximise revenue opportunities.

3. Poor performance Parks introduce a management and online booking system as they want to save time, reduce costs, generate more bookings and manage their workload more resourcefully. If your system isn’t contributing to the efficiency and profitability of your business, then you should be questioning why you aren’t getting the desired results. Automated booking confirmations, balance reminder emails and welcome emails with pdf attachments improve your customers’ booking experience and at the same time reduces staff and administration costs.

4. Inferior service and support A great system is backed up with excellent support. The customer service should be fast, helpful, approachable and available.

You should have confidence that the support team are highly skilled and knowledgeable with requests handled in a responsive way. Before making the move to another provider be sure to speak to some of their customers to hear about their experience, if they would recommend the provider and to learn

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about the provider’s reputation in the industry.

What to consider when making the move Many parks put up with their current solution because they don’t know what is involved in the migration process. The prospect of moving from one system to another can be daunting but it is actually relatively straight forward.

When is the best time to make the switch?

The end of season is a great time to implement an alternative system as bookings are quieter, Parks may close and it is a time when you have less future bookings in your system. That means now is the time to start looking at alternative providers so everything is in place for an efficient turnaround.

Will there be any downtime during the move?

When you are ready to go live your booking page will simply point to your new system, so the switch is instant and there is no risk of downtime.

What will happen with customer data?

Your customer data will be securely imported across to your new system with any related notes attached to a customer entry, for example, if a particular customer likes to book a certain pitch. No manual effort is required on your part to do this.

Considering moving to an alternative booking system? Talk to CampManager.

Visit: www.campmanager.com Email:hello@campmanager.com

Holiday Parks Management

IN THE Booking october Systems issue Entertainment

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Camperclean – Revolutionising Caravans and Motorhomes

park Improvements LEWDEN HAS ALL THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS

It’s not very often that a product comes along that revolutionises the whole touring caravan and motor home experience, but that is what Camperclean by Caravan Park Electrical Services has achieved.

Two and a half years after launching in the UK, more than 20 units have sold in the UK with more on order. Campers who have used these machines see a major benefit from not having to come into contact with the waste from their chemical toilet.

One of the more recent Camperclean units to be installed was on the Ratham Estate where owners Lord & Lady Hodgkin run Concierge Camping.

A luxury camp and glamping site in the heart of the Sussex countryside, there has been no expense spared providing high end amenities for the guests.

Camperclean is an obvious choice providing guests the convenience of emptying, cleaning and refreshing the chemical toilet cassettes at the push of a button. No Fuss, no mess and no blue hands!

As the corporate colour for Concierge Camping is orange the Camperclean was supplied with the housing of the unit to fit in with the rest of the park.

Another two units have recently been supplied to the Environment agency for use with their staff welfare units. The ease of use of this unit makes light work of what is normally a far from pleasant task of emptying toilet cassettes.

Another unit is installed at Love2Stay. Mark Bebb managing director said, “We purchased a station for our new luxury 5 star park ‘Love2Stay Touring and Glamping Park’ at Shrewsbury. This was a no brainer for us. When we designed our new park we wanted to offer the best facilities for our customers and the addition of the Camperclean and the reaction we have had from our visitors to the machine has been fantastic. This is one of those products that comes onto the market rarely and really does make a difference to the experience that holidaymakers have.”

He added “Once a customer has used this station, they are reluctant to go back to emptying their cassette at a standard waste point ever again”.

Manufactured in compliance with the latest 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations, Lewden’s leading range of caravan hook-up units are equipped with switched interlocked sockets. Allowing safe use of electricity inside a caravan or motor home, these caravan hook-up units offer many benefits including metered versions with MID certified 45A KWH meters for each socket to ensure accuracy for consumer billing purposes. For maximum safety, the units have an overall main switch protection and use the latest RCBO’s 16A 2P 30mA Type B 6kA compliant to EN 61009.

The flexible and robust enclosure design of the hook up units allows either 16A or 32A switched interlocked sockets to be interchanged on the same fixing flange and wire harness, making it easy to upgrade additional sockets quickly at a later stage. Constructed from techno-polymer, the enclosure system is weatherproof to IP66/IP67 with a high resistance to UV rays and chemical agents and IK08 impact resistant. The units have smooth undrilled walls that allow custom cable entry position and operating temperatures from -25°C to +50 ° C, with storage temperature ranging from -30°C to +70 °C. The circuit breaker access window is made from tough transparent polycarbonate and the pad is lockable.

The units meet all requirements of BS7671.2008 and Amendment 3 2015, Sections 708 & 709.

For more information visit www.camperclean.co email sales@cpes.co.uk

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park Improvements BRIDGE LEISURE INSTALLS ELECTRIC CAR CHARGE POINTS AT HOLIDAY PARKS ACROSS THE UK

10 YEARS AND 3,000 CARAVANS EQUALS A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

Holiday park group Bridge Leisure has completed a project to add electric car charging points at eight holiday parks across the UK. The company, which owns parks and provides professional management and consultancy for the industry, teamed up with Lincolnshire-based electrical distribution systems specialist Caravan Park Electrical to install the charging points in time for the summer season.

Parks that benefited from the development are Trevella Park, Seaview Holiday Village and Hengar Manor in Cornwall; Hedley Wood in Devon; Ashbourne Heights in the Peak District; Sand le Mere on the Yorkshire coast; Turnberry Park in Ayrshire and Silver Sands in Moray.

Simon Williams, Bridge Leisure commercial director says: “The future of driving is electric, so having our own charging points will help us provide a better holiday experience of our electric-car driving customers.

“We are already seeing high use of the charging points, particularly at our Peak District and Cornwall parks, so there is clearly demand for this kind of facility.

“We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our holiday parks, so keeping step with the latest trends and innovations will help us stay at the forefront of the holiday park sector.”

As well as owning parks, Bridge Leisure manages holiday parks on behalf of individuals and small groups, helping them to drive growth through increased sales, cost control and smart developments.

“Environmental developments are one of the most requested areas of consultancy we now provide,” says Simon Williams. “We find that there’s a strong interest from holiday park owners who want to enhance their environmental credentials but don’t want to drive up costs and lower their customers’ holiday experience.”

To find out more about Bridge Leisure’s professional management and consultancy for the caravan holiday park industry visit www.bridgeleisure.com or call 01908 067 900.

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Perhaps one of the best kept secrets of Yorkshire Caravans of Bawtry, the oldest and largest independent retailer of caravans, awnings and leisure accessories in the UK, is that it is also home to the equally well respected Panelworks Ltd, an innovative, market-leader which provides specialist refinishing for the Caravan & Motorhome industry.

Celebrating 10 years in business, Panelworks Ltd is proud to be recommended by all manufacturers across the UK and is the UK’s leading caravan panel repair specialist. Established in 2008, it was born from an idea conceived in 2004, which saw extensive research into the best way to weld plastic suitable for caravan repairs in order to get caravans and motorhomes refurbished back to a ‘like new’ condition. Panelworks Ltd offers a no-quibble 24 month guarantee, which is twice the industry standard, and any manufacturer’s warranty is unaffected by any repairs, as they are approved by all UK manufacturers. www.panelworks.co.uk

Environmental News Cumbria park cracks open its bee-friendly brew Real-ale lovers are raising their glasses to both hops and honey bees this summer at Skelwith Fold caravan park in Ambleside, Cumbria.

That's because the family-run business has launched its own craft brewery beer, with every bottle benefitting the UK's largest honey bee charity.

The park's Wild Ales will help the British Beekeepers Association make younger people more aware of the importance of halting the decline of Britain's bee population.

The beer is available both at Skelwith Fold, voted Lakeland's top holiday park in last year's Cumbria Tourism Awards, and at its sister-park Moss Wood near Lancaster.

The bee charity will receive a donation from every bottle sold, and according to director Henry Wild, thirsty guests have already given a thumbs-up to the hop-rich ale.

The insect homes are installed on the group's flagship Silverdale Holiday Park and its five other nearby parks, all of which bring thousands of twolegged visitors to the region each year.

Cumbria holiday park where the guests are also dinner

Many are families with children, and director Michael Holgate says that its latest wildlife feature is providing fascinating entertainment and education: "The habitats are open-plan and filled with roosting material such as leaves, hollow stems and moss, and reveal the awe-inspiring activity of the insect world," said Michael.

"Being close to the sea, we have an amazing variety of resident and visiting birds, many of which get their protein from bugs – and our aim is to ensure they don't go hungry.

It's perfectly fine to eat the guests at a group of south Cumbria holiday parks this summer – as long as those tucking in have wings, and the guests have six or eight legs.

But whilst guests such as moths, beetles, spiders and centipedes won't be presented with a bill, there could be a higher price for them to pay.

The Holgates group has opened up a network of mini-beast mansions across its six top-rated parks, all designed to welcome beneficial insects for a comfortable stay.

That's because the parks are keen to ensure that their large bird populations have plenty of food to eat – especially those with diets which include creepy-crawlies.

"This is especially important in winter when the mini-mansions also act as an overwintering space for some species such as butterflies and solitary bees.

"We knew we had a hit on our hands when both youngsters and grown-ups started posting pictures of the insects on social media along with more traditional holiday snaps!" he added.

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Time to sell

your park? simon wallwork, head of corporate commerical law at slater Heelis llP, takes a closer look at the complex process of selling a holiday park.

Holiday parks are very dynamic businesses.

As such, the sale of a holiday park has unique factors which often do not impact on sales of other types of businesses. Complex issues including planning, contracts, regulatory obligations and site licences differentiate the sale and it’s important that park owners engage early with an experienced solicitor who will review their business to anticipate any potential issues and guide them through the lengthy process.

Achieving a successful sale requires key elements to be considered.

Optimise business affairs Occasionally, you hear of a buyer coming out of the blue with an offer that’s too good to be true, and contracts of sale are wrapped up in a matter of weeks. But more often than not, the sale process can be a lengthy one. A prospective park seller should allow at least 12 months from the point at which their business is first actively marketed.

During the initial sale stage, it’s important that park owners make sure they are in the best possible tax position. This should include a review of potential inheritance tax

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impacts on their estate of any sale and ensuring the sale qualifies for available capital gains tax reliefs.

How the sale is to be structured is an important decision to make and making the right choice with an experienced solicitor will allow the seller to maximise tax reliefs.

especially with the introduction of the 2013 Mobile Homes Act, which gives further rights to residents. It is vital that all paperwork is completely up-to-date and transparent before the park goes on the market – it will only work against the owner later down the line if it is not.

Make the right impression Get your house in order In order to maximise the value of the park sale, owners must ensure that all regulatory paperwork and licence agreements are up to date and easily accessible.

As part of the sale process, the buyer’s team will request all paperwork and agreements for everything from land registry and title information, homes agreements, services agreements, licences, permits to employees’ details. All contracts should be in writing and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure compliance.

Not having the relevant agreements recorded and up to date creates uncertainty and ultimately decrease the sale value.

Regulation within the holiday park industry has tightened in recent years,

Park owners should take a hard look at the company’s external image, looking objectively at its website, marketing and publicity materials. Does the outward appearance match the company’s inner strengths?

Unless the park has amazing yet underexploited intellectual property, its financial track record will be pivotal to the price it achieves. A corporate finance specialist will be able to present the accounts and be able to highlight and substantiate the value of a business to a purchaser.

Get advice!

It is vitally important that they assemble a suitably qualified team of advisers and choose them on quality and experience rather than the price alone.

advertorial

Huck nets (Uk) based in Bridport dorset, offer an innovative range of purpose-designed rope play equipment that will make every playground an adventure. Being manufactured mostly of rope and timber it is ideally suited to outdoor natural play environments and has long been a popular feature in parks and playgrounds across the Uk and europe.

Make play an adventure with The diverse range is suitable for all age groups and abilities from 0-99. Every element has been designed to allow children’s imaginations to run wild and to give a free rein to their natural urge to be active. There are various climbing elements such as climbing pyramids, jungle bridges, net ramps, rope ladders and tunnels, an impressive range of individual and group swings, trampolines, hammocks and aerial runways. Each play system comes with a wide range of different structural design elements in every shape and colour that will blend harmoniously into virtually any adventure landscape. Play worlds can be customised individually with rope ladders, ropes, tyres and numerous other accessories to meet every specific individual requirement.

Swing, climb, jump, slide....

Swings are one of a playground’s main attractions. Children love to swing high in the air. Huck offers every type of swing option a child could possibly want.

Whether for toddlers, nursery or primary school children or adults with limited mobility, Huck’s product range has the right solution for everyone.

Climbing nets and ropes provide an exciting experience for all young explorers looking for adventures. Huck’s large range of climbing nets also acting as safety nets means children of all ages can climb to greater heights. The ropes are especially appealing because they swing, bounce and vibrate, increasing the challenge of

Huck Nets!

the climb. Huck pyramids make the most of the benefits of rope play equipment: the taut net surfaces act as a play element but also as fall protection, enabling children to climb much higher. All Huck pyramids are available in mini, midi and maxi versions depending on the target age group and desired degree of difficulty.

There is also a range of rotating equipment from a spinning toadstool to a large climbing pyramid that caters for all ages and abilities seeking that rush of excitement.

Huck’s popular rope courses combine numerous separate elements to create one individual play world. Rubber mats, hanging ropes, wobble beams, climbing nets, clambering loops and rings, bars and many other elements can be suspended between posts that are up to 3m high.

Various bridge constructions and climbing games are also part of the fun. The course can be set up as a curve, triangle, square or polygon – whatever you choose.

Children over the age of 3 will have a lot of space for their play fun and at the same time train their fine motor skills Trampolines are a must for any play area.

Huck has an extensive variety of trampolines available in different shapes and sizes ideal for all age groups and abilities.

For Huck’s full range of play equipment visit www.huck-net.co.uk or ring 01308 421500 for a brochure.

Consult, design, install ...

To make your play scheme a real adventure, as well as supplying the play equipment directly to you, Huck offers a full solutions service from concept, design through to installation, provided by All Play a wholly owned subsidiary of Huck Nets (UK). They will design a playground to suit any size, environment, age group and budget.

Utilising Huck’s full range of playground equipment and supplementing with OEM equipment if required, any area can be converted in to an innovative and challenging play environment to meet individual needs.

“In order to deliver the high quality play space you dream of we will work with you to fully understand your requirements. This focused approach ensures that ageappropriate play needs are catered for, that the proposed play area is innovative, physically challenging, educational and mentally stimulating.” said All Play’s Senior Playground Design Consultant, Tony Lucas “We believe in creating spaces that will encourage children to play outdoors, have fun and meet new friends – playgrounds that are fully accessible, inclusive and welcoming to all children and is an adventure they look forward to every time they visit!”

For help with designing and installing an adventure playground contact All Play, part of the Huck Group, on 028 9756 5129 or info@all-play.com or visit www.all-play.com for more information on the full services provided.

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SALTEX 2018 Visitor Registration Now Open event organisers have announced that visitor registration for salteX 2018 is now officially open at www.iogsaltex.com.

SALTEX 2018, Europe’s largest annual event for groundscare professionals, takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, on 31 October and 1 November and visitors can now register their attendance for free via the newly-designed website.

The new website has been built to provide the ultimate user-friendly experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout, allowing both visitors and exhibitors to access all the information they need in preparation for SALTEX 2018.

The site is compatible with many browsers and all mobile devices meaning that visitors and exhibitors alike will have easy access to the site and stay informed with the latest show news and exhibitor event previews.

With over 230 exhibitors signed up to date, visitors to the website will see an extensive exhibitor list complete with individual profiles - each containing relevant information on products, services and show offers.

Visitors will also be able to find out more about new and exciting show attractions as well as popular features such as Learning LIVE – SALTEX’s free and all-encompassing

education programme; Outdoor demonstrations – which take place directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8; the SALTEX College Cup - a national student-led sports-turf challenge; Pathology & Soil Science LIVE - allowing visitors to look in detail at the symptoms of some common turfgrass fungal disease problems; Ask the Expert - a team of 10 IOG regional pitch advisors providing free pitch care advice; the Job Clinic - a chance to receive specific career advice and find out all the latest job opportunities from industry expert Frank Newberry, and the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) 10th annual Industry Awards celebration.

SALTEX exhibitors will notice some improvements to the portal, which is an indispensable tool for maximising event presence and making connections with potential customers in advance of the show.

All of the exhibitor forms, such as the Health and Safety Declaration and the Risk Assessment Form, have now all been

digitalised, meaning that exhibitors can fill out the relevant forms online without having to print them off.

Visitors can register to attend SALTEX via the website – www.iogsaltex.com. Visitors will receive a confirmation email with their badge to print and take along to the show, to gain free entry.

To view show highlights and key interviews please visit www.youtube.com/MyIOG Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

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Accessing the Luxury Accommodation Market:

GlAMPING

glamping is a natural evolvement for some holiday park owners and an increasing number of holiday parks around the Uk are now offering glamping as an alternative park accommodation. as the variety of outdoor activities and holiday experiences across the tourism sector increases, so do consumer expectations around the level of comfort they want from their holiday accommodation.

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The opportunity here is for unique, luxurious accommodation that attracts a different class of visitor. If you’re not yet convinced, here are two cases for using glamping to increase your holiday park’s revenue.

Attract new visitors to your holiday park It has been widely reported that staycations are rising in popularity in the UK. However, does that translate to a whole new host of visitors for your holiday park? There are several factors for this; cost being one of them, which may be the initial push away from a foreign holiday; yet making lasting memories and seeking new experiences will exert a bigger draw on the final choice.

Glamping allows you to provide a completely different offering within your existing park and bring in visitors who wouldn’t usually take a second look. It’s no longer only yurts or tipis; you can offer your guests the chance to stay in a treehouse, a floating pod, a traditional shepherd hut or a high-end luxury lodge.

You need to see the structures for yourself to believe what’s possible and The Glamping Show is the place to do it where the Show organisers are delighted to welcome the BH&HPA, the representative body of the parks industry including park homes, caravans, chalets, tents, glamping and all types of selfcatering accommodation, to this year's Show, who will be exhibiting for the first time, offering a range of services to individual parks.

If you can take inspiration from the unique environmental features of your park to create a luxury accommodation offering, this will steer you well.

Connecting with nature resonates strongly with families and empty-nest couples (two groups that tend to favour a holiday resort get-away), but they don’t want to rough it and they’re happy to spend some cash on a holiday that looks after them.

Make more of your under used space Along with variety in glamping accommodation comes flexibility in how it can be used. Most glamping structures are temporary and leave no lasting damage to the environment but they’re not insubstantial in the face of bad weather or plain hard work for the holiday-maker.

If you have an underutilised woodland area you could consider using glamping to increase the usage of this space, without destroying the beautiful, natural landscape. Bell tents lend themselves well to nestling in smaller spaces, while safari tents or lodges make the most of an expansive view.

Now is the time to pour your own creativity into your park and give even the most quirky and unusual AirBnB rental a run for its money. Within the comfort of creatively thought out glamping accommodation, what encounters with the great outdoors can you offer your guests?

What next?

If you’re all fired up but not sure what to do next, then register for your place at The Glamping Show at NAEC Stoneleigh this September (20-22nd September).

A wealth of exhibitors showcasing all types of quirky and traditional types of glamping accommodation will be waiting for you.

In addition, throughout the three days of the Show visitors can take advantage of the comprehensive free seminar programme, which will include a panel session dedicated to the holiday park sector; a must attend session for any park operator. * The full programme of these inspirational and innovative seminars, applicable to both holiday park and pure glampsite operators, offering an insight from the very apex of the glamping industry, can be found on the Glamping Show website.

Registration is now open so visit the website at www.glampingshow.com and book your place. You will be assured a warm welcome at the NAEC Stoneleigh from 20-22nd September 2018.

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Holiday Parks

Management

Classifieds

Contact Kath today for details of our classifieds package Insurance

t: +44 (0) 7575 408580 e: kathrynkelly@swanevents.co.uk

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mping

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Classifieds we have started work on our annual suppliers directory Management

visit our website on www.holidayparksmanagement.com to fill out your free directory listing the directory will be sent to every Holiday Park in the Uk

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