Pitchup.com helps camp and caravan site owners reach new audiences

With Brits set to spend £18bn* on online travel this year and the continued growth of camping and caravanning, the UK’s leading resource for the sector, Pitchup.com, has introduced three new types of listing designed to deliver qualified leads and bookings to park owners. Pitchup.com has also launched online booking, allowing parks to sell directly through the site.

The three levels of enhanced listing are:

• An availability calendar for holiday parks and campsites to indicate availability for the coming season. This is updated easily in Pitchup.com’s Manager Portal, where site owners can also track their progress against other parks and view statistics on customers viewing their site. Uploading availability results in more higher-quality leads and fewer speculative enquiries about fully-booked periods - giving parks more time to focus on the customer experience. Availability is integrated into Pitchup.com’s comprehensive search facility, allowing consumers to sift through available accommodation using other criteria, such as family friendly and campfires allowed. Parks can upgrade to an availability calendar for as little as £10 per month.
• Holiday parks and campsites can upgrade their listing to accept online bookings and upload the price of pitches as well as the number available. Managers can specify minimum-stay rules and special offers, and the system is flexible enough to accommodate any accommodation type. Users can then book using a simple one-page booking form which is submitted directly to the park.
• Holiday parks and campsites can integrate their reservation system into Pitchup.com through its ‘connectivity’ online booking tool. This removes all update processes for holiday park owners, as Pitchup.com will plumb into the existing system to show customers what the holiday park’s receptionist sees. Pitchup.com accepts bookings on the park’s behalf and submits them directly into the park’s reservation system.

Daniel Yates, Managing Director, Pitchup.com, says, “The hotel accommodation sector remains well ahead of the parks business in terms of capitalising on the growing consumer trend towards researching and booking travel products online.  The addition of these online booking and availability tools to Pitchup.com means that parks can now promote their offering more easily, to attract high-quality leads and bookings and shift stock over the shoulder season.

Pitchup.com has also added a facility for parks to host video content on their page listing to bring the product to life.  Search results for all enhanced listings will also be accompanied by a photo, so that holiday parks can easily catch the eye of potential customers.

Integrated Bing mapping technology now allows consumers to views a detailed satellite map of the holiday parks they will stay in, so they can judge proximity to local attractions and landmarks.

ends

Editors’ notes:

More information about the enhanced listing opportunities can be found at http://www.pitchup.com/about/upgrade/.

About Pitchup.com

The most comprehensive website in the camping and caravanning sector, Pitchup.com was launched in July 2009 and features 5,000 campsites and holiday parks in the UK and Ireland, including many in hard-to-find locations. The website enables users to search and book using more than 80 search criteria to fine-tune their holiday requirements, and features mapping technology to make getting there simple too. The site also lists accommodation near nine National Parks, hundreds of beaches, 17 World Heritage Sites and the main UK festivals and can view nearby pubs recommended by the Good Pub Guide.

Issued by Flagship Consulting

For further media information please contact:

Casey Mead     020 7886 8450 casey.mead@flagshipconsulting.co.uk

Lewis Shields   020 7886 8449 lewis.shields@flagshipconsulting.co.uk