Holiday park firm voices hopes for staycations as it unveils £1m rebranding

A SCOTTISH holiday park owner has declared that the demand for staycations “shows no signs of slowing down” as it flagged a strong pipeline of bookings for 2021.

Argyll Holidays, which owns eight holiday parks across Argyll and Bute, delivered an optimistic verdict on the outlook for the domestic tourism market as it unveiled revamped branding, following an investment of £1 million.

The tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit sectors of the economy because of restrictions imposed to halt the spread of coronavirus. The Scottish Tourism Alliance warned last week that the industry faces having to effectively contend with five consecutive winters due to the measures.

Argyll Holidays, which owns Loch Lomond Holiday Park, Drimsynie Estate Holiday Village and Hunters Quay Holiday Village, said it had seen a 50 per cent rise in visitor numbers following the re-opening of the tourism industry after the first lockdown last July.

Although it had to cancel all bookings for January and February of this year after all of Scotland moved into level four restrictions, the company noted that reservations from March onwards are 100 per cent higher than they were this time last year.

It also flagged a 40 per cent rise in sales of caravans and luxury lodges since March last year, without revealing the value of sales.

The new branding at the holiday park business will be visible across its parks, accommodation and restaurants from this month, with its traditional green and white logo replaced by a navy and white colour scheme designed to be more “upmarket”. The company has also invested in a new website that aims to make the booking process easier.

Keith Campbell, director and owner, said : “Our new brand comes at an exciting time for Argyll Holidays. Not only are we seeing light at the end of the tunnel around the pandemic but we are also seeing a renewed passion and excitement for holidaying in Scotland and we are gearing up for a strong, busy 2021.”

He added: “We expect to see more holidaymakers seeking outdoor breaks where they can embrace nature and open spaces. Spending time together with family is also likely to be high on travellers’ wish-lists, and our lodges lend themselves perfectly to that.

“Scottish holidaymakers also want to support Scottish business and we are extremely grateful to our loyal customers who return year after year.”