Boom time for caravan holiday parks?

With the value of the Pound at near record lows against the Euro & the US Dollar a boom is being reported in the UK caravan industry.

Haven, the UK’s largest caravan park operator, is reporting bookings up by 40% on 2008, a similar increase experienced by Hoseasons. Broad Lane Leisure, a caravan and motor home dealer in the Midlands, achieved RECORD SALES of its caravans, motor homes and camping equipment in November and December …

Are we about to experience a New ‘Golden Age’ for caravanning in the UK?

“We’ve enjoyed a record breaking January in our holiday home sales business”, says Jason Caine, Director of Blue Sky Resorts, based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.”And whilst its early days, we are seeing increased volumes of enquiries and those parks that offer a great product and value for money will benefit in 2009. People are realising that there is no such thing as a “cheap flight” - the cost of flights is increasing, people are fed up with the time they spend waiting at airports, lost luggage, and an uncaring attitude of the “no frills” airlines. More and more customers are saying to us that they would rather invest their holiday money into something (a static caravan or a lodge) that they can enjoy for most or all of the year, as opposed to spending it all on a two week vacation abroad.”

With the weak pound – currently worth almost the same as the euro (although it has been regaining some of its value of late) – Britons are swapping expensive foreign holidays for those on their home soil.

Sales manager Rob Wilson, of Discover Leisure, Newport, said they sold more caravans in the last few months of 2008 than in the same record breaking sales months of 2007.

He said: “At a time when you might expect sales to be quiet, there has been a massive increase in first-time caravan buyers.

“People are thinking twice about going to Europe and are instead investing in something they can use for a number of trips away.

“Holidays abroad cost thousands of pounds and all you are left with is just a few photos and memories. Caravans are a cheaper and a more sensible alternative and at the end of a camping holiday you still have your caravan for other trips.”

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