What is the obsession with attracting the yoof
Have been reading an interesting take on the above, and is it needed ?as
1 The over 65s is 17.8% now rising to 23,6 % by 2045
2 If the major clubs and commercial organisations want to fill sites mid week off peak and school holidays its the older generations they need to concentrate on as they /we have the time to do it
3 Over 50s now hold 70% of the UKs household wealth
4 Older people are more likely to take to our lifestyle as it it is not sneered at or micky taken as the younger tend to worry about?
5 People of us older generation are more likely to know some one who already is with our life style and will give them tips as to how to start and give them advise on the advantages compared to other leisure activities
Ok open Fire
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Today's youth is tomorrow's pennypinching curmudgeons, just a little light artillery JV
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Whenever they take it up doesn't really matter but it's now we should be sowing the seeds of encouragement.
The existing contingent of grumpies won't be around for many more years.
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Agree entirely with you, JVB.
The future of caravanning and motorhoming is with the older generation. This should be the Club's target market.
The Cubs need to be offering incentives, in order to retain our customer loyalty and thereby ensure their own future.
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have you seen an empty club site during school holidays? Have you tried to book a club site during peak times?
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How can the future be with those of us nearing the end of the line?
The here and now might be ours but the future lies squarely with the younger generation.
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....but how much younger?....
certainly, those sites full in school holidays are booked by the 40-50 yr old parents rather than the kids
its that 'parent' generation that needs to be fostered, those who do need somewhere to take the family each summer, so perhaps the target market really is 40+ yr old not the 20 yr old.
no need to attract the likes of TW, they're either already wedded to the club or not in the least interested.
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In 20 years time who is most likely to be camping/vanning, you and I or the school leavers of today?
Yep, nearing the end of the line - fact of life.
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That might well be a snapshot of how things are now but in 2045 will the over 65's still be as well of as they are now? Likewise will the over 50's still hold 70% of household wealth. Many people currently in their late thirties/early forties won't be as well off as almost certainly their pensions won't be as good as those currently enjoyed. Many people will still be paying mortgages well into their sixties. I suspect those of us currently in our 60/70's are living in a golden age in terms of being better off.
David
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I first started caravanning at 42. Could I afford one earlier - NO. Would I have bought one earlier if I could afford to - UNLIKELY. The twenty and thirty somethings are not a natural target market.
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Every business needs income now to survive. As has been said its us Oldies that have that income. We are also quite discriminating in how we spend it. If the CC continues to ignore us and embrace the new fangled Yurts etc, . the income will dry up and there wont be a business by 2045 for any generation to participate in.
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We may have the money, but unfortunately we are running out of time - and that's a fact, undisputed, and can't be ignored. Unless some of you think you've found the secret of eternal life.
As has been said, in order to attract future customers, it's the parents who need to be attracted to camping and caravanning. We found it just THE BEST way to holiday with our children from them being babies - and we're still caravanning now. Fortunately our children are too, and three of them have had caravan holidays in the last year, two with their families and one with his partner and dog.
I don't know about others, but we progressed from a tent, to a frame tent, to a trailer tent, and then to a caravan. Not everyone has to start off with an expensive caravan, but if attracted to camping then they are going to go to sites which welcome tents and may then buy a caravan once they want more comfort. Unfortunately only forty Caravan and Motorhome Club sites welcome tents................ hence the club loses out. Perhaps the 'yurts' and pods are a misguided attempt to welcome younger visitors, and maybe tents should be welcomed on more sites instead, at no additional cost to the Club
(Puts on hard hat and retires behind a wall!)
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From OP’’s original post
“What is the obsession with attracting the yoof. Have been reading an interesting take on the above, and is it needed ? “
As in all things the older generation needs to be continually replaced so yes IMHO it is needed. How this is done whilst still ‘catering’ for the older generation is a thought provoking question with many opinions/answers/solutions.
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One thing that is quite noticeable during peak school holidays times is the amount of families that one of the parents goes to work from the site each morning, and the amount of Grand parents who are on site with children ,also noticeable is the amount now of family shared c/vans,
as Val states and has been mentioned before youngsters need sites with more tent pitches, its all very well putting Yurts ect on sites but in peak times one w/end in one costs nearly as much as buying a family tent and most of the gear ,that will allow numerous longer breaks away
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We started caravanning with our young family at just under 40, but why did we? Well mainly because of it was the cheapest way to go away with a family all school holidays and weekends but the underlying reason for choosing using a caravan was that my wife had caravanned with her parents as a child and said how much fun and enjoyment she had. I often wondered if she hadn't had that experience would we have even looked at getting a caravan. If people in 20 or 30 year times look back on their time on sites either in a caravan or yurts or pods, tents or whatever, with fond memories they may start to do that themselves?
Didn't the club chairman say that 60% of members caravan with children? (I'm away now but I'm sure it was the in the December magazine?)
I, perhaps cynically, wonder if those that want cheaper off peak prices at the expense of families, or want the club to ‘target’ them are just lining their own pockets or perhas just don’t like children on site? Just asking
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But it is the now that the "rebrand" into the new company according to the big Entrance at the Feb show was aimed at
another thing that seems is fueling the latest surge in expensive leisure vehicles is the alteration in pensions rules where a cash payment can be taken, as a dealer told me at the show there are more cash sales after a haggle
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I'd rather assumed that the younger people that were being targeted were in their forties and fifties. With the best will in the world the club has a long way to go to appeal to those in their twenties.
We are one of two couples in our group of caravanning friends to be club members. (Mid thirties up to early fifties). I'd have thought that as existing LV owners but not club members they'd be in the target group. I've not recommended it to them and probably won't
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We joined as 25 year olds. It was a means to an end. We wanted decent reliable quality toilet and shower blocks, as our small camper van had no onboard facilities. We weren't made that welcome, it was a deeply reserved bastion of conformity and snobbery, with true "Warden" types inspecting us at every venue. Our tourer was questioned, our well behaved dog viewed as spawn of the devil (Rottweiler) and once or twice I can recall muttered conversations about "youngsters, noise, drink.....".
We have joined the ranks of the no longer lithe and youthful now, although still likely to be youngest on site at certain places and times, but we have more conventional habitation nowadays, so no issues.
Personally, I think the Club needs to evolve once more because its core membership is ageing, it has to attract and keep new members to survive. It's obviously trying different things, some will work well, others maybe not so well. (No repeat of CoTY in the offing thank goodness, that was a major set back iMHO!)
We sometimes recommend membership, but only for the CL network and fact that some nice sites stay open over Winter at decent prices.
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I would suggest that a great many of us were actually introduce to this wonderful pastime of ours by our parents. I was and my chilfdren were. If fact my daughter now has a PVC and my son and his family are right now planning a holiday in a hired motorhome. The future is with the next generations.
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Just as a point we were all the next generation at one point as is still the case with our sprogs ,but all the leisure companies that are also into the touring industry, should be doing much more to attract the "silver! or going silver generations who have the time and at the moment and at least the forseable future the finances to fill the sites all year, not just when the sites struggle at peak times to have enough pitches for every one
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This club already attracts the silver generation. I'm on a fairly full site at the moment and I'd say I was the only one below retirement age. More families at the weekend but the silvers still outnumbered them.
I don't disagree with measures to attract the retired members but the club has decided that is not the route they want to follow. The difficulty is always striking a balance between attracting new blood whilst not alienating existing members.
Does anyone think this club has the experience and sensitivity to manage this? Bearing in mind the fact that I class myself as alienated despite being their target market I have my doubts
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This club already attracts the silver generation. I'm on a fairly full site at the moment and I'd say I was the only one below retirement age. More families at the weekend but the silvers still outnumbered them
agree entirely, same experience as me a few weeks ago. I'm trying to book a few day for June at the moment as it look pretty well getting to full. Can't be kids (all those £50 fines
). Most of te blues have 5 spaces or less but I'm not that is true, even so!0 -
I'd disagree with you there, JV. I consider peak times to be the core business when the club, and other operators, fill sites with families at top dollar prices. That's when income/profit will be generated.
Us oldies who use sites at off peak times do so at lower cost (often much lower) and simply help keep things ticking over probably at break even level on costs.
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Of course, but it appears that some, and maybe a large proportion of club site (some expensive) are doing very well anyway outside of school holidays. Yes I have no objection at all to the club trying its best to get even those last few pitches filled but not at the expense of putting up prices at 'peak' (ie school holidays) times like some commercials do. If the young are not 'exposed' to club sites and caravanning/MHing they won't think of doing later, or perhaps will believe the silly stories about life on site, or believe that COTY is a true reflection and not bother.
Also when is off peak? I don't think the term applies any more, there are just different prices at different times.
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The chap next to us who hasn't left the site but has overloaded the bollard twice won't show much profit for the club. (He keeps forgetting his heating is on full apparently)
You'd think he'd know better with his 30 year sticker proudly displayed.
In contrast the trailer tenting family without EHU paid quite a bit more and cost the club much less.
Without access to the full figures it's not safe to assume anything about where the core business is. Certainly at the moment both groups are needed.
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Very true, on a non kids for a £1 site, having two children on a pitch in peak will boost income for that pitch alone by nearly 20%. Multiply that across the network for each two children pitch and it makes a big difference. maybe the club should look at attracting more families?
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