UK holidays spur caravan park boom

Caravan park owners have enjoyed a bumper year as growing numbers of people opt to take holidays in the UK.

Haven Holidays, one of the biggest operators, has seen sales of static caravans on its permanent sites jump by a record 23.8% this year, double the rise of 2008.

Twenty-two thousand of Haven's 50,000 caravans on its 35 holiday parks are now privately owned.

Haven, part of Bourne Leisure, which also owns Warner Leisure and Butlins Resorts, reported the biggest increase in Wales and Cornwall, where sales soared by 50%.

John Morphet, the 55-year-old millionaire founder of the Pure Leisure Group, which owns caravan parks, said the trend for taking UK breaks had prompted him to spend £10m on adding three extra holiday home parks to his portfolio.