Eurocamp

Eurocamp is a British holiday company based in Cheshire that provides pre-sited outdoor holidays in Europe to over 500,000 holidaymakers each year. The company works with third party partner campsites and holiday villages to offer beach, city and countryside holidays to over 180 parcs across Europe,[1] including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Croatia.

EuroCamp
TypePrivate
Founded1973
FounderAlan Goulding
HeadquartersHartford, Cheshire
Key people
Alain Calme

As part of their holiday packages Eurocamp provide their own kids’ clubs and bespoke accommodation[2] as well as optional travel for holidaymakers, by ferry, Eurotunnel or plane.

History

Founded in 1973 by Alan Goulding in Knutsford, Cheshire,[3] Eurocamp Travel Ltd sold pre-sited tent holidays to a single campsite in Brittany, which removed the need for holidaymakers to take their own camping equipment.

In 1981, Goulding sold the family-run business to retail group Combined English Stores,[4] which was bought by Next plc in 1987. Throughout the 1980s, Eurocamp added a wider variety of locations to the range and introduced mobile home accommodation for the first time.[5]

In 1987 Eurocamp launched Eurocamp Independent, designed for holidaymakers that wish to enjoy Eurocamp facilities, but with their own camping equipment and motor homes.[6]

Following a management buy-out in 1988, Eurocamp plc was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1991.[7] In the mid-1990s, Eurocamp expanded and diversified through several acquisitions outside the camping holiday sector, including the 1995 merger with Superbreak. In 1998, the Eurocamp plc acquired Keycamp Holidays and changed its name to Holidaybreak plc to reflect the more diverse nature of the Group. By that time, competitors Sunsites and French Country Camping had already been acquired. Airtours' camping product Eurosites was purchased in 2002. By then, few competitors remained, Haven being the largest. In 2011 global travel company Cox & Kings bought Holidaybreak plc, with Eurocamp the main part of its Camping Division. In 2014 Eurocamp was bought by Homair Vacances Group.[8]

International presence

Eurocamp has sales operations across 9 European territories; UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Poland.

References
  1. "Holiday Types". Eurocamp. Eurocamp. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  2. "A complete guide to your family's holiday options this summer". Telegraph. Telegraph. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  3. "Cheshire-based Eurocamp celebrates 40 years in the holiday business". Cheshire Life. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  4. "History". Holidaybreak. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  5. "Company History". Eurocamp. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  6. "Eurocamp Independent". Eurocamp Independent. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  7. Evans, Nigel; Stonehouse, George; Campbell, David (2003). Strategic Management for Travel and Tourism. Taylor & Francis. p. 348. ISBN 0415837243.
  8. Begum, Shelina. "Eurocamp sold in £90m deal". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
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