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NCC holds Westminster briefing

NCC holds Westminster briefing

On 24 February 2015 the NCC held a briefing session in Parliament to inform MPs about the work of the trade association.

The event, which attracted 22 MPs, gave the NCC the opportunity to talk about the importance of the £6 billion industry to the UK economy and took place just days after the NCC run Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show at the NEC in Birmingham drew in almost 87,000 visitors.*

Across the UK, the caravan sector employs around 130,000 people and represents a UK manufacturing success story, with some 95 per cent of touring caravans in the UK made here. Over £2.4 billion was spent on UK caravan holidays in 2013 and more than 51 million nights were spent in caravans.

In addition to the 550,000 touring caravans and more than 205,000 motorhomes in use across the UK, there are more than 330,000 caravan holiday homes – a total of over one million leisure accommodation vehicles.  In the housing sector there are around 100,000 park homes (mobile homes) in use.

NCC Deputy Director General, Alicia Dunne said:

“Tourism is hugely important for the UK economy.  Holiday parks provide good value, family-friendly addition to ‘staycation’ tourist accommodation and touring in a caravan or motorhome is a fantastic way to explore Britain.

“Ahead of next month’s tourism week I am pleased that so many MPs came out in support of our sector.  Working together, we can grow our businesses and provide more employment opportunities and deliver outstanding holiday experiences.  Already well over two million people take a caravan holiday each year – if we can increase this, we can support British manufacturing and bring additional income to many areas, particularly rural and coastal ones.

“Similarly, residential park homes offer a unique and affordable housing choice for thousands of people across the UK and working with local authorities we can help make this a more accessible housing option/lifestyle.”

At the event, MPs learnt about the NCC’s services and initiatives, including the NCC Approved Code Schemes which provide additional consumer protection, the NCC Training Academy that aims to enhance skills of those working in the sector, and the Central Registration & Identification Scheme (CRiS), the national register for UK touring caravans, which provides a service similar to that of the DVLA for vehicles.

*unaudited figures