More Brits holidaying in the UK

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A UK-based holiday park operator has noted that an increasing number of Brits are holidaying at home during 2010.

Flight cancellations combined with the after-effects of the recession have combined to encourage holidaymakers to look to caravan parks and other British attractions as alternatives to jetting off abroad.

Haven Holidays revealed that it recorded a 20 per cent year-on-year rise in bookings for the weekend of April 17th and 18th.

It also reported a 25 per cent rise on weekend bookings for St George’s Day, which takes place on April 23rd.

“More and more families are opting to holiday closer to home with most people choosing holiday destinations no more than two hours driving distance from where they live,” the firm noted.

The holiday park operator offers family breaks from £149 for six people and is hoping to encourage Brits to book up for the May Day bank holiday weekend.

Meanwhile, the company is set to offer special activities as part of the birthday celebrations for its mascot Rory the Tiger.

Family’s love of caravans the secret behind business’ success

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A pair of caravanning siblings have set up their own caravan business using the money they inherited from their late grandmother, it has been reported.

John and Jo Grove are now the proud owners of Venture Caravans, which is located in St Aspeth, Denbingshire, and sells not only caravans themselves but also a range of accessories for the great outdoors.

However, while the enthusiasm for the hobby has always been present, the duo were only able to get their enterprise off the ground after they inherited some money through their grandmother’s will, the Denbingshire Visitor has reported.

“We have always been interested in caravanning as a family and were introduced to caravan holidays from an early age, touring all over Europe,” John told the newspaper.

“My late grandmother also enjoyed the odd caravan holiday and knew what an integral part of our lives it was… so we felt it only appropriate to use the money she left us by reinvesting it in the business,” he added.

Just recently, North Wales Fire and Rescue Services advised caravanners to take extra care after a man set fire to his trailer while carrying out DIY work using a grinding machine.

MP’s enthusiasm shows demand for caravan holidays is strong

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Interest in caravanning holidays across the UK is as high as ever, with MPs joining everyday enthusiasts in hitching up their trailers and taking a ‘staycation’.

That is according to the Caravan Club, which has welcomed one politician’s support for caravanning with an insistence that demand for pitches across the country is as strong as ever.

Oliver Heald, who serves as an MP for North East Hertfordshire, visited Caravan Club site Ashridge farm in Baldock as part of a wider effort to further promote domestic tourism, with the politician noting the “high standards” evident at the site.

Following the visit, the Caravan Club’s marketing director Nick Lomas stated his confidence that this summer the popularity of caravan holiday within the UK will be as strong as ever.

“The domestic tourism industry had an unprecedented opportunity to encourage holidaymakers to take breaks and holidays on home ground in 2009 and the Caravan Club saw an increase of half a million ‘bed nights’ on its sites network,” he said.

Perhaps the best-known political caravanner is Margaret Beckett, who famously insisted on taking a summer caravan holiday in 2006, despite having to be accompanied by security personnel due to her then role as foreign secretary.

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Caravanners should check tyres this Easter

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Easter is a favourite time of the year for caravan breaks, but Brits have been warned to make sure they do not end up ruining their holiday due to a flat tyre.

According to Protyre, ten million motorists will take to the road over the Easter long weekend, which could increase the number of breakdowns on the UK’s roads.

However, people can cut their chances of experiencing difficulties by making some last minute checks of their vehicle and the caravan they hope to tow.

A quick look at tyres can reveal wear and tear and clues to problems with suspension, as well as alert drivers to punctures or simply just that the treads need to be inflated.

Protyre claimed that almost one in every four cars and vans have at least one defective or badly-worn tyre, which could increase the chances of an accident.

“It’s easy to forget to check your tyres with all the distractions of an Easter getaway, but they are critical to the safety of your vehicle,” retail director Simon Hiorns said.

Police warn of caravan theft risk

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Caravan owners in Cambridgeshire have been advised to take extra care following a spate of recent thefts in the Fenland region.

Highlighting the need for vigilance and caravan anti-theft measures, local police have confirmed that caravans and equipment worth £20,000 have been stolen from homes over the past week alone.

As well as a Swift Charisma touring caravan, an Avante 534 was also taken from a driveway in the area, prompting Fenland Police community safety manager Trevor Bracken to advise owners to “rethink their security”.

“They should consider installing tracking equipment which helps police trace their caravan if it is stolen,” he told Fenland Today.

“Post coding is recommended and can aid the identification of a stolen caravan.”

Meanwhile, England football captain Rio Ferdinand has told the Times that, rather than jetting off to the Caribbean, he enjoys taking his family on caravan holidays within England and Wales.

Caravaners boosted by Easter Weekend roadworks suspension

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Caravan owners have been given a boost with the news that a majority of UK roadworks will either be completed or suspended in time for the upcoming Easter weekend.

According to the Highways Agency, some 60 per cent of roadworks will either be finished or put on hold for the long weekend, spelling good news for those holidaymakers keen to hitch up their caravans and get away.

This comes in spite of the fact that the bad weather experienced over the winter caused a number of road improvement projects to be hit by delays, with the government department stating that, as well as boosting reliability, the extra effort has been driven largely by an aim to make the UK’s 9,534 miles of major carriageway safe for drivers.

Announcing the good news, Highways Agency director of network delivery and development Derek Turner said: “We wish to reassure the travelling public that the Highways Agency is lifting as many roadworks as is safe and practical to do so for this Easter bank holiday.”

Meanwhile, the Met Office has predicted that UK weather will remain ‘unsettled’ over the Easter weekend, with snow likely in Scotland and some parts of northern England.

Caravanners could head on Easter egg hunt

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Those spending the Easter weekend in a caravan could be interested in taking part in one of 220 Easter Egg Trails being set up by the National Trust in conjunction with Cadbury’s.

The chocolate firm is providing Egghead Easter eggs that come in environmentally-friendly packaging.

Each child who completes one of the trails will be given one of the chocolate treats, while the National Trust will be offering face-painting, crafts and Easter egg painting.

The organisation has recorded an increase in visitor and membership numbers over the past year and is hoping to encourage families to spend the bank holiday weekend outdoors by hosting the events.

Interested parties are able to head to the National Trust website to check where their nearest Easter Egg Trail is taking place.

Meanwhile, Enjoy England is celebrating the release of the new Alice in Wonderland movie by inviting Brits to explore “Alice’s England” by visiting Antony House near Plymouth.

Britain’s roads ‘could be improved’

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Caravan enthusiasts may know as well as any road user how well maintained their regular routes are.

However, the condition of the UK’s highways could be set to improve if the Transport Committee has its way and regulations are passed to develop how local authorities operate.

According to the group, many local authorities are not spending their entire roads budget allocated by the government.

It has suggested that parliament sets out clear guidelines for how this money should be spent and that it ensures there is more clarity from councils on how they are maintaining their local transport infrastructure.

A recent statement by the committee concluded that more has to be done to manage both repairs and traffic congestion.

The body suggested that a combination of sustainable transport, careful planning and the use of modern technology could improve Britain’s highways for all road users.

In other news, one happy caravan owner was reunited with his vehicle just hours after it was stolen after the TRACKER device he installed helped police catch the criminal.

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Chessington adds new attraction

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Caravan enthusiasts may be interested to hear that there is a new attraction at a popular theme park.

Chessington World of Adventure has added a new “land” called Wild Asia and intends to develop the site further by introducing the African Savannah Experience, which opens in June and will be populated by zebras, antelopes and other animals.

Based in Surrey, the amusement park opened for the summer season on March 27th having transformed Beano Land into the new attraction, which acts as an extension to Asia World.

PR manager Maria Hamilton revealed that the Wild Asia section “offers a whole experience for explorers wanting to immerse themselves in the culture, food and crumbling ruins of a lost Asian kingdom”.

Visitors can look forward to riding KOBRA, which operates on a 90-metre track and propels participants at speeds of up to 43 mph.

Meanwhile, seasonally adjusted figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the UK enjoyed a two per cent rise in visitor numbers in the three months to January 2010, compared to the previous quarter.

Families ‘should spend time apart’ on holiday

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Brits heading on a caravan adventure with their parent may wish to take note of recent advice from travelsupermarket.com.

Figures from the firm show that more than half (53 per cent) of 20 to 30-year-olds have been on a family-funded break since turning 18.

Travel expert with the company Bob Atkinson suggested that the best way to survive such a holiday is not to do everything with your parents.

He explained that while these trips can work well, families should take care not to live in each others’ pockets throughout the break.

Mr Atkinson said people should “do some things separately, do some things differently and you can still join up and chat about it later”.

Meanwhile, a recent YouGov poll commissioned by VisitGuernsey showed that almost one in two (48 per cent) of Brits

Airstream Bambi 422 shown at British Leisure Show

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Caravan enthusiasts considering investing in the new version of the Airstream Bambi 422 travel trailer were recently given a chance to have another look at it.

The classic model was relaunched earlier this year at the National Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Show, with potential buyers given a second opportunity to view it at the British Leisure Show.

Attracting more than 300 exhibitors and billed as the ultimate leisure lifestyle event, the expo took place at Royal Windsor Racecourse from March 19th to 21st.

It was the perfect occasion to have a closer look at the new model, which has a MIRO weight of 1,080 kg and a loaded towing weight MTPLM of just 1,320kg.

Airstream Europe sales director Michael Hold explained that the firm was delighted by how well the redesign has worked out.

“There is now an exposed aluminium interior and front panoramic windows, which must make it the cutest trailer on the market,” he said.

The unit can be pulled by smaller cars, including the Volkswagen Golf Diesel 2.0 and the BMW 330i.

Meanwhile, a caravan owner whose mobile home was stolen in the night was reunited with the unit just three hours after the crime after police used the TRACKER device he installed to find the thief.

Stolen caravan recovered within hours

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The effectiveness of tracking devices on caravans has been proven after a stolen mobile home was recovered just hours after it went missing.

Police managed to track down the thief using the TRACKER device after the owner received a text message in the middle of the night to alert him that his vehicle was being moved from its Worcestershire storage unit.

Just three hours after the theft, officers stopped the criminal on the M5 motorway, only to discover that the car he was using was also stolen and being driven with fake number plates.

TRACKER police liaison manager Adrian Davenport explained that the incident showed exactly how vulnerable caravans are to theft when in storage.

“If the owner hadn’t made the wise investment of fitting a TRACKER caravan recovery product, the theft of this caravan most probably would not have been discovered for several weeks,” he said.

Mr Davenport added that the device had made the difference between the criminal enjoying a holiday in “‘his’ new caravan” and spending some time in prison.

In other news, caravan manufacturer Airstream chose the National Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Show to re-launch the Bambi 422 model.