Far too expensive
Comments
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The club has said many times that it has no intention of charging for dogs.
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So you're suggesting that we dog owners should start to subsidise non dog-owners?
I never have - nor ever will, use a site that charges extra for dogs and if this club ever did that, I would leave immediately as a matter of principle.
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I find it strange that the club does not charge for dogs. Just like humans they produce "waste products" that need disposal. A lot are also noisy, just like some caravan owners, but that is another issue. As such why are they or more correctly the owners not charged as this would put more money into the system which should result in lower pitch fees for those of us who do not own dogs.
Colin
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To make a difference to lowering the pitch fees any charge for dogs would have to be substantial to make an impact on prices generally. Whilst there will be a modest cost to having dogs on site, waste bin and maintaining dog walks if they exist I can't see how that would add up to more than 50p or £1 a night, if that? At that level of charging you would have to ask whether the return was worth the effort in the first place. Charging more than it actually costs would just be a punishment to dog owners? No doubt the club would be conscious of the fact that quite a proportion of members are dog owners so for many a different charging routine would just be a quid pro quo as no one would really benefit?
David
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With your business head, EM, think about how many people use CAMC sites because they are dog friendly and I suspect quite a lot of folk are club members for that very reason. The dogs bring their owners with them and those owners buy pitch nights.
As David suggests, a waste bin and a bit of otherwise unusable scrubland require very little input in terms of finance and manpower.
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Afraid not. The dog owners are spending a small fortune on their animals already. My neighbour says it costs her over £1000 a year total - and the dog has lived for 14 years, I don’t think we should ask her to pay more. Crazy money I think.
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As a dog owner I am more than happy to pay for my dog. Plenty of sites charge, and in my experience sur le continent (where everything is apparently perfect) every site I have ever stayed at charges. If you have a dog then be prepared for it to cost you. I don’t expect to be subsidised and don’t expect to subsidise others hobbies and activities (including their children). Dog ownership is not compulsory, it’s a choice. Personally I would prefer it if the club did charge.
To get back to the OP, if the site fees are too expensive that will be evidenced by end of season occupancy data, income and profit. If the latter is down on the previous year and down against sector trends, then it may evidence the charges are possibly too high. anything else is subjective conjecture. My own view is I suspect this years inclement weather is adversely impacting on last minute bookings that would otherwise boost occupancy levels.
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Using the Knaresborough site as an example, this weekend the charge for a child is £4.10 per night, I am wondering what justifies this cost? - Additonal caravan heating will be zero, a shower will be say 50p, additional cooking will be minimal.
So if the actual costs is around a pound, why are children and dogs not charged a similar amount?
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I think all of this "additional charges" discussion is missing the point.
I don't have children, I don't have a dog, I don't erect an awning most of the time, I very often use my own shower and toilet. Do I care that I may be subsiding a huge proportion of fellow members on site? NO!
All I care about is whether I am happy to pay the price they are asking. If I decide I am then I don't moan about not using some of the facilities. That's up to me.
The same principle applies to whichever type of site I am using.
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To get back to the OP I agree. Out of all the costs associated with caravanning and even more so with moho’s, the +/- £5/10 night is neither here nor there. Isn’t the point of going away to enjoy oneself, not count the pennies you can’t take with you through the pearly gates?
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What justifies the the price is that children are small adults. If you are going to have a system which has a per person charge you have to include children. Don't forget also that I believe children under five are not charged. Its not just the amount of energy that an adult/child will use its also the cost of building and maintaining the facilities in the first place. Lets not forget that many sites have had expensive play areas installed. By contrast the dogs, as far as Club sites are concerned, don't dramatically incur much in the way of extra costs. As I pointed out if you were to base charges on investment in facilities and use of those facilities it would be difficult to justify anything other than a modest charge for dogs. Obviously a charge for dogs and perhaps a limit on the number of dogs would probably be popular with some non dog owners but the Club have to balance that against what would be achieved if there were a charge.
David
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Some of the CCC sites now have have doggy showers with heated water, does the CAMC not have similar offerings?
It is widely reported that the birth rate in this and many countries is falling, so the CAMC may have to consider another way to raise income, charging for dogs will become a "no brainer".
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Some CAMC sites have bike/wetsuit/surfboard wash points if that’s what you mean.
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Yeah, we go on sites that always have one. It’s called a kettle and a bucket, and costs us about 3 pence a pop. That’s a gas kettle by the way. It’s that or he’s taken for a beach swim. Which tends to be free………
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Like you, I’m not a club member so have no idea of the temperature of the water but, unlike you, I'm not much bothered what CAMC have on site as their fees don't affect me. 😋
Still, it’s good to know you’ve got the dogs' best interests at heart.
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Additonal caravan heating will be zero, a shower will be say 50p, additional cooking will be minimal
Well the same 'argument' could be used for charging extra for adults? Btw my kids always ate more than I did.
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A French Perspective.
We just departed from a Castel & Camping site, “La Garangoire” in the Vendee after eight days. Booked through the Club, it cost £250 for a 100msq pitch, with water, electricity and drainage, with a private shower, loo and basin with an outside sink.
Great restaurant, well stocked shop and pleasant bar.Full of Brits!
Peter.
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When charging for dogs is mentioned, many people always respond with dog owners will react by going somewhere else and the Club will lose out.
My simple question is " Where will they go?" - ISTM the vast percentage of Commercial sites already charge for and limit the number of dogs and they are unlikely to find a free welcome elsewhere.
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Of course there are some people who will take every opportunity to jump on the anti dog bandwagon and we know their posts are made with ulterior motives as they simply cannot accept that CAMC has no intention of charging for dogs.
However, maybe people would go elsewhere, maybe not but they sure bring business to CAMC at present. It gives CAMC an advantage which is probably appreciated by members.
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The vast majority of commercial sites charge for dogs? I've just done a check of five large sites and none of which charge for dogs nor limit them Burt.
But it's not about what may happen it's about what is happening now. At the moment there is no charge for dogs, so those with dogs will, in my view, choose the club rather than go elsewhere where they are charges (yes they exist but not in the vast numbers or percentage that you claim), so if charges were to be introduced it will be lost income.
I know you're not bothered being a non member and say you don't use club sites (so why do you want a limit/charge for dogs?) but that could mean higher prices.
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Sorry yes, didn't see your post before replying. +1
Why give up an advantage that brings in business?
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Burt, as someone who hasn’t got a pooch, you have no experience or insights into holidaying in any form with a dog, or dogs. Those of us that have and do, know that life with dogs is a whole lot easier, and in many instances surprisingly cheap to take a dog/s.
Most of your anecdotal insights are merely based on a bit of quick Googling, and given your long (oh so long) tendency to pop up in any kind of thread wanting dog owners to be penalised for holidaying with their beloved pets. We have hardly ever had a holiday without at least one dog along, sometimes two or three. Only place we don’t take them is City breaks. They have been in hotels, B&Bs, cottages, log cabins, on trains (including Eorostar), on ferries. Our Airedale dog travelled free on the Eurostar, huge surprise to us, but we lapped it up. The holiday industry has fully embraced the fact that a lot of people really enjoy having their dogs along, and it’s a whole lot easier nowadays. Hence why it would be such a retrograde marketing policy for the CAMC.It comes with an important caveat as far as we are concerned. Our dogs are well trained to be quiet, calm and obedient where ever we take them, whatever we do. Owning a dog doesn’t mean I don’t get annoyed with owners who haven’t done the same, but punitive charging won’t solve this issue. I do fully understand the choice of those who will go to a no dogs site as well, same as adult only sites.
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I fully understand what you are saying and I accept that if the Club didn't allow dogs then they would lose many caravanners etc. What I don't understand is why charging say £2 per night would make any difference to the numbers on CAMC sites.
Do you pay for dogs with other holidays providers?
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I think the whole point is that it’s CAMC policy not to charge for dogs. Why would they want to change something that works? It matters not what other operators do as CAMC are doing their own thing and the members obviously like it.
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But as a non member and non club site user why ask yourself such questions or try and understand it at all Burt? It won't affect you in nay way?
Btw the cottage we've just returned from had no extra charge for dogs. actually it said pets
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"Do you pay for dogs with other holidays providers?"
Good question - and one I can readily answer! Since we stopped caravanning 4 years ago, we have been using a mixture of cottages, hotels and B&B's. And it's easy to find places that don't charge for dogs. In fact, it seems to be a growing trend - maybe a reflection of more families staying in the UK for holidays. We've got some really good deals through a company called Pets Pyjamas who specialise in UK hotels and cottages where dogs stay free. Mind you, the last cottage we used did charge us an extra £10 for the week (and that was with 2 dogs.)
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