Winter camping takes off as Britons chose Christmas staycations

Hardy Britons are braving the freeze-up and staging a festive holiday escape to spend the New Year break on camping and caravan sites throughout the country, according to a report.



Despite the snow and ice thousands of families are choosing the peace and quiet of the countryside over overindulgence and television repeats in front of the fire at home, according to the latest research.

Record numbers of cash-strapped Britons forced to tighten their belts switched to 'staycation' holidays in UK in summer and have now extended the concept of money-saving breaks to New Year despite the plummeting temperatures.



The report by the Camping and Caravanning Club showed that bookings have soared by 48per cent on this time last year with more sites staying open over the festive period than ever before.

Bob Hill, sites director of the club, said: There is something special about camping and caravanning under the stars and our site managers always enter into the spirit of the occasion, making the experience and adventure as festive as possible.



Derwentwater in The Lake District is the hot spot this year and is almost full to capacity with just a few pitches still available.

The Christmas and New Year camping and caravaning trend was backed up by car accessories and leisure retailer Halfords which says that it has seen a surge in sleeping bag and airbed sales. Recent sales have seen a 22per cent year on year increase for sleeping bags and 70per cent for airbeds.

Diane Perry, specialist in camping equipment at Halfords said: People are looking to get away and are feeling more adventurous. Wrapping up for the cold weather and being outside adds to the festive fun and is a great way to spend time with the family.

More Britons enjoy outdoor holidays as recession hits

After decades spent in the shadow of overseas resorts, Britain’s caravan and camping sites are enjoying a boom, with a new generation of holidaymakers discovering the simple pleasures of an outdoors break.

The Camping and Caravanning Club, which dates back to 1901 and owns 110 sites around the UK, said yesterday it had broken “all records” for membership this year and seen an 8% increase in bookings as the recession persuaded more people to shun holidays abroad in favour of local settings.



The upturn in fortunes has been particularly pronounced in Scotland, where the CCC has 18 club sites and dozens of smaller affiliated campsites, with bookings said to be up by 60% over the summer.

The club said it had seen particularly strong demand among families, who made up nearly half of the 64,000 new members this year.

It now has over 480,000 adult members, and said it reached a landmark membership figure of 250,000 households in August. Advanced bookings for next year are currently 48% higher than compared to the same time last year.Campsite owners say they have had more bookings by visitors travelling north from England and Wales, as well as Scottish holidaymakers.



The strong euro has also helped lure a higher number of foreign tourists – particularly Germans and Dutch – to Scotland.

This year’s visitor numbers display a marked turnaround for an industry that has suffered from a surge in cheap flights over the past 30 years and led a generation of tourists to relegate campsites to a childhood memory. Following a surge in caravanning in the 1960s and 70s, campsites saw decades of decline as sunshine resorts in Spain took over.

But the Camping and Caravanning Club, which has a history older than Butlins, said it had managed to persuade a growing number of people to reconsider the benefits of outdoor holidays in the UK.



Its own club sites offer enhanced facilities, including staffed reception areas, while smaller venues, which are privately owned, are inspected and certified by the CCC. Visitors include campers, caravanners and those with trailers.

The club’s recently launched “Staycation” campaign has been boosted by a number of celebrities, including the naturalist and former TV presenter David Bellamy and pop singer JayKay extolling the virtues of the outdoor life.

Bear Grylls, the adventurer and presenter of the television series Born Survivor who was recently appointed chief scout of the UK Scout Association, has also thrown his weight behind the traditional camping holiday.



Robert Louden, director general of the CCC, said: “We knew from the advanced booking rates at the start of the season that we were going to be extremely busy, but recruitment levels have defied all expectations.

“It has been an exceptional year with people tightening their purse strings and opting for a camping or caravanning holiday in this country rather than jetting off abroad.

“Our aim is to now keep that momentum going into 2010 and, from our early advanced booking figures, it looks as though next season could be even busier, which is terrific news for the outdoor industry as a whole.”