It seems UK holidaymakers have truly caught the online travel bug. In Britain, more money is spent on online travel than in any other country in Europe. So how should holiday parks and campsites respond?
In the UK a staggering 40% of travel is now booked online, and many more travel purchases ‘offline' are influenced by web research. While other travel sectors dominate the dot-com limelight, many caravan and camping businesses are capitalising upon this trend. According to VisitEngland, 23% of domestic camping and caravanning trips were booked online in 2009, and some parks generate as much as 70% of their letting income from web bookings.
The dramatic growth in online booking represents both an opportunity and a risk. Parks that embrace the web find it easier not only to retain existing customers, but also to attract a growing audience of new, affluent visitors for whom online booking is second nature.
With reports this year of a quarter of bookings being made within a fortnight of travelling, the ability to publish late offers and shoulder-season breaks to thousands of users in an instant is vital. Promoting your business through well-designed websites with solid marketing support allows you to attract new web-savvy audiences - from the millions of ‘staycationers' to ‘glampers' and green holidaymakers.
Parks slow to adapt to this shift online risk being trapped in a shrinking ‘offline' market, under threat not only from other holiday parks but also from accommodation providers in other sectors, here and further afield.
Launched in July 2009, Pitchup.com was set up by lastminute.com staff in response to the difficulty in finding and booking a suitable holiday park or campsite on the web. Users can search for a site using more than 80 criteria, including local festivals and attractions, and even look up nearby pubs and cycle rides. So far, we've had a great response with over 600,000 visitors and coverage throughout the national media.
The website provides a free basic listing for any park in the UK and Ireland. Owners can upgrade to online booking, either integrated with leading reservation systems (eliminating the hassle of updating a separate system) or in stand-alone form. For owners not yet ready to accept online booking, an availability calendar service is also available.
The ‘staycation summer' of 2009 saw the biggest shift from foreign to domestic travel for a generation. Camping and caravanning really benefited, with 20% more trips taken by UK residents than in 2008.
This phenomenon looks set to continue. But travellers abroad became used to booking on easyJet.com, ThomasCook.com and so on years ago: it's worth treating the staycation a catalyst to reinvigorate your internet distribution strategy.
The world continues to moving online rapidly and Britain is at the forefront of that trend. As traditional booking methods lose ground to online channels, businesses that offer an online booking option - on their own websites or via a third party - will avoid missing out as high-spending customers move online, and can cast the net worldwide to attract even more!
Take a look at the website at Pitchup.com
or contact the Pitchup.com team
Date added: Monday 6th September 2010
Latest updated: Thursday 8th March 2012
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