Improve visitor experience with custom maps for holiday parks

By May 26th 2017

With staycations on the rise, holiday parks need to deliver a seamless guest experience

 

From glamping to caravanning – the UK’s ‘staycation’ trend is growing. Customised, branded maps for holiday parks that deliver a seamless guest experience – from location maps on leaflets to site maps and wayfinding boards – are more important than ever.

Tourism trends for 2017

More Brits than ever will take a summer ‘staycation’ break in 2017, and maps for holiday parks play a vital role in delivering a hassle-free holiday experience for holidaymakers.

A 2016 report from ABTA  indicated that almost three quarters of respondents (71%) took a holiday in the UK – up from 64% in the previous year, and a recent article in the Independent reported that Staycation bookings have increased by almost a quarter, compared to 2016, as more British holidaymakers opt to stay in the UK, rather than go abroad post-Brexit.

Whether camping, caravanning or staying in a chalet, the staycation trend is showing no signs of slowing. UK holiday parks, in their various forms, have responded with a significant increase in entrepreneurial activity in order to satisfy this swell in demand, and the UK has also seen a growth of new trends such as ‘glamping’, with increasing numbers flocking to the British countryside to relax in yurts and other forms of accommodation.

As well as the big players of in the holiday park sector such as Center Parcs and Butlins, smaller chains and franchises, and an increasing number of small owner-managed sites across the UK have benefited from the increase in domestic holidaying.

Illustrated map for campsites

What maps do holiday parks need?

Many parks are open all year round, but the main activity is centred on the Spring and Summer season, with many holiday parks taking first bookings from Easter time. At this time of year, it is crucial for parks to have information systems in place for guests.

Research states that customer experience will be the main brand differentiator by 2020, and positive reviews on TripAdvisor and other social media platforms can make or break a small holiday park.

As part of your customer experience strategy, clear, easy-to-use wayfinding is crucial. A communication strategy should encompass branded, similarly designed printed, online and park signage that might include:

  • Park location / direction maps on your promotional leaflets
  • Online, interactive maps on your website to help guests pick a pitch or chalet when booking
  • Printable PDF park site maps so guests can download them prior to arrival
  • Tear-off map sheets given to guests on arrival, where staff can highlight their pitch, the nearest toilet block, and washing facilities.
  • Weatherproof wayfinding map boards located around the park, so guests can navigate easily
  • Local area maps that highlight local landmarks, or walking trails and cycle paths clearly marked to aid with visitor enjoyment.

Making bespoke maps work for your business

Benefits of custom mapping for holiday parks

  • Brand reinforcement. An increasing number of parks are now seeking the benefit of producing a map which also reflects the wider branding of their site, perhaps by using common palettes, logos, and colours to tie in with other marketing materials.
  • Consistency with wider marketing messages, and to up-sell other on-site services. If the park is part of a larger franchise or chain, it may also be beneficial to include information on other sites in the UK, as well as including other key brand messaging.
  • Customisability. Holiday Park maps can vary greatly in style. From simple graphical 2D maps representing the different accommodations as simple numbered blocks, through to highly individual illustrated maps where key site features are brought to life by drawing from aerial imagery. A great way to show off the beauty of the site, and its surrounding area, to potential guests.

A good holiday park map is a highly visual, and interactive, way of promoting the site and its facilities to prospective holiday makers.  When maps are created digitally, updates for changes can be carried out by the cartographer cost-effectively and quickly.

Lovell Johns has worked with holiday parks, campsites, and other UK tourist destinations and attractions, to create a variety of attractive and functional site maps, according to individual client specifications and branding. A selection of case studies is available on our website.

 

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