The British Holiday & Home Parks Association earlier today contacted its members who own and manage some 2,900 holiday and touring parks across the UK and strongly advised that they should, with immediate effect, close their parks to all holiday visitors.
The advice is surely to combat reports over the weekend of people across the UK heading off in volume to holiday destinations.
All popular UK ‘staycation’ areas from Cornwall to the Highlands of Scotland saw incredible numbers of people travel. Their arrival was much to the annoyance of locals, many of whom took to social media emphasising the lack of responsibility shown by those who travelled.
All restaurants, pubs and cafes within holiday parks should already be closed so the wider environment they are located within does seem like a logical next step.
The proposed closures include facilities for all touring guests with touring caravans, motorhomes and tents, all those who rent self-catering holiday accommodation, and all the owners of holiday caravans located on the park who are able to do so.
Whilst British Holiday & Home Parks Association acknowledge that a complete closure of all holiday parks would be desirable, doing so would – in some instances – result in actions contrary to the advice of Government.
Where the owners of holiday caravans have self-isolated and are presently in situ on the holiday park, requiring them to return home, often a considerable distance away, would necessitate journeys of the type we are all being asked to avoid in order to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus and may send them back to the very risk they have isolated from.
BH&HPA is currently in discussion with Government on this matter, and we are suggesting that the best interests of holiday caravan owners, as well as the general public, will only be served by a sensitive approach to customers’ individual needs.
With this considered, BH&HPA would wholeheartedly support a Government directive for all holiday parks across the industry, and urges Ministers to issue such instructions as soon as possible.