Holiday Centres - UK - January 2004

SUMMARY

Holiday centres ended 2003 on a very positive note, having enjoyed the benefits of a heatwave summer - which stimulated last-minute bookings of weekends - and the increase in the number of Britons staying at home for their holiday. The statistics for travel abroad may still be climbing, but there are many who are reluctant to holiday abroad in the present international climate and are opting, instead, for the safe, 'inclusive' appeal of domestic centres, villages and parks.

For the domestic tourist, the increasingly sophisticated choices of the 2000s are between entertainment at centres like Butlins - where pop stars are now sharing the stage with tribute bands - and stress-relieving breaks in the forest centres for which Center Parcs is famous across Europe.

Providing a unique overview of the market's size, prospects, structure and consumers this report analyses all these key developments and other salient issues, providing a fresh insight into the key topics such as:

• A purple patch for UK holiday centres
• Growing interest from a wider audience - how high-profile investment in facilities has paid off hosting concerts at its major centres.
• Improving access via e-commerce
• Record sales of holidays by centres in 2004
• Attitudes towards catering at holiday centres
• Motivations for consumers to visit holiday centres
• How both consumer sophistication and committed ownership by specialised companies could help boost the market for holidays centres in the future

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction and Abbreviations

• Definitions
• Consumer research
• ACORN

Abbreviations

Summary of Key Report Findings

• A purple patch for UK holiday centres
• More interest from a wider audience
• Improved access via e-commerce
• Record sales likely in 2004
• Higher demand across three types of centre
• A sound basis for long-term growth

Market Factors

• PDI, consumer expenditure and consumer confidence
• Figure 1: Trends in PDI and consumer expenditure at 1998 prices, 1998-2006
• Population trends
• Figure 2: Age structure of the UK population, 1998-2006
• Figure 3: UK population, by socio-economic group, 1998-2006
• The holiday market
• Figure 4: Domestic and overseas holidays and expenditure, 1998-2003
• Consumer sophistication
• Impact of technology
• Figure 5: Internet penetration, 1998-2003

Market Size and Trends

• Holiday market overview
• The holiday centre market
• Figure 6: Number of holidays at UK holiday centres, 1998-2003
• Figure 7: Value of the UK holiday centres market, 1998-2003

Market Segmentation

Traditional holiday centres

• Butlins: holiday examples
• Entertainment and themed breaks

Forest villages

Holiday parks (caravan/mobile home)

Demographic targeting

Niche markets

The Supply Structure

Background to centre owners

• Leading owners
• Figure 8: Leading owners of holiday centres in the UK, 2003
• Figure 9: Leading individual brands of holiday centre, 2003
• Bourne Leisure Group
• British Holidays
• Butlins
• Warner
• Haven
• Center Parcs
• Figure 10: Center Parcs: UK and Continental operational data, 2002
• Pontin's

Other operators and owners

• Parkdean Holidays
• Park Resorts
• John Fowler Holidays

The Consumer

• Trends in use of holiday centres
• Figure 11: Users and non-users of holiday centres, 1997-2003
• Use of the leading centre brands
• Figure 12: Brands of holiday centre used in the last two years, 1997-2003
• Demographic analysis of holiday centre users
• Figure 13: Users of holiday centres by gender, age, socio-economic status and region, 2003
• Age and lifestage are key variables
• Figure 14: Users of holiday centres by pre-/no family and family groups and ACORN categories, 2003
• Figure 15: Users of holiday centres by media consumption and main supermarket used, 2003

Users of holiday centre brands

• Figure 16: Analysis of holiday centre brands used in the last two years, by gender, age, socio-economic status and region, 2003
• Figure 17: Analysis of holiday centre brands used in the last two years, by lifestage, working status, children, Mintel's Special Groups and ACORN categories, 2003
• Figure 18: Analysis of holiday centre brands used in the last two years, by media consumption and main supermarket used, 2003

Length of stay: short breaks or long holidays

• Figure 19: Length of stay in a holiday centre in the last two years, 1997-2003
• Demographic patterns for length of stay
• Figure 20: Length of stay at a centre in the last two years, by gender, age, socio-economic status and region, 2003
• Figure 21: Length of stay at a centre in the last two years, by lifestage, working status, children, Mintel's Special Groups and ACORN categories, 2003
• Figure 22: Length of stay at a centre in the last two years, by media consumption and main supermarket used, 2003

The Future

• Building on recent achievements
• Prospects good for Internet booking
• Looking to a profitable future
• Future ownership scenarios

Forecast

• Figure 23: Forecast of the UK holiday centres market, by value, 2003-07
• Figure 24: Forecast of the UK holiday centres market, by volume, 2003-07

Appendix: Research Methodology