Premier Parks (part Warner’s Group)

[SBirnie]

Email sent to Premier Parks today:-

Hi,

Forwarding below email addressed to Ashleigh Chadwick, who I understand is currently on maternity leave.

Looking forward to your response.

Regards,

Steve

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: stephenbirnie@aol.com
Date: 18 January 2021 at 11:49:52 GMT
To: ashleighw@warnersgroup.co.uk
Subject: Motorhome / Campervan Tourism
Reply-To: stephenbirnie@aol.com


Good Morning,

I write on behalf of the Campaign for Real Aires (CAMPrA), a fast-growing group of motorhome owners numbering currently over 15,200.

You will be aware of the chaos last year caused by Covid and staycations leading to a huge surge in motorhome ownership and rentals, also in caravans and tent camping, so that UK campsites became ever more full than normal. Thousands of motorhome owners who wished to have “short stays” while touring found it near impossible to find a vacancy at a campsite. It is predicted the situation will be repeated, likely on a worse scale, in 2021. A solution is needed.

Can I draw your attention to thi following part of the motorhome tourism market, worth billions in Europe, for which you may not be catering?

I am sure you will have knowledge of the excellent Aires / Stellplatz networks (over 13,000) operating in Europe for decades. They are often mentioned very favourably in the motorhome magazines, including MMM from your own group. Tens of thousands of UK motorhome owners have sampled and love this system and want the same here in the UK. European motorhome owners (some 2 million) who want to visit the UK are put off because the ease and informality of aires (that they know so well in Europe) doesn’t exist here. They know that in comparison it is expensive and difficult to park in the UK, especially in England.

For the majority of their time away, very many motorhome owners prefer having the freedom to tour without campsite restrictions (booking in advance, often required to stay more than one night) and the myriad of other facilities that they do not need. For most of the time they only require a safe place to park, not camp, and every 3 or 4 days to have access to fresh water and grey / black waste disposal.

CAMpRA are not opposed to campsites, but we represent a different market and believe campsites can cater for touring motorhome owners as well. Motorhomes travel all year round so we can support your campsite out of season.

What is an Aire?
Overnight parking for self contained motorhomes (no camping allowed)
No requirement to book in advance (24 hours OK to allow sites to plan)
Max stay 48 hours.
Use of water and waste points only

How might you benefit?
• You can extend your season by becoming a winter Aire when the main site closes.
• Increase footfall by adding budget, non bookable parking bays for touring motorhomes and campervans
• Increase revenue by allowing access to service points for a small charge for passing motorhomes (additional income when your site is full).
• If they like your campsite and there is space they could pitch and stay longer.
• Allow the use of late arrival bays for overnight motorhome and campervan parking (you will know in advance how many units have not arrived and can limit time to overnight only).
• The Aires in Europe charge up to 10 Euros for a stopover with water and waste facilities. A charge of up to £10 per night for the UK would be ideal.

All these are ways that UK campsites can support touring motorhomes and campervans while at the same time increasing their capacity and revenue.

Such campsite facilities would be classed as a “Campsite with an Aire” and added to our social media group for free publicity.

Most likely this will also be advertised free on other motorhome social media sites, which have over 200,000 members and are accessed also by tourists from Europe.

Please contact me if you require any help or further information. However, the CAMPrA website has a wealth of information and resource documents freely available to peruse and download as required.

Meantime, we would be grateful for you giving the above your careful consideration and hopefully a positive response.

A brief acknowledgement in the meantime would be much appreciated.


Steve Birnie
07542 561275

www.campra.org.uk

[Steve]

Great letter Steve, very well balanced reasoning.

[Steve]

MCC supporting us on this, email from MCC who negotiated the deal for their members.

I have spoken to my contact in Haven and they will contact you direct, after broaching the subject with their directors.
I have also forwarded on your letter to Premier Parks
Regards
Pet

[SBirnie]

Phone response rec’d 19/1/21 from Warner Group’s Connor on behalf of Ashleigh (on maternity leave) - he’s referring my approach to his manager for discussion at a meeting today.

[Steve]

Reply received from Haven
Good afternoon Steve

Thank you for the email and letter which Pet kindly forwarded to me.

Our touring product and parks close each season at the end of October and remain closed for guests until mid-March.

During these times we would not be able to accommodate motorhomes on our sites as we would not have the resources available to allow people on our parks.

From mid-March onwards we run at full capacity and have strict regulations in place regarding booking in advance and late bookings.

With this in mind I do not think we can offer you what you want but wish you luck in finding suitable Aires for your members.

Kind Regards

Debbie Austin
Revenue Manager – Haven Touring & Camping

[Madcaravanner]

Reply received from Haven
Good afternoon Steve

Thank you for the email and letter which Pet kindly forwarded to me.
Our touring product and parks close each season at the end of October and remain closed for guests until mid-March.
During these times we would not be able to accommodate motorhomes on our sites as we would not have the resources available to allow people on our parks.
From mid-March onwards we run at full capacity and have strict regulations in place regarding booking in advance and late bookings.
With this in mind I do not think we can offer you what you want but wish you luck in finding suitable Aires for your members.
Kind Regards
Debbie Austin
Revenue Manager – Haven Touring & Camping

This to me seems she hasn't understood the context of AIRES

We are asking for something they do not have the concept of, park for 1 night then move on with minimal use of the aire services and for which we do not need staff or to actually go fully onto their parks.

[Steve]

I did reply and explain and also about waste points for touring motorcaravans

[SBirnie]

Since my 18/1/21 post about Premier Parks, it turns out the email contacts set out in their website are solely staff involved in Warner Group’s publications, ie MMM and others in the stable. I now believe Premier Parks is a loose grouping of independent campsites. Warner haven’t offered to pass on the message I sent originally. However, following an email exchange with the Head of Content (Managing Editor), yesterday I sent a piece for publication in MMM as either a letter or an article, which should help publicity for our cause! I’ll put details into a new Subject folder shortly.