TRAVELSCENE is featuring Center Parcs in its new Family Short Breaks brochure to tap into the growing demand for holiday villages.
Five parks have been included – De Eemhof and Het Heijderbos in Holland, De Vossemerren and Erperheide in Belgium and Les Bois-Francs in France.
Commercial manager Paul Stanley said it will help boost the operator’s year-round business as most parks are closed in the winter.
“We already offer Gran Dorado and Sunparks so this is a natural development given the strength of demand for this type of family holiday,” he said. “It also gives agents the full range of products in this market.”
Center Parcs prices lead in at £285 for a family of four staying four nights at Les Bois-Francs including ferry crossing.
He said the expanded programme should help Travelscene increase carryings by 10% to 11,000.
Stanley added that business for the Gran Dorado holiday villages in Holland and Germany tripled during the year and now accounts for 10% of the theme park’s UK sales.
More space has been dedicated to Gran Dorado in the brochure, with a series of agent educationals now underway.
Universal’s Port Aventura near Barcelona and Cite de l’Espace near Toulouse are also new, with air-inclusive options available on both.
“We have had a number of enquiries over the past few months so we are optimistic they will fit well into the programme,” said Stanley. “Cite de l’Espace is a natural for families with slightly older children.”
New crossings include P&O North Sea Ferries’ Hull to Zeebrugge and Hull to Rotterdam, bringing the number of ferry options to 15.