Searches for caravan and lodge holidays in Cornwall have increased by up to 174% as Brits desperately try to avoid air travel woes this summer – and people from the South West are no exception.
With security staff walkouts at Heathrow set to take place throughout the summer, an ongoing strike by the Spanish Airline Pilots Union, and anticipated industrial action at Portuguese airports, the threat of cancellations and delays is having a huge impact on consumer confidence, as Google searches for cancellation insurance more than doubled in the last week.
Data from the UK’s leading holiday park operator, Parkdean Resorts, which operates 66 parks across the UK, including 8 in Cornwall, shows that Crantock Beach Holiday Park, near Newquay, has seen the biggest increase in searches, with a 174% leap in the last three months. Other popular destinations include Lizard Point, Looe Bay, Newquay and Holywell Bay. Overall, searches relating to caravan holidays in Cornwall are up 83% in the last three months, and 22% year-on-year.
People from the South West are among those caught up in the staycation scramble, as the holiday park operator has seen a massive increase in searches by people from Devon, with searches for Crantock Beach increasing by a massive 306% over the last three months. According to Parkdean’s sales data, the most popular UK holiday destinations for people from the South West are Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, and the surge in interest in its Cornish parks suggests they may be planning on staying close to home in 2023 as well.
Parkdean Resorts currently has a limited number of caravans and lodges available to book in Cornwall. Seven night stays in July start at just £459, or £569 in school summer holidays, while a seven night stay in July at Crantock Beach starts at £709, or £1,049 in the school holidays.
Xavier Vallee, Chief Customer Officer, Parkdean Resorts said: “The stories about airport strikes are the last thing any family wants to hear before their summer holiday – people want control, not a holiday that might be cancelled at the last minute, so it’s no surprise that they’re looking for UK breaks. The British weather is amazing at the moment, and the good news for people in the South West is that there are still some great deals available, but they won’t be around forever!”
Parkdean Resorts’ commitment to creating amazing experiences for its holidaymakers has earned the company at least one British Travel Award every year since 2010, most recently winning three gold awards for Best UK Family Holiday Company, Best UK Holiday Parks and Lodges Company, and Best UK Breaks Holidays at the 2022 Awards. The company continues to record excellent visitor reviews, with 2023 year-to-date feedback scores of 4.2/5 on Google, 4.0/5 on Facebook and 4.3/5 on TripAdvisor, while 82% of people who visited one of the company’s holiday parks would recommend it.
| Holiday parks with the biggest national increase in searches in the last 3 months (Google data) | Holiday park with the biggest increase in searches by people in Devon in the last 3 months (Google data) | Most popular regions for holidaymakers from the South West (Parkdean sales data) |
| 1. Crantock Beach (+174%) | 1. Crantock Beach (+306%) | 1. Cornwall |
| 2. Lizard Point (+124%) | 2. Lizard Point (+127%) | 2. Devon |
| 3. Looe Bay (+81%) | 3. Sea Acres (89%) | 3. Dorset |
| =4. Newquay (+49%) | 4. Looe Bay (+88%) | 4. Wales |
| =4. Holywell Bay (+49%) | 5. Newquay (+52%) | 5. Isle of Wight |
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