tourist boards have teamed up with industry bodies to launch a UK-wide star grading scheme for holiday parks.
Those participating are the English Tourism Council, the Wales Tourist Board, the Scottish Tourist Board, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, the British Holiday and Home Parks Association and the National Caravan Council.
The one to five-star system is based on 50 quality criteria, including cleanliness and efficiency of service. Signs displayed by parks will carry a tourist board logo, the number of stars awarded, and whether they offer camping facilities, touring caravan facilities or static accommodation. More than 1,100 parks are participating in the new grading initiative.
It has replaced the old British Graded Holiday Parks Scheme, which had low recognition with consumers, according to focus group research. The feedback also revealed that cleanliness was twice as important as any other factor when choosing a holiday park.
The ETC’s area accommodation manager for the north of England, Margaret McLellan, said: “People have higher standards now. We have moved on from when people walked across a field to an unheated toilet block.”