Holiday and Caravan parks in the North Coast miss out on vital Easter trade
There’s disappointment but businesses are staying positive by looking to the summer months
Holiday and caravan parks in the Causeway Coast and Glens area are set to miss out on vital Easter trade for a second year running due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Earlier in the week the Northern Ireland Executive announced more lockdown easements.
However, this did not include the lifting of restrictions on travel or accommodation.
Hotels, guesthouses and caravan sites and self-catering accommodation are still only able to operate on a restricted basis.
Ian McClelland owns Tullian’s Country Holiday Park in Coleraine which holds around 115 holiday homes.
His business will also have to remain shut and will miss out on one of their busiest trading times.
However, Mr McClelland is optimistic about getting to reopen in the summer and is looking forward to having another “bumper year”.
He said: “We do have quite a bit of hope and optimism for the future.
“Our Government seems to have done a good job on the vaccine front and we’ve had good support financially also, but challenges will remain in the future and hopefully the vaccines will work and get us all back to normal again.”
With the prospects of international travel not looking promising, the tourism industry is expecting an increase in demand for staycations and home holidays.
Mr McClelland said he anticipates more people coming to the North Coast during the summer and intends to invest in more sites, so he can welcome more customers this summer.
He added: “We found once we got opened last summer at the end of June it was a bumper year because of the pandemic people realised what they have at home in Northern Ireland.
“The beautiful Scenery and the services provided in the North Coast are first class.
“People from Bangor and from Ballyclare to Enniskillen all making their way to the North Coast when it was safe to do so of course.
“Last Summer was a great success up in the North Coast and the pandemic and the R rate stayed at bay.
“I believe static homes are as safe an option out there for holidaying at the minute.
“Static homes are self-contained units, and everything can be brought from home to a unit and there’s no need to mix with other people at all.”
Caravan parks and holiday homes in the North Coast might not be open this weekend but some visitor attractions are.
The National Trust’s Assistant Director of Operation, Jonathan Clarke, has said some of their sites across the country will be open to visitors.
However, this year attendance numbers will be restricted, and people are being urged to book online and stick to the current government restrictions on travel.
He said: “Many of our busier sites would have perhaps five or six thousand visitors over the Easter Weekend.
“This year having to restrict numbers it will be just several hundred visitors in each of our sites, that’s a significant reduction in our visitor numbers.
“We know we’ll be busy it’s very important that we restrict numbers for the safety of visitors, for staff and volunteers.
“So, we’re asking everyone this year to plan ahead.”
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