Summer is in the air and while Europe is on our doorstep, a UK holiday park is an attractive alternative for those wanting to stay closer to home.
Holiday parks can be as simple as a patch of grass to park or pitch a tent and as luxurious as eco-lodges with hot tubs and wood-burning stoves. However, the management of both in today’s digital world has the same challenges and opportunities.
Technology is a part of everyone’s daily lives, whether work or personal. For holiday park owners, it presents an opportunity to attract new customers, streamline booking systems, and manage online payments, or be left behind.
Having information at their fingertips is considered ‘a given’ for today’s holiday maker. So when it comes to booking, managing, and planning a trip, they expect this to be online and accessible any time of the day. Technology has an essential role to play for both the holiday maker and the park owner.
First impressions count and the pre-booking process is a critical part of the booking journey. This is when you are persuading customers to spend their hard-earned money with you.
Using interactive maps with virtual tours offering 360-degree views can attract customers by letting them look around your holiday park, see the views – showing them exactly what they can look forward to if they book with you.
They can choose an enticing meal at the on-site restaurant from the menu, experience a clip of the entertainment on offer, as well as walk through the different types of accommodation available, immersing themselves in their holiday before it’s even started.
By having this interactive element, it can not only help increase bookings, and encourage repeat business, but also start the guest experience in the right way.
According to research, users will leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load so the booking process needs to be straightforward. There are many booking systems available and if you feel that yours isn’t providing a flawless digital experience to your prospective customers, consider different options or explore whether there are additional features you can use.
For example, can you implement digital check-ins? Does the system offer an app where your guests can easily access their booking information? And does it have a chat box where guests can ask questions in real time? Customers are used to user-friendly systems which make booking easier, so it’s important you can offer this too.
Once the booking is confirmed, technology allows the guest to personalise their experience by offering tailored recommendations on how they can make the most of their holiday.
Data analytics and AI-driven insights can deep dive into the guest’s preferences and interests to provide recommendations on the activities, dining and local attractions they’ll enjoy most.
Are they a family with small children? Then the swimming pool and play areas will be a hit. A couple visiting on their own? Why not recommend a spa day or an evening meal in the on-site restaurant? Or will they be bringing a dog? Then they’ll want to know about the local walks and dog-friendly pubs.
Whether you deliver these recommendations via email or your app, it will significantly improve the guest experience, making your customers feel valued and taking the pressure off when it comes to planning their trip.
When guests arrive you can reduce queue times and enhance efficiency by offering self check-in using an app and digital keys. By giving guests all the information they need ahead of time, they can simply arrive at their leisure and let themselves in, saving them time and effort for the ultimate guest experience.
Life is busy and people holiday only a few times a year. So when they do, they want simplicity and choice for every part of the holiday - from booking to arriving back home.
Out-dated systems that are slow or complicated are out, and holiday parks with up-to-date information, seamless customer experience and efficient business processes are in. In 2025, there is no other option.
From managing cashflow to intergrating online payment tools with your accounting software, see how our team can help or get in touch today.
