Holiday camps ready for a record year

Once they were famous for knobbly knees contests, terrible entertainers and, of course, the notoriously unpredictable British weather.

But now holiday camps are more popular than ever, according to a new report.

Even if Butlins is not quite the new Tuscany, holiday centres - which include everything from traditional camps to Center Parcs - look set to enjoy a record summer this year.

With the average value of the holidays going up as customers opt for luxury accommodation and themed breaks, the total value of trips sold this year is likely to top £1billion.

The growth is partly down to fewer people taking holidays abroad because of fears about international terrorism and the aftermath of the war in Iraq, says the survey by market research company, Mintel.

Interest has also been stimulated by holiday centres investing heavily in attractions such as elaborate water parks, concert venues and improved catering.

"Above all, images of the centres have been improved by exterior landscaping and interior decor, bringing them and their surrounding parks up to the standards expected by the modern consumer," says the report.

"Butlins, in particular, has captured headlines by hosting concerts at its major centres. Going well beyond the tribute bands, karaoke and other standard entertainments, Butlins has had concerts by famous current chart stars such as Blue and Will Young, bringing the name Butlins to a much wider audience."

Fresh investment was long overdue, said the report. "The 1980s brought a desperate need for holiday centres to reinvent themselves, following the declines of the Sixties and Seventies, due in large part to competition from foreign holidays and also to increasing customer sophistication.

"The late 1990s brought an intense period of investment and creative thinking that has continued." The centres have even managed to take the weather out of the equation by providing indoor water and sports complexes, as well as laying on entertainment for when it rains.

Only three years ago, however, holiday centres were thought to be in decline once more. In 2001, only 22 per cent of people quizzed said they had been to a holiday centre in the previous two years, but by last year that had risen to 26 per cent.

The number of holidays sold by the centres has grown from less than 5.5million in 2000 to six million last year, when the number of people taking last-minute breaks was boosted by the long, hot summer.

Growth has been seen in all three types of holiday centre: