By William Coleman
Last week saw a meeting of the Lake District Holiday Park owner in Ambleside to meet the newly appointed head of the Cumbria Tourism, who pledged her support for their businesses moving forward.
Gill Haigh, who recently took the position of Managing Director at the destination management organisation has recognised the importance of the tourism industry of the country and its vital impact on its economy.
Gill appeared as the special guest at the meeting of the Cumbria branch British Holiday and Home Parks Association which was attended by around 100 different parks, most of which are independant family owned sites. The event was held at the award winning Skelwith Fold caravan site which is just outside Ambleside and is the current holder of the Cumbria Tourism’s Holiday Park of the Year title.
Gill had a very warm welcome at the meeting and was introduced by branch director and business owner Henry Wild who acquired the Skelwith Fold twenty years ago with his father Syd. On stage Gill addressed park’s Sustainable Development Centre and said that she herself was a fan of the industry and has many fond memories of caravan trips with her family.
With Cumbria being such a vibrant area for holiday makers Gill explained that guest to the area have the right to expect the high quality of hospitality. She went to to say that Cumbria’s park industry delivers just that and has proved how capable they are of ensuring that the best holiday experiences are delivered.
This had even greater resonance, she said, now that Cumbria has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status and could truly be described as a world-class destination.
Henry Wild pointed out that guests staying on holiday parks in Cumbria make a huge financial contribution to the region’s tourism economy.
According to independently produced figures, he told Gill, Cumbria’s parks are responsible for approximately £73.5 million of spending each year in the county.
The vast majority of this sum, said Henry, is fed into the local economy, helping to support many other smaller businesses in Cumbria and sustaining the jobs which they provide.
Following her talk, Gill joined other branch members on a tour of the 130-acre grounds of Skelwith Fold which have received a number of major environmental awards.
Henry Wild said he was delighted that Gill was able to take time to engage with holiday park businesses in the county, and he looked forward to his sector working closely with her in the future.
This is great news for the Cumbrian leisure industry. It seems like it’s in very good hands with Gill Haigh at the helm.
