Could You Spend Your Holiday's In A Caravan?
2008 was a record year for UK site bookings for The Caravan Club, AND, most importantly, advanced bookings for the 2009 season are up by 40% on the previous year. A massive 50,623 bookings were made in five days alone during December with Club members planning and booking their holidays for 2009.
Nearly 55,000 households joined The Club in 2008 and 1,311 families joined in December alone. The Club represents the interests of one million caravanners, motor caravanners and trailer tenters.
For 2009 it looks like the “Great Escape” will become the “Great British staycation” as people rediscover the delights of domestic breaks. The Caravan Club offers a choice of some 3,000 destinations UK-wide and people are making the most of this choice and ensuring their bookings are already made for the 2009 holiday season.
Quarterly travel and tourism figures released by the Office of National Statistics show that the number of visits abroad by UK residents was down by 6% for the three month period between August and October 2008 compared with the previous quarter; and in a recent survey by VisitBritain, the majority said they would consider British holidays.
And the statistics show that although 90% of British people claim to be saving money in this tough economic climate, few plan to cut back on holidays. In light of the decrease in overseas visits, this suggests that Brits are still holidaying, but doing so without leaving the British Isles.
Caravanning is the most popular paid-for holiday option, with a 19% share of the market – second only to staying with friends and family. Although the UK offers many different options for those wishing to holiday here, records show that in the previous 12 months, sales of caravans and camping accessories have reached levels never achieved before.
An annual 10% increase in membership applications for The Caravan Club at October’s International Caravan & Motorhome Show 2008 at the NEC is indication that, despite fears of national recession, the UK’s domestic touring and caravanning industry is in great shape.
Nick Lomas, Director of Marketing for The Caravan Club said, “We confidently predict that 2009 will be the year that welcomes the return of the great British holiday, something Caravan Club members have enjoyed for over a Century.”
Tagged in The Holiday