Forget jetting off to luxurious hotels in dreamy destinations abroad; Britons are currently staying put in the UK for a caravan holiday. With holidaymakers wary about traveling overseas due to uncertainties surrounding jet fuel supply and the Iran conflict, caravan holidays are 'more popular than ever,' says Andy Le Duc, director of marketing and communications at the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC).
Many caravan parks, including Haven, Away Resorts, and Waterside Holiday Parks, have seen a boom in bookings. Gumtree has reported a 133 percent surge in demand for campervans, motorhomes, and caravans since the start of the year. While most will recall happy childhood summers spent under metal roofs, BBQs at the caravan site after a long day at the beach, and heading to the toilet and shower block in flip-flops, the caravan market has drastically changed since then. Both portable and static abodes have become better equipped and more comfortable than some ordinary houses and hotel rooms.
Even celebrities like Gemma Collins, Stacey Solomon, and Coleen Rooney are falling back in love with caravanning, while Dani and Danny Dyer have opened their own caravan site. The father-daughter duo recently starred in their own reality show, The Dyers' Caravan Park, which follows their attempts to run a successful holiday park together. Danny's desire to dive head-first into the £7 billion holiday park industry can be traced back to the 1980s when he was growing up in London's East End. The actor's summer holidays were spent in a caravan on Canvey Island in Essex, and the thrill of those holidays has never left him. Speaking before the show's launch in February, he said: 'I'm doing something I've never done before – putting money into a holiday park and helping to run it – so of course there'll be mistakes on my part, and that's where the charm of the show lies.'
But he is not the only star to be pulled into the caravan scene. In 2024, Stacey Solomon, 36, enjoyed a trip to Haven Kent Coast Holiday Park with her husband, Joe Swash, 44, and children. Guests can stay at the site from just £49 for four nights in the park's saver caravans, which include a fully equipped kitchen, 32-inch television, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. Stacey and her family enjoyed a holiday in a gold tier caravan, according to The Sun, priced at £435 for three nights at the time. A far cry from the metal-roofed caravans with outdoor showers of the past, these are more similar to what you might find in a hotel suite, featuring stunning lake views on wrap-around decking, multiple televisions, and even a dishwasher in the well-equipped kitchen. They used the resort's swimming pools and arcades, and the star shared at the end of her holiday: 'There must be some kind of stigma around holiday parks because so many of you messaged saying you couldn't believe that's where we'd chosen to go!' Her children enjoyed the trip so much they 'cried their eyes out' when it was over, and the couple decided to book another night.
Shane Ritchie, 62, launched a mini-series on Channel 5 called Caravanning with Shane Ritchie, in which the actor was seen enjoying caravan holidays with his family and friends at various sites around the UK. He visited a caravan park in Rhyl, North Wales, with his wife and children, and in another episode stayed at a site on the Isle of Wight. Coleen Rooney has also openly admitted she loves a caravan holiday. When the mother-of-four appeared on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2024, she told Coronation Street star Alan Halsall she goes caravanning in Wales with Wayne and their children 'a couple of times a year,' after he had told her he had been on a caravan trip two weeks before flying to Australia. Reflecting on caravan site entertainment, she said: 'They used to have a band on called The Hut, you used to take all your own ale, you all used to get up and sing a song!'
Footballer Harry Maguire was also spotted in the bingo hall at Presthaven Sands, a caravan site in Wales, in 2023, with his brother Laurence and wife, Fern. Baffled holidaymaker Jenny, from Stoke-on-Trent, told What's The Jam at the time: 'We were offered free drinks all around which we found strange thinking it was just a special birthday or something until we saw what looked like Harry Maguire's family. We originally were aware of some VIP guests when we were approached by Haven staff and asked if we could move our seats during the evening entertainment, as the ones we were sat at were reserved. Unbeknownst to us, for the Maguire family.'
Gemma Collins is another star known to love a caravan holiday, and she headed to Clacton-on-Sea with her family in 2023. The former TOWIE icon, 45, who often splashes out on luxury accommodation, gave fans a glimpse of her UK break and posed for a snap in front of the caravan before showing followers a glimpse inside the trailer. Gemma penned: 'This was so much FUN. I really enjoyed caravan life back to basics fresh air bingo fish and chips and just normality. Sometimes it's just so nice to go back to good old basics of childhood and no pressure to be glam or being in the expensive places and the best aunty award goes too me 42 on a Segway!!!!' Even Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren, 80, is well-known to love a caravan holiday and is a member of the Caravan Club. 'Caravanning gets me away from the hustle and bustle of city life. We both share a real penchant for it,' she said, according to Ting Dene Holiday Parks.
Why Are Brits Going Crazy for Caravan Holidays?
Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) director of marketing and communications Andy Le Duc revealed to the Daily Mail how the organisation is 'seeing increasing demand from members seeking flexible, great-value breaks.' He added: 'This growing appetite reflects the enduring appeal of touring, offering the freedom to explore at your own pace while enjoying the outdoors.' A whopping 3.9 million guests headed to Haven sites last year, and the number is expected to rise to 4 million by the end of 2026. The caravan holiday giant, which has 38 coastal parks around the country, has seen a 10 percent year-on-year increase in Easter bookings, and this summer looks strong too.
'The quality of the accommodation and the comfort is just so much better than it used to be,' Simon Palethorpe, Haven's chief executive, added to The Times. CEO of Away Resorts, Carl Castledine, told the Daily Mail: 'Jet fuel shortages, rising costs and global conflicts are all playing significant roles in Brits' holiday plans and, as a result, we're seeing demand for UK staycations and traditional Great British holidays increase significantly.' Away Resorts put it 'largely down to uncertainty currently associated with international travel.' Meanwhile, at Waterside Holiday Parks, based in the southwest of England, there has been a 9.6 percent increase in direct bookings compared to the same period last year. CEO David Bennett explained: 'Guests are increasingly looking for quality experiences closer to home, and modern caravan and lodge holidays now deliver comfort, flexibility and hotel-standard accommodation in beautiful coastal locations.' Like Haven, he has seen 'a nostalgia factor' with holiday parks playing a part and added: 'They remind people of traditional British family holidays and create a sense of familiarity and togetherness, but today the experience is on a completely different level in terms of quality and facilities.'
