Figures provide optimism for holiday parks in 2015 and beyond

Recent reports paint a positive picture for the UK holiday sector, and at Bridge Leisure Management, we think this means holiday parks owners and operators can be optimistic for 2015 and beyond.

There is plenty of evidence to say that an ever-increasing number of Brits are including a holiday in the UK as part of vacation planning.

In a survey of 3,000 adults, Travelodge found that 70% are planning a staycation break this year.

This finding was backed up by VoucherCodes.co.uk, which surveyed 2,000 adults and found that 83% said they are planning to holiday at home in 2015, up 17% on 2014. These holidaymakers are expected to spend £56bn on domestic tourism.

2015 got offer to an impressive start according to Visit England, who recorded 19.7 million domestic trips between January and March, the highest number for seven years and a significant increase on 2014.

One reason for growth in the UK holiday sector is that consumer confidence is increasing.

Travel Supermarket’s annual Trends Tracker found that holidaymakers are planning to get away three times in 2015, rather than two times as reported in Trackers for the past four years.

And Visit England says that cost isn’t the main reason consumers are choosing England rather than abroad. In fact, liking England and the ease of travel are two key reasons that have helped growth.

The caravan sales sector is also reporting optimistic figures.

In its latest report, the National Caravan Council found that combined sales from static caravan and park home manufacturers were up by more than 6%, with sales to UK holiday parks up more than 9%.

Glass Business reports that dealers and park operators have seen a significant increase in sales of units in the £35,000 to £40,000 price range, in a sign that consumer confidence is coming back, and people are looking for higher quality models.

Has 2015 been successful for you? We are delighted to hear from park owners and managers. Why not tell us about your successes and issues for the year so far by emailing info@bridgeleisure.com.

For more information, see the original reports here:

• Families reject two week holidays for shorter ‘staycations around UK’, from Mirror.co.uk, 1 June 2015
• 83 per cent of Brits to take a UK break this year, from VoucherCodes.co.uk, April 2015
• Visit England tourism business monitor 2015
• 32% of Britons plan to stay close to home, from DailyMail.co.uk, 27 December 2014
• Caravan market trend 2015, from GlassBusiness.co.uk, 22 December 2014