It's 'cool' to camp: new website makes UK campsite and holiday park search simple

The launch of Pitchup.com, a campsite and holiday park search website, couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. The credit crunch in the UK and a collapse in holidaymakers’ overseas buying power* have resulted in a 25 per cent** decline in holiday trips abroad in Q1 2009. According to the National Caravan Council, the renaissance of UK camping and caravanning holidays continues, with advance bookings up by 25 per cent over 2008.

Pitchup.com is the most comprehensive website in its sector, with over 5,000 UK and Ireland campsites and holiday parks featured including hundreds of hard-to-find sites. The website has an easy-to-use search facility and contains information on accommodation near nine National Parks, hundreds of beaches, 17 World Heritage Sites, and the main UK festivals. Pitchup.com allows visitors to make specific searches according to their needs. The site’s comprehensive listings make it possible, for example, to search for a campsite in South-West England that is near a beach and a National Park, allows dogs, offers disabled facilities and wifi, and has sailing nearby***.

Users can also search for any post code and see local sites. Alternatively, users can search for what they want to do first and the site will show the accommodation options nearby. Users can also search for places to go such as beaches and walking routes, as well as UK events and festivals via a direct link to Ticketmaster and eFestivals.

Pitchup.com is the only site on the web where visitors can find the latest special offers available from holiday parks and rate and filter them to find the perfect deal. This year’s growth in the UK camping and holiday park market stems from a variety of factors. The credit crunch and holidaymakers seeking value for money, a yearning for the nostalgic, the growth of “glamping” (glamour + camping), and the mushrooming of UK festivals have all paved the way for the rise. In addition, with growing awareness of the necessity for sustainable travel, caravanning and camping at home is likely to be one of the best ways to lower an individual’s carbon footprint, especially in preference to flying abroad.

Dan Yates, Managing Director, Pitchup.com commented: “2009 is the year of the “staycation” and particularly camping and caravanning. The credit crunch, investment in tourism facilities and growing spontaneity in travel patterns are seeing UK holidaymakers staying at home looking to enjoy the great outdoors.

“The massive growth of the market this summer kicks the doors wide open for this website. It’s the best place to find exactly what you want if considering a UK- or Ireland-based camping or caravanning holiday - whether it’s a family holiday, activity holiday with friends or a trip to one of the UK’s great music festivals this summer. There’s no doubt that this type of holiday has a great deal of appeal to the British from students, to families, to the over-55s; and Pitchup.com will assist in finding the holiday they want, whatever their criteria. ”

As traffic to the site grows, feedback from users will include reviews and blogs to enhance further the relevant, useful information provided on the site.

Dan Yates continues: “The site promises to be the portal for the camping and caravanning world as we positively encourage feedback and collaboration by our users about a whole range of accommodation and things to do in the great British countryside.”

Visit Pitchup.com to search for all UK camping, and caravanning breaks, places to go and local events.

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* It costs 28 per cent more in pounds for goods and services of the same euro value, compared to July 2007 (Source: X-rates.com)

** Holiday trips abroad by UK residents declined from 8.7m in Q1 2008 to 6.5m in Q1 2009, a reduction of 25 per cent (Source: MQ6, National Statistics)

*** Porlock Caravan Park, Minehead, Somerset