Holiday parks enjoy boost as weak pound keeps people at home

A reported boom in staycations has boosted the UK's biggest holiday parks. Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The study found that the largest holiday park operators raked in £2.7 billion last year and are in line for a further boost as the Brexit-hit pound makes travelling abroad more expensive.

The UK’s 100 largest caravan, camping and holiday parks saw turnover climb nine per cent to £2.67bn in 2016, up from £2.46bn five years ago, driven my an increased demand for holidays in the UK, according to research by Ortus Secured Finance.

Staycations have taken on a broader appeal since the recession as a cheaper alternative to an overseas holiday. But sterling’s slump against the US dollar and the euro since the European Union referendum vote last year has also made holidaying at home more attractive, as the pound’s weakness bumps up the cost of foreign travel.

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John Salisbury, Ortus managing director, said: “Caravan, camping and holiday parks are going from strength to strength, combining value for money with high standard facilities to maximise the guest experience.

“The recession and the ensuing trend for ‘staycations’ gave holiday parks, camping and caravan sites access to an even broader customer base, and they have been building on this ever since.”

The staycation trend has given Scottish businesses a strong boost, with official figures showing a rise of almost a fifth in the number ofn “staycation” visits.

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said:“In 2015, there were nearly 12 million domestic trips to Scotland, with British visitors spending £3.27 billion. This was up 19 per cent on the previous year.

“This rise in spend, coupled with other factors such as an increase in the number of people visiting Scotland’s array of fantastic attractions, shows the appeal of ‘staycations’ remains strong.”