Boom in 'staycations' sees East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire caravan industry struggling to meet demand

As the Government announces plans to introduce a £5000 fine for those attempting to take a holiday abroad, the caravan and holiday home industry in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire says they are struggling to meet the increased demand caused by the ban on foreign holidays.

One East Yorkshire company which builds holiday homes and lodges has seen production double in the last 12 months, whilst 1 in 10 people in the UK are looking to go on a caravan holiday for the first time this year.

The caravan industry is worth £9billion to the UK economy and employs around 4,000 people in Hull alone.

However, a delay in materials arriving because of Brexit means that the growth of companies in this industry is stalling.

Gary Corylon, from Victory Leisure Homes, said: "Business is booming but that comes with its issues.

"The supply chain post-Brexit has been very difficult with a lot of material still on the water waiting to come into port, which hampers our growth.

"I'd like to think that people who sampled a staycation in the past year will come back year and year and maybe consider not going abroad as much as they used to."

ITV News has contacted the government about this issue but has yet to receive a response.

Credit: ITV News

Stephen Pritchard, from Motor Homes & Caravans in Hull, believes that the way people in the UK holiday will change as a result of the pandemic.

He said: "With the circumstances to have the freedom to go where they want and do what they want with a motor home or caravan, and just get up and go and have your own bubble to be safe, so that's why the interest is much higher.

"The leisure industry is big and it's growing."

He thinks that the government needs to create more caravan parks to cater for the growing demand.

A Government spokesperson said:

“As we come out of the current lockdown we are doing everything we can to help businesses get back on their feet, including ensuring international supply chains are as smooth as possible.

"We are providing support to businesses through the £20m SME Brexit Support Fund and we are delaying full import border checks until 1 January 2022, to avoid any unnecessary risk to the UK’s economy as we recover from the pandemic."