Campsites are increasingly being taken over by large foreign investors. This week it was the turn of holiday park Het Enjoyen in Kaatsheuvel, but more campsites will follow, says the trade association. The causes: climate change, low interest rates and higher demands from guests.
“In the past, one or two holiday parks were taken over per year, now it has already been fifteen in five years,” calculates Arthur van Disseldorp, regional manager for North Brabant and Limburg at Hiswa-Recron. These are often large investors. The Enjoyment was taken over by the company Marvilla-Parks, which has several large parks, especially in France.
“Investing in Southern Europe is less attractive due to climate change. Those campsites are getting too hot, we are increasingly going camping in our own country. Investors are therefore looking for camping companies located in the north,” says Van Disseldorp.
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The sellers are often looking for a rich buyer, because investments have to be made. “The older generation goes camping with their own tent or caravan. But the young generation wants to rent. So houses and luxury tents have to be placed. And we also want more luxury. A swimming pool, a bar, a camping shop. Someone has to make that pre-investment.”
The advantage: even less well-regarded campsites are refurbished in this way. The disadvantage: the atmosphere also changes at the already good campsites. And guests who have had a permanent place for years often have to leave the site.
Van Disseldorp: “That’s a shame, but I’m glad that most entrepreneurs adhere to the conditions of the trade association in the event of a takeover and give the guests a year to leave. The lease cannot therefore be terminated immediately.”
In the coming years even more holiday parks will come into foreign hands, Van Disseldorp expects. “This trend will continue for a while. This will continue as long as interest rates are low.”
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