Staycations are currently proving popular with the British public as the weaker pound, following the EU referendum, has deterred some from holidaying abroad and opened up this sector to new audiences. Destinations such as North Wales have harnessed the changing behaviour of tourists with great success.

As a result the holiday park market is thriving, with plenty of activity. According to research by Ortus Secured Finance, turnover at the 100 largest holiday parks was up 9 per cent from £2.46 billion in 2012 to £2.7 billion last year.

The holiday park investment market is currently at a point where demand is outstripping supply, with only a limited number of parks coming to the market. The majority of the main operators are in full acquisition mode, and are particularly interested in parks that offer development or redevelopment opportunities.

Luxury parks across the UK are experiencing an increase in demand from tourists and, consequently, holiday park owners are increasing the quality of their units, thus fuelling the demand for sites with redevelopment potential. UK holiday caravan manufacturers are also reporting significant increases in the number of units being made to satisfy demand.

A particularly strong market for holiday parks – and one which others could learn lessons from – is North Wales. Last year Lonely Planet ranked the region fourth on its Best in Travel list, the only UK destination to be featured. The area's new adventure attractions such as Surf Snowdonia, Zip World, pictured) and Bounce Below, a network of giant trampolines rigged together in the caverns beneath Blaenau Ffestiniog, are also boosting its appeal. These attractions reflect a wider trend away from traditional bucket-and-spade holidays towards more health and fitness and active holidays, complementing the long-established walking and cycling holidays offered by Snowdonia that have historically been the region’s bread and butter.

The strength of the North Wales leisure market is fuelled by its proximity to populous areas such as Manchester, Liverpool and Chester, all within a two-hour drive. ‘Honey pot’ locations such as the coastline, the Llyn Peninsular and Anglesey are experiencing an improvement in the standards of holiday accommodation on offer.

With the holiday park market booming, assets in key tourism destinations such as these across the UK are likely to see strong interest from buyers if landlords decide to sell.

Further information

Read more: Aspects of Leisure