Guidance on campsites reopening published

The industry has released guidelines for the reopening of campsites and parks following the reopening of motorhome dealerships on 1 June.

The guidelines ensure strict social distancing and hygiene protocols are in place for when visitors with motorhomes and caravans can return to parks. The trade body, the NCC (National Caravan Council), is urging the Government to allow campsites and parks to reopen as soon as possible. An NCC survey confirmed 93% of those surveyed intend to holiday or take a short break in the UK after the lockdown. The NCC is now working with the Government to allow the safe reopening of holiday parks and campsites in England. At present, they may be permitted to open from 4 July.

The latest NCC guidance outlines advice to enable campsites and parks to develop their own coronavirus safety protocols and give assurances that measures have been put in place to protect staff, customers and, as a consequence, those in the nearby local community, so they can reopen. A phased reopening of campsites and parks has been proposed.

Unlike hotels, there are no safety issues with shared facilities or accommodation at campsites and parks, as the units are self-contained and 95% are privately owned, thus providing a safe form of holiday accommodation. Caravans and motorhomes are socially distanced by design and rules on campsites and parks mean that motorhomes and caravans must be up to six metres apart. The vast majority have their own cooking and washing facilities, providing the safest form of holidaying possible at the moment.

“The reopening of dealerships is a huge relief for the industry as we are able to start to respond to the public interest in both renting and buying caravans and motorhomes in the coming months,” said NCC Director General, John Lally commented. “The UK’s holiday parks benefit from rural and coastal locations, away from densely populated urban areas, and each park is working to put in place social distancing measures which will make it the best option for holidays in the UK this year. We are working with the government to look into reopening holiday parks as early as possible with strict social distancing measures, as outlined in the guidance, to enable the industry to get back to work and hard-working families to enjoy full use of their caravans again.”