Plea to Prime Minister as outdoor holiday providers face shut-down

The Caravan and Motorhome Club, together with the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, the National Caravan Council and the Camping and Caravanning Club, have written an open letter to Britain’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, calling for urgent action to stave off a crisis in their sector.

The four organisations say that the £9.3bn of visitor spending generated by their members each year is under threat from spiralling energy costs.

The caravan and camping sector is the most popular paid holiday in the UK. Holiday parks and campsites generate £9.3bn in visitor expenditure equating to £5.3bn Gross Value Added (GVA), and support over 170,000 FTE jobs across Britain. They are an integral part of the local economy within rural and coastal communities, and provide affordable holidays to families and individuals in the great outdoors.

Along with other industries in the UK, this sector is facing a crisis. Utility costs are creating an unsustainable financial pressure on businesses across the camping and caravanning industry and the four bodies are calling for urgent actions from the Government on energy costs and a reduction in VAT.
Nick Lomas, Director General of the Caravan and Motorhome Club said, “The Club will always do all it can to support its members and the caravan and camping industry. We urge the Prime Minister to ease the burden of spiralling utility costs and to reduce VAT.”

Lomas continues, “Club members spend £420m annually in the local rural tourism economy when on holiday. This is money spent on shopping, eating out, visitor attractions, fuel etc. This is such an important sector for the UK economy and, equally as important, leisure vehicle and camping holidays enable people to spend time in the great outdoors with its numerous physical and mental wellbeing benefits. Holidays must remain affordable for everyone. We are proud to be part of the UK’s tourism sector and recognise that our Club and members are an essential part of the UK economy.”

Parks and campsites of all sizes, say the bodies, are also being hit hard by VAT levies which make them unable to compete on a level playing field with other countries in mainland Europe.

In many EU states, they point out, a more favourable VAT arrangement exists for tourism providers which helps such businesses to keep their prices down.

A similar lowering of VAT for UK tourism businesses, they say, would help keep holidays more affordable for people already battling cost of living rises.

Staying options provided include touring pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes, rented caravan holiday homes and lodges, and glamping units.

Value-for-money prices and high quality surroundings and facilities make parks and campsites a popular choice for millions of people each year, the organisations say.

In its letter, the bodies congratulated Liz Truss on her election as PM, and said that their members looked forward to an early meeting at which their concerns could be discussed.

For more details about the Caravan and Motorhome Club visit www.camc.com.