Holiday parks

Brief facts on the subject

• Holiday parks usually offer several types of accommodation and common facilities.
• Final cleaning, bed linen, energy, tourist tax and leisure offers can be charged additionally.
• The right facility depends on whether peace, self-care, children's offers or excursions are in the foreground.

Holiday parks have established themselves in Europe. Here are not individual holiday apartments or cottages on offer - here a whole complex consists only of properties that have been built for the holiday.

What is a Holiday Park?

Holiday parks are real estate assets built and operated exclusively for tourist purposes. In the holiday parks, different tourist concepts are distinguished, which always have the overall character of a Community collection of Self-catering accommodation occupying a centre with tourist infrastructure.

• This includes holiday parks that provide an apartment complex with fully equipped individualApartmentsare.
• Holiday parks, which consist of single and double bungalows and have only minor tourist leisure facilities, are also called holiday villages.
• Modern holiday parks such as the exampleCenter Parcs SauerlandThey are usually composed of a mix of hotel rooms, apartments and bungalows and have a tourist infrastructure with supermarkets, tennis courts and gastronomy.
• Today’s holiday parks, which have special attractions such as a subtropical swimming pool, are also called “second generation holiday parks”. Holiday parks are then theme parks associated with numerous leisure activities.

The term “holiday park” is not a protected term and is usually used for major tourist projects with a high percentage of self-catering accommodation.

It is important that the facilities are large enough that a joint administration pays off and that the facility itself also makes it attractive for tour operators who focus on offers of at least 40 beds.

Owner and operator of holiday parks

Owners and operators of holiday parks are not always the same people. Sometimes the entire plant also belongs to the company that runs it. In other cases, individual individuals also have shares in Acquired holiday park and their own holiday home. In such cases, it is operated by a joint administration that takes care not only of the property management but also of the rental.

Probably the most famous example of operators of holiday parks in Europe is the Dutch Center Parcs Group, which now has their holiday parks in several European countries. But the knowledge lies rather in the marketing power of the company in Germany. Many other companies and holiday park chains offer at least equivalent facilities. Amazingly many of them come from the Netherlands. The Dutch have the tourist concept of holiday parks in their own country and in the surrounding countries perfected first.

• Roompot ParksWith over 200 holiday parks and over 20 campsites mainly in France, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, Roompot Parks are probably the largest providers of holiday parks in Europe. For Dutch companies, founded in 1965, also include the Hogenboom Holiday Parks. (Example): Roompot Beach Resort)
• Landal GreenParks– with currently 52 holiday parks (2016) throughout Europe one of the largest chains in this area. Landal is a member of the Wyndham Vacation Rentals® Group. The parent company is Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE:WYN). US corporation. (Examples): Landal Eifeler Tor, Landal Waterparc Veluwemeer, Landal Sonnenberg)
• Center ParcsandSunparksWith more than 20 holiday parks in Europe belong to the French chain Pierre et Vacances. In the parks you can also become the owner of the holiday homes as a private person. The provider promises a return of around 5%.
• Topparks– operates 16 holiday parks in the Netherlands, where you can also invest in holiday properties.
• NOVASOL– The Danish holiday home rental company operates its own holiday home villages in various regions of Europe. Novasol belongs (like Landal) to Wyndham Vacation Rentals®.
• DroomParkingOnce again a Dutch company with around 10 holiday parks in different regions of the Netherlands.
• molecatene– a family business of the Slager family. Freerienparks have been operating in the Netherlands for 50 years.
• EuroParcs– with currently 6 holiday parks in the Netherlands one of the “smaller” worshippers. Here, too, there are investment opportunities for investments in the area of holiday properties.
• Oostappen– now 12 holiday parks in the Netherlands and Belgium and more than 25 years of history are the pride of the holiday park group.
• Ourthe & Somme– the Belgian company operates 10 holiday parks in Belgium.
• FarmCamps–Farm holidays. FarmCamps are more or less campsites on selected farms.

In addition, there are many other holiday park operators. Important: Not every holiday park belongs to a chain!

In addition to tourist companies, it is also often clubs or charitable, social or church carriers who operate a holiday park. Then you can see it in the prices (much cheaper) and the “tourist offer”, which are then not necessarily aimed at amusement but have other content.

Benefits of the holiday park for holidaymakers

Many holidaymakers appreciate the advantages of holiday parks compared to the resort hotels: You are self-sufficient in a bungalow (or apartment) with a complete household, so that you can can provide completely independently and plan your own daily routine. At the same time, however, you are in the middle of a park with a tourist infrastructure that presents offers to the guest as in a hotel: Swimming pool, restaurants and shopping facilities or even events and childcare.

Especially attractive are holiday parks with the attractions for the family holiday with young children. All offers in one place in combination with the low-cost self-catering accommodation allow a quickly and easily organized, cheap Short vacation in the holiday park.

Sufficiently comfortable and flexible accommodation is available for larger and smaller groups of travellers, the community facilities in many theme parks offer places and sufficient space for shared accommodation. Group activities.

Holiday parks are not suitable for some holiday experiences: If you want to get to know the country and people and have set yourself up for an explorer holiday, the more or less "closed" holiday worlds of the Holiday parks are not the right place. Calm and seclusion are not to be expected either.

Holiday parks throughout Europe

Today, holiday parks in Europe can no longer be imagined without the travel catalogues of the organizers. Holiday parks have sufficient capacity, which makes it attractive for tour operators to book here. At the same time, the holiday parks usually market themselves via their central administration.

Whether a holiday in a holiday village in Holland by the sea or a stay in a holiday park in front of Paris – holidays in the holiday parks are and remain popular. An extended bachelor party weekend, from Monday to Friday on a school trip or a multi-week holiday with the whole family in one of the theme parks: Among the many different forms of holiday parks there is the right one for every holiday theme park.

Select holiday park suitable for travel

Before booking, it is worth taking a look at the floor plan and the actual routes within the facility. For families, playgrounds and short distances are helpful, for older guests, barrier poverty and shopping opportunities. Those looking for peace should consider location, season and possible events. In addition, in mobile homes and bungalows, equipment, heating and outdoor space are not the same everywhere.

A concrete example is the Holiday park Silbersee near Frielendorf. Further indications give family holidays in the holiday home, Holidays with a dog, Holidays with cat, New Year's Eve in the Holiday Home, Safe booking, Sustainable Holidays on Usedom, Pilgrimage holidays, Motorcycle holidays in Austria and the search for accommodation.

Frequent questions

Are holiday parks suitable for self-catering?

Many facilities have kitchens or cooking areas. However, equipment, size and shopping opportunities should be examined on the basis of the specific offer.

What additional costs are common?

Depending on the facility, final cleaning, energy, bed linen, tourist tax, pet, parking and optional leisure offers may additionally apply.