Leisure company gets listings boost

A leisure company, which is busy preparing to reopen its five touring caravan parks in Shropshire and North Wales, has been boosted by a guide to the UK’s top 100 sites.

For the fifth year running, Practical Caravan and Practical Motorhome have announced that all five of Morris Leisure’s touring parks are included in the Top 100 Sites Guide, which was supported by 7,000 caravan and motorhome owners this year.

The Shrewsbury-based company’s staff can’t wait to welcome back touring caravan and motorhome owners to their five-star parks.

The gates to Llanberis Touring Park at Llanberis and Riverside Touring Park at Betws-y-coed in North Wales have reopened to customers living within Wales, thanks to the easing of Covid-19 lockdown rules by the Welsh Government.

Ludlow Touring Park which is named by the guide as the UK’s best site for motorhomes, Oxon Hall Touring Park at Shrewsbury which is listed eighth, and Stanmore Hall Touring Park at Bridgnorth are hoping to reopen on April 12.

Morris Leisure’s five parks have been closed since December due to lockdown rules in England and Wales.

“We are delighted to have reopened our North Wales parks in a safe and managed way to customers living within Wales and look forward to welcoming back all of our customers as some semblance of normality returns after a challenging time for everyone during the lockdowns,” said managing director Edward Goddard.

“It’s fantastic to receive the positive news that all our touring parks are included in the Top 100 Sites Guide for the fifth year in a row and we are especially pleased that Ludlow Touring Park has been named the best site for motorhomes.

“We are very proud of the high standards set at all our parks and very grateful that caravanners and motorhome owners have supported them again in the annual survey.

“Inclusion in the Top 100 Sites Guide acknowledges the hard work and enthusiasm of all our staff who maintain the high standards and ensure a warm welcome to every customer. It should also be noted that the parks make an important contribution to the communities and local economy, where they are located.”

Mr Goddard said that the park managers have been keeping busy during the lockdown dealing with a steady flow of bookings.

“I believe it’s going to be a very busy summer at all our parks as staycationing becomes ever more popular in the months and years to come,” he said. “In addition to foreign travel restrictions, there will be a reluctance by many people to fly abroad on holiday due to the global pandemic and Brexit.”

Mr Goddard also said that sales of caravan holiday homes and luxury lodges at the company’s four holiday parks – in Shrewsbury, Bishops Castle, Betws-y-coed and Ludlow – are very buoyant due to staycationing.

“There is a huge demand for caravan holiday homes compared to previous years, with vacant pitches on our parks being snapped up even during lockdown when the buyers were unable to visit.”