Caravan Exhibition Proves British Manufacturers Back In Business
HIGH hopes for a booming 2023 are in store for North Wales as multi-million-pound international manufacturers team up with local businesses this autumn.
The North Wales Caravan Show, running from September 24th– October 9th, is set to attract crowds from far and wide right into the “beating heart of North Wales.” Located at the Grade II listed Nant Hall Hotel, Prestatyn, static caravan manufacturers such as Willerby, Swift Leisure Group, Delta, and Atlas will be exhibiting a range of brand-new holiday homes in a bid to draw in prospective tourists to the area.
The exclusive exhibition is the first of its kind post-pandemic, and event partners Lyons Holiday Parks believe its magnitude reflects the status of North Wales’s tourism sector in 2022.
Joseph Lyons Mound Jnr, who is collaborating with industry experts to organise the event, said the exhibition is also a “prime example of how the British static caravan manufacturing industry has bounced back from the effects of the pandemic.”
The 20-year-old entrepreneur said: “The North Wales Caravan Show isn’t just another trade show – it’s completely unique to the area and is all about collaboration, bringing in specialists from all sides of the industry together, and joining forces to offer those who are interested in holiday home ownership a reason to come back to the local area week after week.
“We see holiday home ownership as an investment in North Wales, which in turn raises the profile of this fantastic location and brings footfall into our high streets and business. As a fifth-generation business of almost 100 years, our family has seen just how much of staple static caravans are to the North Wales economy and we know just how much this benefits the local tourism sector.”
Lyons Holiday Parks, now the UK’s largest holiday park operators after their recent holiday park acquisitions in Barmouth and Snowdonia, reported a huge increase in static caravan sales during the pandemic and throughout 2021.
A record-breaking number of sales was reached at the Lyons Group’s flagship park in Rhyl, Lyons Robin Hood, as Brits chose making the most of what was on their doorstep over travelling abroad.
While Covid-19 related foreign travel restrictions boosted static caravan sales for the holiday giants, static caravan manufacturers were among the industries severely affected by the restrictions.
Willerby, the UK’s largest holiday home manufacturer, creates around 7,000 units annually, each with timber frames and containing around 2,500 parts.
But social distancing in factories, alongside issues with material supply chains as a result of the pandemic and Brexit, meant that static caravan production slowed dramatically in 2021 as demand only increased. A spokesperson said: “Willerby, like many manufacturers during the Covid-19 pandemic, are experiencing challenges within our supply chain. Throughout this we continue to work closely with our customers to keep them fully informed.”
The ‘staycation boom’ last summer only heightened fears among holiday park operators and static caravan dealers, with manufacturers struggling to meet demand. Parks across the UK reported lengthy waiting lists for holiday home ownership, as the major companies battled to distribute stock for those keen to buy.
Despite last year’s production line fears, the static caravan manufacturing industry is going from strength to strength – and Geoff Lyons Mound Jnr, co-organiser of the North Wales Caravan Show, says the exhibition is a great way to celebrate the resilience of the industry.
He believes the way the static caravan industry bounced back from the complications of the pandemic is “an understated victory” at a time when worries were rife about the “vitality of the sector.”
He said: “So many things were affected by the pandemic – hospitality, tourism, healthcare services to name a few – and as directors of the UK’s largest holiday park operators, we really thought the holiday home industry was at a make-or-break point.
“The industry is worth £9bn in the UK alone, with three main manufacturers making 75% of the static caravans distributed in Britain, and we’re proud to be working in collaboration with these companies at the North Wales Caravan Show.
“As a demand-led industry which was seriously at risk of collapse this time two years ago, we’re nothing but impressed by how these businesses have not only survived throughout the pandemic, but who have actually continued to launch new models, rethink designs and structures, and come back bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.
“The North Wales Caravan Show is the industry’s way of saying, ‘we’re still here – and we’re here to impress.’ Guests will be welcome to browse some stunning models, chat to industry experts, engage in competitions, seek advice on things like finance packages, holiday home longevity, and decking options with the assistance of another event partner, Deckings Direct.
“It’s a chance for prospective holiday home buyers to see for themselves how a life of luxury can truly be lived in North Wales, visit the local area and its attractions, and it’s also a chance for all to see just how creative and high-reaching these British manufacturers are.”
The North Wales Caravan Show is a free event held at Nant Hall Hotel, Prestatyn Road, Prestatyn LL19 9LD from September 24th– October 9th. Find out more here: https://www.lyonsholidayparks.co.uk/the-north-wales-caravan-show/