ESCAPE THE CROWDS THIS BANK HOLIDAY

Avoid the inevitable nose to tail crush on our motorways this weekend by heading inland to a less well known destination for a much needed break. Having visited all 4 corners of our beautiful country here are my top 10 recommendations for crowd free exploration;

• Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
• Ripon, North Yorkshire
• Bruton, Somerset
• Blandford Forum, Dorset
• Winchcombe, Gloucestershire
• Llandovery, Wales
• Church Stretton, Shropshire
• Framlingham, Suffolk
• Tenterden, Kent
• Crieff, Scotland

Don't go with flow!

Nick House

Achieving high and sustainable occupancy levels for a holiday let is becoming a tougher challenge in an oversupplied UK market. This is even more so for properties in locations off the tourist radar.

It is obvious that the beauty and appeal of your local area will be very close to your heart. However you'll need to reach out to an unconverted audience to persuade them to be adventurous by taking a risk to spend their hard earned cash on visiting an unknown destination rather than opting for one of the many tried and tested honeypots spread across the UK.

What steps can you take to change perceptions? Here are 8 initiatives property owners could take to boost bookings;

1. Set realistic prices

2. Invest in top quality furnishings and photography to showcase the accommodation to its full potential.

3. Introduce a range of added value services to tempt guests e.g fishing, cycling, hot tub, dinner delivery, baby sitting, discounts from local suppliers/attractions,    memebership to a leisure club.

4. Provide well presented descriptions and evocative images to reveal what the local area has to offer visitors.

5. Promote local events which command regional and national pulling power.

6. List your property with local wedding venues and restaurants ( those without rooms)

7. Set-up accommodation aimed a large groups. The getting together for the guests is often more important than visiting the area.

8. Network closely with tourism managers at your district council.

Once you've "upped your game" and you're on the map the momentum gained from repeat and referral bookings will ensure that your business is a resounding success.

There is a plethora of so called "experts" offering landowners professional and well intentioned advice on how to diversify from farming.

A fair proportion of advisers, however, have a vested interest for you to spend your hard earned cash on an exciting new project. Architects, planning consultants and surveyors relish new build opportunities for the fee income it will generate for them.  Likewise pod and lodge designers are desperate for new sites to show off their latest glamping products to holiday let guests. Eco energy equipment and telecoms manufacturers need land to install their kit.

Having attended numerous trade shows and glamping exhibitions during the past 12 months it is easy to get carried away with the enthusiastic sales pitch that often comes with these opportunities. Before you take the plunge and place an order you should set aside time to carry out your own thorough market research. The key starting point in formulating a diversification plan should be the business case underlying the proposition;

• is there sufficient demand for the product/service?
• who is the existing competition?
• how can you set yourself apart from competitors?
• what are the market trends in the sector?
• is the business sustainable in the longer term?

Seek advice from independent sources. Be cheeky and counsel second opinions from individuals with relevant business experience who have actually worked at the "coal face". It is common practice for sellers in any sector to put a gloss on the sales revenue figures. Often forgotten are operating costs hidden in the fine print of their blurb and it is critical that you can identify these to establish the real net profit margin and break-even point for the venture. Once you have had a chance to verify the returns that have been promised you will then be in a much better position to assess the payback on the investment. If the project looks as though it will meet your financial needs you can then decide which supplier to use to implement your plans.

If it sounds too good to be true, proceed with caution.

One door closes, another opens. Here are 7 pertinent reasons why demand for holidays in the UK should step up.

1. Higher cost of flights to EU destinations as airport charges for UK carriers increase

2. Even greater airport and ferry port congestion from longer waiting times for Brits in immigration queues,not forgetting Operation Stack on the M20 to Dover.

3. Fear over costs of hospital care on holiday as European Health Insurance Card could be withdrawn .

4. Confusion over passport validity over whether there is too much or too little time to the expiry date.

5. Possible introduction of International Driving Permits for EU countries

6. Upsurge in foreign visitors, particularly from the US, taking advantage of weak pound

7. Memories of great weather last summer

An all too common mistake landowners make in converting redundant barns for holiday lets or, setting up a new glamping site is a high density layout for the accommodation. This involves too many units on top of each other with little or no secluded outside space for guests to use. The objective to make more money by having more capacity to sell is folly. Guest privacy is becoming very precious and having neighbours in close proximity is a significant deterrent when it comes to searching for a peaceful haven in which to relax for their well-earned break.    

Nick House