Holiday Brits beat crunch in caravans

Midland holidaymakers are shunning expensive foreign breaks and turning to traditional caravan and camping holidays in the UK.

Caravan holidays are seeing a surge in popularity during the recession, with The Caravan Club reporting bookings up 40 per cent on this time last year.

Midland caravan firms say that more people are buying caravanning products and parts.

Ben McGrath, of Black Country Caravans, in Corngreaves Road, Cradley Heath, said: "I would say we have seen an increase of around 30 per cent on this time last year.

"January especially was really busy – the most people we've seen through the doors in the last two or three years.

"It would appear that the credit crunch has got something to do with it, and more and more people are holidaying at home."

At Hixon, near Stafford, where Leisure Plus supplies wholesale parts and accessories, bosses said that more customers were coming in.

Owner Guy Jarrett said: "There has been a sales increase. It hasn't actually materialised into the figures for this year yet, because it's too early, but the signs are good.

"I think nobody's going to be going on holiday abroad this year. They'll be holidaying in Britain instead, and we're going to be seeing the effects of that in the industry."

The Caravan Club said the 1.5 million owners of caravans, motor caravans and trailer tents in the UK poured £183 million into rural economies last year when shopping, eating out, buying local produce and visiting local attractions.

Nick Lomas, director of marketing for the club, said: "We confidently predict that 2009 will be the year of the great British value-for-money holiday. At a time of considerable economic uncertainty, tourism regions across the UK will continue to benefit from stay-at-home Britons."

There are approximately 500,000 touring caravans in use across the UK, with 31,074 caravan owners registered in the West Midlands.

The National Boat, Caravan & Outdoor Show was opening at the NEC in Birmingham today.

The event takes place over six days and across five halls of the NEC and is the biggest show for outdoor leisure in the UK.