Watch out Center Parcs.

Written by John Dalgleish

With research showing that holidays in the UK continue to remain popular with park operators capitalising on increased demand for alternatives to more costly overseas holidays I wasn't surprised to find that the development of the UK’s first "six-star" luxury resort will be going ahead in Cornwall.

Center Parcs has shown that you can have excellent year round occupancy by providing great indoor facilities, activities and quality accommodation. Over the years this has been emulated by many of the traditional holiday parks but generally on a smaller scale, to a lesser budget and using caravan and lodge style accommodation.

Campsite, holiday park owners and operators are always seeking to generate greater opportunities for repeat business and drive up guest spending by offering more services and more luxurious holiday/vacation rental accommodation to attract those customers who perhaps wouldn't consider a traditional caravan holiday park break.

Image courtesy of Camel Creek Resorts

Camel Creek Resort situated between Newquay Airport and Padstow is in an ideal location to take advantage of the continued demand for stay-cations. It has been granted planning permission to start building and this should begin in 2018 with all work expected to be completed within a three year period. The resort will include a 1.5 acre tropical Spa & pool complex with a living eco-roof, a tree house village with 46 tree houses, more than 106 lake-side villas and 84 courtyard properties on the 90-acre site adjacent to the existing Camel Creek Adventure Park. 

Image courtesy of Camel Creek Resorts

Camel Creek Resorts is a joint venture between John Broome CBE (the man behind developments such as Alton Towers, Trentham Garden and Carden Park) and with Imperial Corporate Capital PLC.

Image courtesy of Camel Creek Resorts

The resort with its location in Cornwall and facilities will attract a variety of clientèle from thrill seekers looking for quality accommodation alongside the existing fun park to those seeking a more experiential break too, those looking to really experience a place – the sights, the sounds, the smells, the food and the people.

The tree houses will appeal to families and couples looking for something different to the usual holiday cottage, caravan or lodge. Glamping has made this sector of the market increasingly popular in recent years, offering a range of innovative “luxury” options, with yurts, teepee's, tree houses and even converted buses available in locations all over the UK.

If you would like advice with upgrading your business model to take advantage of demand for experiential and glamping breaks and to see how you can improve occupancy and revenue at your campsite or holiday park please contact me by email at [email protected] for a free consultation.