It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Mark Goodson, the owner and Managing Director of the award-winning Wayside Holiday Park near Pickering.
The picture facing the tourism industry in Yorkshire in the next 12 months is challenging. On the one hand, the threat of inflation, the cost-of-living crisis and the steep rise in both interest rates and raw materials, poses real problems for our sector. There’s no getting away from that. On the other hand, the global pandemic has fuelled the “staycation” boom in the UK, while the grey pound, such a crucial catalyst for the success of the tourism sector, remains powerful. It is highly likely that many people won’t be going abroad in 2023 because it is increasingly a logistical nightmare.
So let’s be optimistic to start with. Yorkshire is a most fabulous county and has flourished during the past 18 months. Its beauty speaks for itself, from the glorious Dales to the historic city of York and from the atmospheric North Yorkshire coastline to the stunning Moors. Our county has it all. There is every reason to believe that 2023 will be an exciting and successful year, unless the economy goes completely off the rails.
Looking more specifically at the holiday park sector, our supply chain remains a major worry. Because of the staycation boom, and the buying power of the grey pound, the demand for static caravans and holiday lodges is very strong. But the availability of both is erratic at best, despite strenuous efforts by the manufacturers. However, I am an optimist by nature and have worked very hard up to upgrade our holiday park by creating The Water Gardens, a fabulous 13-pitch development with state-of-the-art lodges overlooking a magnificent water feature. I am hopeful, confident even, that this optimism isn’t misplaced.
