What Would a UK Club Type Aire Look Like
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One assumes then, Euro, that she was a wildcamper probably parking where she shouldn’t.
Many campsites were in the wrong place but, conversely, many would be in the right place. 🤷🏻♂️ It's likely too that any aire provision would be scorned for similar reasons.
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"…many are still very fearful of ditching the orange cable"
Do you know this for a fact or are you making assumptions about folk who enjoy the simplicity of rolling up, plugging in and putting the kettle and heating on without the need to check solar controllers, charge levels or the faff of monitoring batteries? Personally, I’m happy to chuck a few extra £s at a site to gain carefree EHU but I don’t condemn anyone for doing things differently.
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Yes all possibly true, but that's nothing to do with the point you raised that :
Previously the CAMC has identified that motorhomers spend fewer nights on a site, moving on more frequently. If the club is to retain its market share it has to take all these things into account, moving forward.
I simply pointed out that while MH do move sites more often they are still using club sites, they are not going elsewhere so moving on has nothing to do with retaining the market share. As I said if MHs were not using club sites then perhaps there is something amiss, but they are. Maybe, just maybe they like the way the club operates, actually of course they do otherwise why so many MH on club sites? Why so many club members have MH, join in the first place and, or importantly keep on with their membership.
That and many are still very fearful of ditching the orange cable!
I think the term very fearful is a little 'discourteous' and perhaps the emotive word fear doesn't come into it at all, perhaps just ease of use and the way they want to use their outfit. I don't judge why people do, it's their holiday and their way of touring.
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Oh well🤷🏻♂️. My opinion differs greatly from yours but, as I said, it’s choices and I certainly wouldn’t describe someone using EHU in the rather unfortunate terms you did.
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As posted a bit cheaper, totally worth it if one can be self reliant, but for those who wish to use EHU, will it be a saving at the end of their stay? The DG talks about electricity cost savings for the club but I would hope the trial will give an idea of the saving, or not, for mr and mrs Everage Ehuer?
If one had a choice between an all inclusive price on one site and metering on another, where will people go? If it was me it would be the all inclusive price unless I was totally fully 200% certain I would be saving a lot to compensate for all the uncertainty and as the DG said a simple to use system as swiping my debit card.
It will be a longish time yet.
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That's your valid experience and others like to tour their way without the use of being very fearfull aimed at them?
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It's a shame that some CT contributors use emotive language to describe people who don't tour in the way that they do. The only way to tour is the way that's right for you. We should be grateful that the club offers so many options to us so that we can tour the way we want too and that the club is also looking forward to make the club relevant to the next touring generation.
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I simply pointed out that while MH do move sites more often they are still using club sites, they are not going elsewhere so moving on has nothing to do with retaining the market share. As I said if MHs were not using club sites then perhaps there is something amiss, but they are. Maybe, just maybe they like the way the club operates, actually of course they do otherwise why so many MH on club sites? Why so many club members have MH, join in the first place and, or importantly keep on with their membership.
They may well be still using Club sites but I don't think that is an indication of not going elsewhere. If the're anything like me, then they will have reduced usage of C&MC sites. When it comes to market share the real measure is nights spent on sites and an owner moving on frequently is more likely to include sites other than those of the main Club in their itinerary.
peedee
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When it comes to market share the real measure is nights spent on sites and an owner moving on frequently is more likely to include sites other than those of the main Club in their itinerary.
That’s certainly true, we only joined the other club when we switched to a MH and wanted more choice due to moving on more frequently. That said on our recent tour out of 44 nights (at 16 sites) only 15 were spent on non CAMC sites. In the past given the same tour it would have been 8. Therefore for us at least not a dramatic change.
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When it comes to market share the real measure is nights spent on sites
And is there anything at all to indicate this has gone down for club sites? The DG said it has now returned to pre pandemic levels I recall?
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If there is a big increase in MH ownership, as opposed to folks buying caravans, then future planning would indicate that the Club needs to find out if it can, what % of those buying MHs intend to consider Club Membership, and if not, why not? This will give an indication of what future sites, renovated sites will need in way of new/ improved infrastructure. Steamer Quay is perhaps a prototype, close to a town, serviced pitches, metered hook ups. But the price of pitches I am sure will be a key factor. Caravans still welcome though, of course.
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And is there anything at all to indicate this has gone down for club sites? The DG said it has now returned to pre pandemic levels I recall?
If social media is anything to go by then I would have expected occupancy to have fallen, but we will only know for sure after the AGM. The DG was referring to membership levels not pitch occupancy. These had peaked but had settled down,I think he said to the 380,000 level?
peedee
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Think you've got that wrong PD if you listen carefully to the interview that's not what he said. Firstly, the 380,000 as being the most recent figure and this have been stated by the club as the highest ever membership so cannot have settled down to that. In fact I can't find any reference to the DG saying anything about the membership settling to 380,000? But I will stand ready to be corrected?
What he did say was the was a 'groundswell' after club sites were opened again (meaning people used club sites and this was noted here) and an increase in membership, there had been steady increases in membership up to that point but then a 'boom' which since then has settled, that is the rate in increase in membership had settled, I think he said back to a 'normal state' not that membership numbers had settled.
He then went on to say 'we're still recruiting in fact last year was our second best ever year for recruitment'
I think that's quite encouraging and I would suspect that MH owners play a large part in that, so the club must be doing something right to attract new members, and keep them of course
As for social media I personally don't put too much, in fact very little, trust in that all. How can anyone base their views on what is really happening on sites by reading social media rather than being on sites is beyond me?
My experience on sites this year have that they have been just as busy as before, I'm looking at a few sites and I can't get on them for more than a few consecutive days in August and into September.
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Its in the interpretation CS but he certainly was not talking about occupancy. Agree he did say last year was at an all time high and no doubt that will be emphasised at the AGM.
I have just had a note from a friend who is currently on a Club site and he says it is half empty and thinks everyone has gone to the seaside sites? Judging by the traffic on the roads it is more likely they are whizzing around locally shopping or visiting locally, i.e. stopping at home?
peedee
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Nothing to do with interpretation PD, you posted:
These had peaked but had settled down,I think he said to the 380,000 level?
Have a look at the transcript or listen again and he said nothing of the sort, so no interpretation needed at all. And he did talk about occupancy, again have a listen. As I said you can't have a peak then settle to the highest ever figure of 380,000.
And I quoted his exact words which clearly shows he was talking about rate of new recruitment, again no interpretation needed there either. Also a few sentences along from what I posted earlier he makes the same clear point that it is about recruitment and in fact membership is still growing:
'yeah so are you still in growth as a membership then or is that yeah we're we're we're as I say our second best year of membership growth was was last year um and and now we're pretty stable'
Stable as in numbers joining, otherwise it contradicts 'still in growth'.
I've also had messages from people on club sites and they are pretty full. I was on one last week and it was. As to your last part of that paragraph, I'm sorry that doesn't make sense to me. I really cannot see how you can judge anything about site occupancy from local traffic or how indeed you can judge how many of these people whizzing around about have caravans or motorhomes they are not using? Does everyone have to holiday at the same time or can only go shopping at a certain time?
On the road to Bremish the traffic along the A1 past Gateshead and the Metrocentre was indeed full of people whizzing around yet River Breamish and Melrose are pretty full, equally Newcastle airport is doing record business despite all this whizzing around the A1 so how can you say people are staying at home?
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The Club acknowledged at last years AGM that pitch take up was down, for a couple of reason's…..
”The outlook in 2023 remained strong for Membership, Insurance and Financial Services and Overseas Travel and the Club was doing well at managing costs down. But UK site occupancy had been impacted significantly by the cost of living crisis in 2023. Despite the continued best efforts of the Club to mitigate price increases in 2023 by not passing through c£5m of cost inflation in 2023, everyone had been impacted by steep increases in the cost of living in the UK and across the world. Understandably, some members, in the face of tighter budgets, had chosen to reduce their stays on the main UK Club sites. This had happened at the same time as more members had chosen to venture abroad and take advantage of the fact that it was now possible to travel freely after several years of restrictions and this had created a compound impact for UK sites when soaring cost inflation was considered.”
We haven’t been out since beginning of June, but the four Club Sites we visited since last November were very poorly occupied in the main. Clumber and Burrs were nearly full Friday/Sat nights, but emptied out again Sunday. Hope it’s not replicated at this time of year.
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I think that those sites in popular places to visit such as Northumbria, Lakes, Angelsey etc are going to be full. There are some sites situated in areas that are not considered family orientated that won't be.
You'll know that my own touring has been severely curtailed this year but on the few sites we have been on we noticed that both the CAMC and C&CC sites were less than full, the CAMC site being about 1/3rd full. This was Chester, or more geographically correct in saying Ellesmere Port. The nearest other club site at Wirral (on the coast) was full for the same period. The Independent site was full, mid June. Its location wouldn't draw customers in but at £20 pn including showers and dogs and h/s it has its fans. The CL has been full until late this afternoon.
I do believe that some of these slightly off the tourist route would a few years ago have attracted the touring Motorhomer but nowadays there is so much alternative competition that offer a more competitive package that they're using those.
If the move towards motorhoming continues then I do think the club are going to have to adjust to accommodate them. They could of course downsize by closing some full fat sites like Chester and concentrate on the more popular, usually near a coast and traditional holiday resort, types.
Depends whether the club value the touring type of Motothomer. If they don't then this thread is mure.
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There you are then, TTDA's post above quoting the Club states this is so.
FYI, Traffic in my town in the school holidays and works shut downs usually dies down as many used to go away, this does not appear to have happened this year, hence my deduction that more than usual are staying at home.
peedee
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Well it said 'impacted' and of course the AGM was talking about the previous year, and not this current year. I really don't know why you're so keen on this?
And really your last paragraph proves nothing again, At best it's your local tonm and how many of those have LVs? How many are club members? But you cannot as you tried to do in your earlier post say that is what is happening on a national level.
I think your deduction is flawed by just looking at traffic in your town but this is off topic.
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We certainly have stopped using club sites like we once did. Now we only use them if there is nothing else available in the area.
It's been quite an eye opener finding what is available out there if you look for it.
Lots of unhappy folk replying to the adverts on FB. The main complaint is the cost of sites. Another one is that sites are not open late enough. By that they mean they can't arrive after 6pm.
Many are touring MHs and don't want to rock up to a site before 6pm. They like to squeeze every ounce out of the day and possibly stop off somewhere, for a meal before arriving to spend the night.
Which leads them to the next complaint, why pay so much just to spend the night. I can only deduce that many of these folk have toured abroad and find that MHs are better catered for.
Arrive at whatever time, leave when you like. No facilities required other than freshwater, waste water and toilet dump. Of course there are campsites if one so wishes to stay put longer.
The Highland Council in Scotland have recognised the influx in MHs and to tap into that they have created a week's pass for £40 which allows you to stop overnight in certain council car parks. Of course the local campsites are not happy about it they claim to be loosing business. However it has been pointed out to them that MHs were doing this before the pass. The council in its wisdom have recognised this and are using the pass to generate more income. Their hope is that from the money raised they will in the future be able to provide better Aires similar to those in France. The sma towns along the north coast benefit from the trade these MHs bring. It's a win, win if they can get the balance right.
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Arriving at the campsite
a. Arrival time on site is normally after 1pm and before 8pm
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The evidence from all over Western Europe is that wherever there is alternative provision motorhomers will use it rather than campsites. The key factor for them is location - so campsites in exceptional locations survive and thrive, but others put up chalets and cabins to try to attract other customers, or they close.
Now the Uk is ahead of Western Europe in some ways but in terms of motorhomes replacing caravans and getting alternative provision the UK is playing catch up, maybe ten years behind. But it will happen - alternative provision for Motorhomes will increase, and many campsites will go the same way as those in Western Europe - either adapt or close.5 -
Not the case in Italy and certainly Tuscany. Some like sites others not. Evenly split I would say.
I can't recall (and checked with family there) a site in Tuscany closing or having to adapt.
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Nicely put and I can't see how the campsites can claim to be adversely affected when there are so many complaints on various motorhome forums that it is often very difficult, if not impossible, to find a pitch for the night. Perhaps they could add another offering to their business by providing service stops.
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Really? I must have missed those posts on the various MH forums I read 🤷🏻♂️
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18 years ago we stopped at a campsite in a small village in Pays de la Loire in France. It was a medium sized site. The owner had 6 chalets on it for rent and the rest was for tourers. At that time caravanning was still a very popular pastime with the French. The site was nearly full when we left as their holidays were just starting. Motorhomes were a rarity but you did see a few, mainly non French.
Returning some 9 years later it was a different story. The owner explained that his bread and butter caravanner had decreased markedly over the intervening years. He now had half of his site filled with chalets and converted half of his remaining pitches into hardstanding for the new French tourer, the Motorhome owner.
3 years later when we called on him en route to further south he told me he barely had the traditional mom and pop tourist now and because he wasn't on the coast or next to a town he hardly had any motorhomes either. He was closing that year. The motorhomes were using the recently built aires that the nearest 2 towns had provided.
Campsites like this one are closing or adapting all over France as the elderly traditional caravanner stops for whatever reason. There are campsites that have provided aires type stopovers just outside their existing sites to capitalise on the French love affair with the motorhome. This seemed to coincide with the French government changing the school holiday seasons, off peak, to avoid a mass holiday problem. They're now staggered according to regions but the French started buying motorhomes to enjoy these short periods.
This may not at the moment be happening in Italy or even here but I think it will, maybe more slowly but it will. Just a question of whether the club adapts or retrenches. No panic at present but they should be addressing the problem soon.
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