As previously covered under the 'Legislative Background' page small Private Caravan Sites are generally operated under a formal Site License or the umbrella or an Exempted Organisation. In considering the latter ahead of the former (where full Planning Permission would have been secured and the majority of the site development considered as part of that process) it is recognised that far from being a main stream income the operation of a Small Private Caravan Site will very much be supplemental providing a return on a parcel of land which otherwise may have made little or no contribution to the overall economics of the landholding. That said, it is appreciated that operators of such facilities are not charitable organisations and need to make a return on their investment.

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It is recognised that for this element of commercial activity the site owner could well be operating out of the comfort zone of their primary occupation. With new opportunities come new challenges and the owner will doubtless be exposed to a different set of conditions from their day-to-day main stream business. 

 

They effectively will be operating within the tourist sector driven by choice, personal preferences and perceived customer service satisfaction. 

Two factors contribute largely to the success, or otherwise, of a Small Private Caravan Site facility and form the business model upon which many existing facilities operate:

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•    The ability to attract the would-be visitor in the first instance, and                                                                                                                                  

•    The ability to retain them for future return visits.

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In respect of the former, a clear set of directions are a good starting point taking account of the fact that the would-be visitor may well not be familiar with the area and could be in a towing combination. In the event of Sat Nav directions not being accurate, precise or taking account of the vehicle combination being deployed, this fact needs to be clearly flagged up at the head of any directions. That said, there is always the possibility that your visitor will default into Sat Nav mode but having posted the unsuitability of following these directions the Site Owner will have demonstrated their concern for the ease of access for any would-be visitor.

 

The directions should be littered with distances between intersections of roads with intermediate landmarks and prominent buildings along the way giving the driver the ‘comfort’ of being on the correct route. Sight should not be lost of the fact that some visitors could be arriving after dark and the directions written accordingly. In this connection, it may be useful to included a photograph of the entrance to the facility to reinforce what the visitor should be looking out for – not essential by any means but useful nonetheless. The visitor experience can get off to a good start if they arrive in a relaxed and unflustered mood setting the basis upon which an enjoyable stay can be founded.

 

In line with the tourist industry generally, those operators who go the ‘extra mile’ in terms of service and facilities and/or make their visitors feel ‘special’ will doubtless receive better patronage than those who do not.

 

Attention to detail is the order of the day and what may have been deemed ‘functional’ in agricultural terms could well fall short of the ‘aesthetic’ considerations demanded within the tourist environment. Such consideration cover all aspects of the facility from accessibility to general aspect and service-points to tourist information boards and everything in between.

 

On the following page are some of the topics currently considered with recommendations as to how they may be provided to a standard befitting a premier facility in a cost effective and economic manner. Other and further updates will follow. 

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