by Alice Scarsi
The NCC held a briefing in Westminster to raise awareness about the importance of the leisure vehicle sector in the UK economy
Members of the National Caravan Council (NCC) held a briefing session in Parliament earlier this week (24 February) to discuss with MPs the work of the trade association and its importance in the British economy.
22 MPs listened to the talk held by the NCC about the importance of the industry that contributes £6 billion a year to the UK economy.
The popularity of the caravan industry throughout the UK was also highlighted more recently with the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show 2015 attracting a record number of visitors to the NEC earlier this month.
With around 95 per cent of touring caravans in the country made in the UK, the caravan sector represents a manufacturing success story, employing about 130,000 people. In 2013, over £2.4 billion was spent on UK caravan holidays and more than 51 million nights were spent in caravans.
In addition to the impressive numbers regarding the leisure vehicles in use within the UK – 550,000 touring caravans and more than 205,000 motorhomes – there are also more than 330,000 caravan holiday homes spread across the United Kingdom.
The NCC’s deputy director general, Alicia Dunne, stressed the importance of the leisure vehicle sector, saying: “Tourism is hugely important for the UK economy. Holiday parks provide good value, family – friendly addition to ‘staycation’ tourist accommodation and touring in a caravan or motorhome is a fantastic way to explore Britain.
“Ahead of next month’s tourism week I am pleased that so many MPs came out in support of our sector. Working together, we can grow our businesses and provide more employment opportunities and deliver outstanding holiday experiences. Already well over two million people take a caravan holiday each year – if we can increase this, we can support British manufacturing and bring additional income to many areas, particularly rural and coastal ones.
“Similarly, residential park homes offer a unique and affordable housing choice for thousands of people across the UK and working with local authorities we can help make this a more accessible housing option/lifestyle.”
The NCC runs a series of services and initiatives that were presented to the MPs alongside the figures mentioned above. These include the NCC Approved Code Scheme which provides additional consumer protection, the NCC Training Academy that aims to enhance skills of those working in the sector, and the Central Registration & Identification Scheme (CRiS), the national register for UK touring caravans, which provides a service similar to that of the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for leisure vehicles.
