Affordable tourers help drive popularity of caravan holidays, says Elddis
Elddis' Xplore range is a great place to start looking for an affordable caravan
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The award-winning lightweight range from Elddis caravans is the lightest in the UK and has managed to shave off yet more weight for 2012 |
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Thursday, 12, Jan 2012 09:34
by Tom Lowenstein
Now that the New Year is properly underway and everyone is back at work and attempting to keep up with their resolutions, the national obsession for holidays is beginning to roar back to life.
This year, with more people keeping an eye on the purse strings, inexpensive holidays are looking to be more popular than ever, and touring cararavan trips are the perfect solution.
The Caravan Club is witnessing record bookings across its network of Club sites and certified locations, and it is not hard to see the allure for touring holiday in the current climate.
Figures from Elddis Caravans reveal that British families typically spend between £2,000 and £3,000 on an annual family summer package holiday abroad, around one-quarter of the cost of some of the cheaper touring caravans on the market.
According to the Daily Mail, meanwhile, the hidden costs, airport taxes and baggage charges can add as much as £800 to the cost of flights for a family of four.
For those with pets, leaving them in kennels can cost as much as £70 per week and taking them abroad is even more expensive, despite recent legal changes that have made it a lot easier to take animals to other EU countries.
Meanwhile, caravan companies like Elddis are offering brand new family tourers from as little as £11,599.
All of this helps make the case for caravan holidays and indicates why they are proving a popular alternative for many Britons.
The VisitEngland tourism board have said that they expect 2012 to be an exceptional year for people 'holidaying at home', while events like the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee mean that those travelling abroad could miss out on what's going on at home.
Jon Dale, PR manager at The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: "Despite these tough economic times, camping and caravanning continues to be a popular pastime.
"We expect to build upon the success of 2011 by encouraging more people to enjoy the richer way of life by spending time with loved ones in the great outdoors."