Caravan Owners Can’t Compete With Lincolnshire Haven Low Holiday Prices
Hundreds of Lincolnshire Haven caravan owners are struggling to compete against low holiday deals. Caravan owners are calling on Haven to lower site fees to allow them to compete.
Haven, which has 38 caravan parks around the UK including in Skegness, Cleethorpes, and Mablethorpe have drastically lowered their holiday prices this year, which is good news for holidaymakers but bad news for private caravan owners.
With prices as low as £69 for a four-night stay and £169 for a seven-night stay at a Lincolnshire Haven caravan park, it’s no wonder why so many caravan owners have become worried.
With some site fees costing more than £6,000 a year, many caravan owners rely on renting out their holiday home to help cover the cost. But this year with so many cheap offers available from Haven, many caravan owners fear it could be their last year with a huge drop in bookings.
Lincolnshire Haven caravan owners have been contacting Lincolnshire News Today to share how they are struggling to compete. One caravan owner on Haven Cleethorpes Beach holiday park (formerly known as Thorpe Park) told Lincolnshire News Today that she is worried about being able to pay her site fees.
“I rely on renting out my caravan to help cover the cost of the site fees but this year I have only managed to rent out my van twice.”
Sue who has owned a caravan for more than five years has said she is not the only person on the Cleethorpes holiday park that is struggling.
“I know lots of owners who are worried that this is going to be their last year as an owner. With high site fees, and running costs which include change-over fees, we cannot compete against a £69 holiday.”
Haven Caravan Owners in Lincolnshire Can’t compete on Price
According to Sue, if she rented out her holiday home for £69 for four nights then there would not be much money left over to pay for the site fees.
“People think it is pure profit when you rent out your holiday home but it’s not. There are a lot of costs involved which includes electric and gas, and then I must pay £20 for someone to come and clean my caravan and change the bedding for the next renter.”
Sue has said that if things do not improve then she will be forced to sell her caravan which she knows she will sell at a loss and lose thousands of pounds.
Although the low Haven holiday prices are good news for people looking for a cheap stay in Lincolnshire, it’s not good news for caravan owners. It’s not just in Lincolnshire that caravan owners are struggling, this has become a common problem around the country.
Mark who has a caravan in Mablethorpe told Lincolnshire News Today that his bookings for this year have dropped by more than 60%. According to Mark, even regular customers are canceling their bookings and booking directly with Haven.
“I just cannot compete. Buying a caravan was always a lifelong dream, but now it has become a nightmare. I rely on renting out my caravan for at least four months of the year to help with the high site fees. This year I will be lucky to get £1,000 towards for the site fees from bookings.”
Many owners have questioned how Haven is making a profit by offering cheap deals. But according to Sue, any money they lose on caravan rentals they make up in food and drink.
Haven have got a lot of cheap breaks available. In May we found four-night breaks for just £69 and even in June we found a holiday for seven nights for just £379.
Nigel who has a caravan on the new Haven Skegness caravan park said he is worried about the future. He explained to Lincolnshire News Today that he has regular customers from far and wide including Lincoln, Manchester, London, and even Boston. But this year he has seen a lot of cancellations.
“I have always had regular customers who come to my caravan each year, some of them come more than once, but this year I have already had ten cancellations. One customer has even asked me to compete with Haven which I have refused.”
With more than 65 caravan owners contacting Lincolnshire News Today, it seems the low Haven holiday prices have become a serious problem. Although Haven has the right to charge what they like, caravan owners are demanding a more level playing field to be able to compete which could include lower site fees and free entertainment passes.
If you are a caravan owner and have been affected by the low prices being offered by Haven, then do contact us and share your concerns.