Caravan Holiday Home Research in Wales
Caravan Holiday Homes (picture courtesy of British Holiday and Home Parks Association)
Holidays in caravan holiday homes (which are also sometimes referred to as static caravans) account for 1 in 6 holidays in Wales and are an important sector, yet relatively little is known about these visitors. We were commissioned by Wales Tourist Board (now Visit Wales) and the British Holiday and Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) to research the market, examine the characteristics of caravan holiday-takers, their motivations and economic impacts.
The research involved a substantial programme of research including over 800 interviews with caravan holiday home users across 17 caravan parks in Wales and structured interviews with 26 caravan park operators. The research produced many interesting findings including evidence of a strong loyalty to Wales amongst both renters and owners. Both groups of users were also very positive about the attractions of staying in caravan holiday homes over other types of accommodation.
Although primarily not designed to be an economic impact study, the research also provided some useful pointers as to the value of the sector. For instance, the report estimated that each owned caravan holiday home generated a spending of £5,440 in the local economy each year and each rented caravan a spend of £15,490. The report was published at the end of 2003 and remains one of the few, in-depth studies of the caravan holiday home sector. You can read the report by downloading a copy from this link
