Groundbreaking report reveals holiday parks and campsites generate £9.3bn visitor spending

Tuesday 19 February 2019

Headline statistics for first-ever UK-wide holiday park and campsite sector economic report, ‘Pitching the Value’:

• Holiday parks and campsites generate £9.3bn in visitor expenditure equating to £5.3bn Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy

• The sector’s GVA accounts for 8% of the tourism sector’s overall GVA of £64.7bn

• The holiday park and campsite sector supports 171,448 FTE jobs in the UK

• Visitors who stayed in rented or touring accommodation, such as caravans, spent on average £557 per visit (£101 per day)

• Visitors to holiday parks and campsites stay longer and spend more than the average tourist

Holiday parks and campsites around the UK generate £9.3bn in visitor expenditure and support 171,448 full-time employees, a major report reveals today.

The independent report, titled ‘Pitching the Value’, is the first time holiday parks and campsites across the UK have been analysed to show the value of the sector to the nation’s economy. ‘Pitching the Value’, which focusses on the economic impact of the sector together with the health and wellbeing benefits of such holidays, was carried out by Frontline Consultants on behalf of the UK Caravan and Camping Alliance (UKCCA). The alliance is an umbrella group comprising The National Caravan Council, The Camping and Caravanning Club, the Caravan and Motorhome Club, and the British Holiday & Home Parks Association.

Bob Hill, who led the UKCCA joint working group, said: “This is a groundbreaking report that clearly demonstrates the important benefits to the economy brought by the UK’s many holiday parks and campsites.

“Pitching the Value will help the industry attract more investment and ultimately improve opportunities for it to grow, develop and create new jobs. Our findings reinforce the importance of holiday parks and campsites to the country’s tourism economy. That will help us to improve holidaymakers’ on-site experiences and choice, which in turn will also attract more overseas visitors to these shores.”

Holiday park and campsite operators also support local communities through capital and operating expenditure, and wages. Nearly half of those companies and organisations that took part in the report cumulatively spend nearly £303 million per year in this way. The research also found they engage with local communities through support for events such as fundraising activities, participate in recycling and environmental initiatives, and promote healthy active lifestyles in the great outdoors through pastimes such as walking and cycling.

The four sponsoring organisations of the UKCCA own or are affiliated to 6,243 holiday parks and campsites across the UK with a combined total of 438,076 pitches. Those sites offer holidaymakers a diverse range of accommodation such as touring pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes, rented holiday homes, lodges, and chalets, plus glamping units like tipis and yurts, together with a wide selection of on-site facilities. Bob added: “We want to use this compelling evidence to ensure key influencers and decision-makers support the development and growth of our industry at a national, regional and individual business level for the benefit of our economy and for holidaymakers themselves.”

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Visit www.ukcca.org.uk for further information or to download a copy of the Pitching the Value report.

 

For more information contact:

• The Camping and Caravanning Club: Simon McGrath, simon.mcgrath@campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk

• The Caravan and Motorhome Club: Nikki Nichol, nikki.nichol@camc.com

• British Holiday & Home Parks Association: Jon Boston, jon@jjbpr.co.uk

• The National Caravan Council: James Sparks, James.S@thencc.org.uk

 

Notes for Editors

1. ‘Pitching the Value – 2019 Economic Benefit Report: Holiday Parks and Campsites’ was produced by independent research company Frontline Consultants on behalf of the UK Caravan & Camping Alliance, following HM Treasury’s Green Book standards for appraisal and evaluation.

 

2. Gross Value Added (GVA) measures the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or economic sector.

 

3. The UK Caravan & Camping Alliance is an umbrella group representing four organisations:

1. The National Caravan Council (the NCC) is the UK trade association representing the touring caravan, motorhome, caravan holiday home and residential park home industries. The NCC represents more than 550 companies across 850 different UK outlets, and is the only UK trade association that represents the entire supply chain including holiday/residential parks, dealerships, manufacturers, workshops, and suppliers of specialist services and products. For more information, visit www.thencc.org.uk

2. The Camping and Caravanning Club is 118-years-old and is the largest and oldest Club in the world for all forms of camping. It has 104 award-winning sites throughout the UK, a network of 1,400 privately-owned small Certificated Sites and, through a partnership with the Forestry Commission, runs and manages a further 15 Camping in the Forest touring sites. Learn more about the benefits of joining the Club.

3. The Caravan and Motorhome Club represents the interests of about one million caravan, motorhome, campervan and trailer tent owners across the UK. Founded in 1907, the Caravan and Motorhome Club has a wealth of experience and prides itself on offering great value and high quality sites for tourers. The Club offers members over 2,700 sites in the UK and overseas as well as glamping pods, yurts, camping pods, tent camping plus a motorhome and Airstream hire scheme available to non-members through its Experience Freedom operation. For further information please visit www.camc.com or call 01342 318813.

4. The British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) is the only organisation established exclusively to serve and represent the interests of the parks industry in the UK. BH&HPA members own and manage 2,951 parks with a total of 392,245 pitches throughout the UK. For more details on BH&HPA visit www.bhhpa.org.uk or, for a searchable directory of member holiday parks in the UK, visit www.ukparks.com.