Local MP James Heappey celebrated English Tourism Week in Parliament this week with the Caravan Club.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Heappey said: “Caravans are a significant part of the Somerset visitor economy and so I was delighted to see the Caravan Club promoting the industry here in Parliament.”
“Somerset has a really strong offer to holiday makers with an incredible range of hotels, guesthouses, holiday parks and campsites. In Brean, we have the second largest concentration of caravans in the UK with millions of visitors staying in the village every year. But there are also fantastic holiday parks and camp sites across our part of Somerset servicing all parts of the market – including the Caravan Club’s own sites in Cheddar and Burnham-on-Sea.”
“We do, however, need to make sure that we improve our roads so that those towing caravans can get down the M5 and then to their campsites as easily as possible. As I said in Parliament last week, the M5 is closed too often in the summer and that causes absolute misery for tens of thousands of tourists on their way to Somerset and beyond.”
Nick Lomas. Director General of the Caravan Club added:
“Visitors staying on Caravan Club sites in the Wells area contribute around £4 million every year in off-site spend in the tourism economy. This is money going into local shops, pubs, restaurants, tourist attractions, heritage sites, events and festivals. Somerset is a popular destination for our members who enjoy the wonderful landscapes, coastal scenery and beaches, as well as the legendary West Country hospitality.”
