Feels like the Whole Country in on Holiday!

Feels like the Whole Country in on Holiday!

15 July 2013

Feels Like the Whole Country is on Holiday!

Caravan & Camping Home Holidays up 40%

When the sun shines everyone wants to be outdoors, spending time with friends and family and making the most of the unprecedented great weather.  This type of weather also makes everyone want to pack up the car and head away, even for a few days, to enjoy the great outdoors in all its glory.  With weather like this it feels like the whole country could be on holiday! 

This is a sentiment very much in line with what members of the Irish Caravan and Camping Council (ICC) are experiencing at the moment.  The fine weather has been a godsend to the sector with so much traffic on the website that the site nearly crashed last Monday with enquiries for last minute availability. 

Con Quill, Chairman of the ICC stated “Since the fine weather we have seen an increase in visitors to our website of over 400% - and the vast majority of enquiries are from the home holiday market.  It’s amazing; everyone right now wants to holiday at home – even if it’s just for quick get away at the weekend.  People are feeling so confident about the weather at the moment, that many of our members are reporting that customers when departing on a Sunday are booking their pitch again for the following weekend!”

Con gives some of the credit for the bumper season to technology - and in particular to the various social media channels.  “More than half of our 85 camp site members throughout the country offer free Wi-Fi as part of the many on-site facilities, so guests enjoying the parks are checking in on Facebook, sharing their camping photos on Instagram or tweeting around the BBQ.  All of their friends and followers are seeing first-hand the fun they are having and it’s encouraging a new generation of people to come and experience Camping and Caravanning for the first time.”

Cost is a big plus as well.  An average pitch for a night costs just €30 for a family of four, including electricity and most member parks provide showers free of charge.  With 95% of members providing fully equipped kitchens or BBQ areas there are even further savings.

Of course we all know this fine weather can’t continue.  Con reflects on this and said “What we are being given now is an opportunity to introduce and in some instances re-introduce people to camping and caravanning.  It’s a cost effective, fun, healthy way to spend quality time with friends and family and the great thing about staying with one of our members, you can literally take the kitchen sink with you – if it will fit in the car!  No border controls, baggage weight restrictions, just pack up the car and get on the road. Our customers tell us that their camping memories and the friends they meet are special and something that stays with them forever”.

While the weather is a huge bonus for the industry this year Con has an interesting perspective on camping holidays “Not only are our members resilient, having weathered a few tough years but our customers are also. They arrive prepared for whatever weather Ireland throws at them and thanks to great facilities and an outdoor spirit they will always enjoy themselves

For information on last minute special offers at member sites visit www.camping-ireland.ie.  The ICC also have a free Camping Ireland app for iPhones and Androids which can be used to browse and search the full range of sites, use a map to locate campsites with ease with route finder.

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