Camping prices on the increase.. profiteering?

[Duncan]

Just booked a campsite we stay at each year in October to meet up with family and this year the price has gone up to £80 for for two nights, whereas last year it was just £58. Are campsites going to profiteer on knowing people want to camp instead of go overseas? I realise they had a bad start to the season but this has left quite a nasty taste in my mouth

 

[GrannyJen]

I think it may have a lot to do with extra work/staff/equipment needed to comply with the risk assessment carried out prior to re-opening. The CAMC for example has explained how there are going to be extra cleaning regimes, it all costs money.

 

[Jay gas]

Wait till you see the prices of package holidays next year. It will make the small price increase of campsites look like pocket change

 

[Perfectos]

Just booked a campsite we stay at each year in October to meet up with family and this year the price has gone up to £80 for for two nights, whereas last year it was just £58. Are campsites going to profiteer on knowing people want to camp instead of go overseas? I realise they had a bad start to the season but this has left quite a nasty taste in my mouth

If we are lucky, many campsites may survive, if not who knows, the tourism industry has the biggest mauling ever, great weather no customers, fixed overheads remain = revised cost = price increases.
Only the market will determine If these businesses survive, the market will decide what is acceptable pricing or not
Campsites are a business with significant overheads, some seasonal, most fixed.

I personally will be supporting as many of these business as is possible and practical going forward as the recent and current situation has the ability to decimate the camping industry and a way of life.

The new reality for most businesses will be survive, reassess and I have no doubt recoup as much as they can in the short term before the real cost of this pandemic is realised, only then will goods and services become less expensive.

Fortunately there has been an increase in interest in camping in all formats, I prey that this will be sufficient to see many of the campsite through to a “normal season” possibly next year, if not we may be paying far higher prices for the limited surviving businesses.

As I have been known to say to my Fam, Use it or lose it !
( I’m not suggesting you over pay though)

 

[WelshGas]

There will be increased costs + an element of supply and demand, possibly even a reduction in pitch numbers.

If the OP quotes the price for a couple ; £20/person per night doesn’t seem too bad

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Supply & Demand...and they have had zero income for months, so I think it’s fair enough.

 

[Italiahorse]

Grass pitches with CandC Club are discounting 30%.

 

[Bobby D]

I would imagine very few campsites are in profit this year

 

[Georgiegirl]

I’m happy to support campsites for the remainder of the year. I expect a price increase. If we don’t support them, or demand they reduce prices, then expect less choice next year as a lot won’t survive

 

[Dorchest]

I received an email last week from a large professional campsite setup in Dorset who have increased their prices but state that they are only accepting vehicles with onboard toilet/washing facilities as they are not opening the shower & toilet blocks, restaurant, etc. I actually think it’s unfair to increase prices when there are less facilities available.

 

[GrannyJen]

I received an email last week from a large professional campsite setup in Dorset who have increased their prices but state that they are only accepting vehicles with onboard toilet/washing facilities as they are not opening the shower & toilet blocks, restaurant, etc. I actually think it’s unfair to increase prices when there are less facilities available.

Sounds like a good reason not to go there

 

[WelshGas]

Supply and Demand will rule on prices. It will all settle down in time.

 

[bxl_lad]

I would hardly call it profiteering, more like surviving...
They're mostly seasonal businesses and they already lost months of income. Like someone already stated, if they're lucky they will manage to stay afloat this year so get out there and support them all you can if you want them to be able to have a future...
So many businesses will not survive this mess and we really shouldn't be moaning if we're lucky enough to still have salaries and are able to still have our 'luxury' items...

 

[flying banana]

I agree with the profiteering issue. If all businesses that have been closed or empty the last 3 month put their prices up you would all definitely be moaning. The railways been empty and running through the pandemic. Ticket prices remain the same. Will it be double for a haircut when they reopen. Will it be 8 quid a pint int pub? Will you pay it just to support them? *I think not. Campsites need to earn money I get that. Peeing off their customers this remaining year by whacking up the price is not the answer.

 

[tuono001]

Profiteering isn't new it's always happened, like charging for the pitch then asking if you're putting up an awning. £20 extra please! Why? You are not intruding on other pitches so why the charge.
I understand the increases this year and why, though I think some sites increases may put people off.

 

[sidepod]

The part I don’t understand is why businesses are still having to pay rent etc. Everyone all the way to the top of the financial institutions should just put everything on hold. That way nobody looses out. Why should banks etc still be allowed to profit? We’re all in this together, it’s nobody’s fault so we should all work together to get through.

 

[Annik]

No sympathy from me, my parents have had to pay their site fees on their static even though all the site staff have been on furlough and the swimming pools, bars and other facilities have remain closed . Not even the offer of a discount.

 

[T6 CFO]

The thing to watch for is if they bring them down again.
If they stay full then they won’t and the prices will be the new normal.
Supply and demand as previously stated will be the key.


Mike

 

[bigmac77]

I agree with the profiteering issue. If all businesses that have been closed or empty the last 3 month put their prices up you would all definitely be moaning. The railways been empty and running through the pandemic. Ticket prices remain the same. Will it be double for a haircut when they reopen. Will it be 8 quid a pint int pub? Will you pay it just to support them? *I think not. Campsites need to earn money I get that. Peeing off their customers this remaining year by whacking up the price is not the answer.

Campsites have until around the end of October to try and make enough money to survive as a business until Easter next year so your comparison is not really valid.

 

[Big Ron]

The part I don’t understand is why businesses are still having to pay rent etc. Everyone all the way to the top of the financial institutions should just put everything on hold. That way nobody looses out. Why should banks etc still be allowed to profit? We’re all in this together, it’s nobody’s fault so we should all work together to get through.

Hi sidepod.....sounds fair at first hearing doesn’t it but.....it’s not just financial institutions (banks) that are involved. Sure they lend people money and a number have allowed mortgage ‘holidays’ etc.. (although you still end up paying more eventually, it helps with cash flow now).
But if you look at rent payments (wider context than just campsites) then there are two main issues:
- you’ll find that a lot/most of commercial properties are owned directly by pension funds or by investment groups who themselves have pension funds as investors/members/owners.

So by not paying rent it means that the fund would be hit->normal pensioners (theoretically would be hit) and the funds exert massive power to stop this. (There are many learned people that believe investment/pension funds are the single most sinister influence in our economy).

-Also, there is a genuine argument that just because a tenant business is not getting any revenue by running their business etc.. from the premises, doesn’t mean that the landlord/company that owns the building/freehold doesn’t have fixed costs to deal with that need to be paid for.....from the rent. No rent=they go bust=can’t use them any more.....back to your direct point =no campsite.

On balance while I’d like it to be all easier/fairer, it is very complicated and Ii’m not bright enough to solve it.....so I’m Just happy to do my bit by supporting businesses/campsites by using them.

 

[Dorchest]

Sounds like a good reason not to go there

Exactly Jen, I’m all for being kind and supporting each other but that’s a two-way street. If some facilities are closed for safety reasons, fair enough but don’t then profiteer from the demand for pitches. It should be give and take surely. I won’t be staying there.

 

[Dorchest]

Campsites have until around the end of October to try and make enough money to survive as a business until Easter next year so your comparison is not really valid.

We all need to remember that we are supporting these businesses already through our taxes. We in the UK have probably been the most generous of all nations when it comes to supporting businesses. Low income businesses will have received a 10K grant and higher income businesses, a 25K grant that they do not need to repay. Then we have furlough of staff. They are being very well supported by us anyway unless they haven’t been declaring all their income, so that their tax returns on which their furlough is based, does not reflect what they really make.

It’s up to us to make sure that the businesses that act fairly and responsibility are championed and supported, whereas the businesses that have tried to shirk their responsibility or have profiteered from the situation are treated accordingly. Vote with the pound in your pocket.

 

[bxl_lad]

By definition, profiteering would mean they will make a profit. I doubt they will manage that this year...
But yes, if it becomes the new normal price then that would not be acceptable.
We're all going to have to accept that the fallout from the last months are a game changer though. Some things might never recover or be the same again. There will indeed be those who seek to profit from such situations, but I think the vast majority of those businesses in the tourism/ hospitality sector (especially seasonal), will just be hoping to survive this year...
They will though have to get it just right to making it pay or indeed there will be some, like on here, who will deem it a step too far and they will lose out further...
You can only vote with your feet to let them know if they're right or not.

 

[Big Ron]

By definition, profiteering would mean they will make a profit. I doubt they will manage that this year...
But yes, if it becomes the new normal price then that would not be acceptable.
We're all going to have to accept that the fallout from the last months are a game changer though. Some things might never recover or be the same again. There will indeed be those who seek to profit from such situations, but I think the vast majority of those businesses in the tourism/ hospitality sector (especially seasonal), will just be hoping to survive this year...
They will though have to get it just right to making it pay or indeed there will be some, like on here, who will deem it a step too far and they will lose out further...
You can only vote with your feet to let them know if they're right or not.

I agree in the main bxl_lad.

I would just add overall.....the cost of supplying health/safety measures above/beyond what was there before will be borne by the paying customer.
If we think new charges are unreasonable then it may also point towards the demand we are making for health/safety also being unreasonable?

 

[Adamvanman]

Campsites don't make much money out of touring pitches anyway, that's why so many are being converted to statics instead. Campsite owner I spoke to said they make 5x more per pitch on statics even taking cleaning into consideration.