25 Saturday Jun 2016
Posted in Places
Whilst in the Mosel last week I stayed opposite beautiful Beilstein between the villages of Ellenz and Poltersdorf. Ellenz was just 900 metres further down the river and had five bars and five restaurants so I got loads of exercise for all the wrong reasons….
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
16 Thursday Jun 2016
Posted in Places
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
15 Wednesday Jun 2016
Posted in Sites
You get a warm welcome at this site but it is the setting in the grounds of a chateau that really sets it apart. The chateau is used by the University of Liège and is in immaculate condition – as are the grounds – so it is all very pleasant.
The site is mainly typical Belgian static caravans with awnings in manicured mini gardens – not static holiday homes – and it has all the things I need for an overnight stop. It features on page 135 of The Caravan Club 2016 Touring Europe handbook.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
14 Tuesday Jun 2016
Posted in Uncategorized
“I read the news today, oh boy . . .” (A Day In the Life, Lennon and McCartney) The news this week is heartbreaking, incomprehensible, and ugly. Why is the human race so quick to choo…
Source: Prague: The Lennon Wall
11 Saturday Jun 2016
Posted in Marketing, Motorhomes
New figures from the NCC show that the UK motorhome market continues to go from strength-to-strength. Interestingly, according to NCC members, increasing numbers of buyers are new to the sector.
Registrations of new motorhomes increased by 20.4% in the month of March 2016 compared with March 2015. A total of 2,352 units were sold in what is a peak month for the sector. New motorhome registrations for Q1 2016 as a whole, compared with Q1 2015, are also up nearly 20%1, to a total of 3,042 units with an estimated retail value of more than £150 million2.
All this is on top of a 21% increase in new motorhome registrations during 2015, making the UK one of the fastest growing markets in Europe3. Membership of the NCC’s dealer section is increasing too, rising nearly 25% in the last 12 months alone. Many of these companies are reporting near record new motorhome sales levels in 2016, including Newark based Brownhills, which enjoyed a 26% increase in Q1 this year.
NCC director general John Lally said: “We believe that strong demand for motorhomes will continue for the foreseeable future and we could see record levels of new motorhomes registered in the UK soon. As manufacturers increase production capacity and build even more attractive and innovative products that can be used year round, consumers, from young families to retired couples, will keep being drawn to the motorhome proposition. The Freedom to Go campaign is also working to draw more entrants to the market.
“Staycations are due to have another good year too boosted by the preference to take shorter breaks. In fact short holiday trips of 1-3 nights account for two-thirds of English holidays, are on the rise4 and are exactly the type of break a motorhome really enables. Whether it’s a last minute weekend away, supporting an outdoor activity like mountain biking, or indeed the longer annual summer holiday, motorhomes make it all possible.”
Frank Finch, NCC membership services director said: “It’s encouraging that dealerships are our fastest growing membership section, as this is where many consumers first interact with the industry. It’s our advice that for peace of mind, consumers should always seek out one of our members when looking to buy a motorhome, or indeed any other leisure vehicle.”
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
