| The UK Holiday Park has become one of the | | | | customers with a much greater range of |
| great national institutions. Generations of | | | | choice. |
| families, from the turn of the century | | | | |
| onwards, have left the UK's cities to head | | | | Secondly the entertainment offering changed |
| for their two weeks summer holidays on the | | | | enormously. Some UK parks began to specialise |
| British coastline. | | | | in just offering specific entertainment |
| | | | breaks. Top comedians, shows and musical acts |
| The Holiday Park had a fairly humble | | | | have begun to top the bill and themed |
| beginning, essentially offering | | | | weekends specialising in entertainment like |
| accommodation, entertainment and food all | | | | county western, 60's revivals and dance and |
| under one roof, more often than not on the | | | | sport breaks. Parks have also become better |
| edge of a large traditional seaside town like | | | | at targeting key groups like adult weekends, |
| Blackpool, Skegness or Great Yarmouth. | | | | family activity holidays or special nights |
| | | | for stag and hen groups. |
| These holiday parks were very popular with | | | | |
| families looking for affordable holidays, at | | | | Thirdly the traditional three meals a day |
| a time when overseas travel was expensive and | | | | offering of parks has probably seen the |
| unobtainable for a large percentage of the | | | | greatest change. To adapt to the change needs |
| general public. | | | | of holiday makers more and more parks have |
| | | | began to offer self catering options rather |
| However as overseas travel became more | | | | than providing full or half board and |
| affordable Britain saw the rise of the | | | | charging extra for meals. Some of the larger |
| package holiday in the 70's and 80's, which | | | | chain parks have gone even further and don't |
| meant that the UK holidays no longer offered | | | | offer any catering, just inviting the |
| the value that was such a unique selling | | | | restaurants and fast food places to offer |
| point for many of the popular parks. With the | | | | food on the Park. However, as the parks |
| new found competition from guaranteed sun, | | | | themselves have diversified, offering |
| cheap accommodation, food and drink, UK | | | | different things to different holiday |
| holiday parks came under increasing pressure. | | | | markets, so has the catering, and some |
| | | | holiday parks now make a virtue of the fact |
| The challenging times that faced the industry | | | | that they offer three top quality meals all |
| were definitely compounded by a change in | | | | day. |
| perception of the holiday park experience. | | | | |
| When you mentioned holiday parks people began | | | | One example of a company who stayed ahead of |
| to think of the popular TV series Hi-de-Hi | | | | the game was Potters Leisure Resort. As the |
| and never ending rounds of knobbly knees | | | | UK's only Five Star Independent Park they had |
| competitions, donkey rides and red coat style | | | | long been investing to top quality |
| entertainment. Unfortunately combined with | | | | infrastructure, entertainment and catering |
| cold and windy chalets and indifferent food! | | | | and the initial costs of the project have |
| | | | been rewarded with a reputation for top |
| The holiday park has however come a long way | | | | quality holiday park experience. |
| since its humble beginnings and in the last | | | | |
| ten years the industry has seen a massive | | | | But Potters aren't the only company offering |
| revolution in the breadth, quality and style | | | | top quality park style holidays. More and |
| of holiday parks available in the UK. | | | | more developments in the UK are building the |
| | | | lodge style accommodation away from the |
| Like many UK tourism business the independent | | | | traditional holiday park centres of seaside |
| and multiple holiday park owners began to see | | | | towns. The inland lodge style developments |
| a decrease in the interest in their holiday | | | | have specifically moved away from the 'park' |
| offering. The park owners came up with a | | | | image and now offer champagne and hot tubs |
| number of solutions to counter the perception | | | | style breaks in a quiet and secluded rural |
| and the improve the quality of the holiday | | | | environment. |
| park experience. | | | | |
| | | | Parks are springing up right across the UK on |
| Firstly the accommodation was upgraded. | | | | the coast and inland and more than ever |
| Customers were no longer happy with basic | | | | before the UK holiday park experience offers |
| facilities, so holiday parks spent millions | | | | something for everyone from traditional |
| on improving accommodation facilities, from | | | | entertainment in Great Yarmouth, to five star |
| upgrading the standard rooms to developing | | | | luxury in the Cotswolds. With so much |
| penthouse apartments with plasma TV's, four | | | | innovation in the industry holiday parks will |
| poster beds and room service. This resulted | | | | continue to offer more of what the |
| in holiday parks giving a more upmarket feel | | | | holidaymaker wants and needs - a top quality |
| to all their accommodation and provided | | | | holiday experience. |