Guernsey Press

Campsites hope to open soon as islanders want staycations

GUERNSEY campsites are seeing a rise in interest from islanders preparing for a staycation this summer.

Published
Camp de Reves Glamping Site in St Peter’s are hoping for a summer of ‘staycations’ while travel is not really possible after Coronavirus lockdown. The Barnes family, left to right, Danny and Jane Barnes and Ross and Ellie Torode. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 28306733)

Campsite owners are looking to get ready for an increase in local people wanting to take advantage of the outdoor life once phase four and beyond of lockdown restrictions being eased gets under way.

They hope once they are able to open, islanders will see the benefits of camping outside in the fresh air on-island as opposed to going to a hotel overseas, where the risk of contracting coronavirus and thereby bringing it back to the island and spreading it would increase.

Jane and Danny Barnes were due to open their St Peter’s Camp de Reves Glampsite – which can accommodate a maximum of 30 people in five safari-style tents – earlier this year.

The original idea of the site was as a potential staycation for locals thinking about cost and the environment, as well as for overseas visitors. They said they hoped they would be able to open soon.

‘We have definitely seen an increase in enquiries from local people wishing to book for this summer and we are hoping we will be able to open soon to accommodate them,’ said Mrs Barnes.

‘This is our very first season [and] from the people we have spoken to they are very enthusiastic and excited to stay somewhere new, especially one with a garden overlooking the west coast sunsets.’

Five years in the making, their three-acre site, which is a transformed old work yard, had been due to open in April, however, Covid-19 has delayed that.

Now, she added, although they were still waiting on guidance, regulations that would normally be required of hotels would not apply to them as a camping site.

‘We only have five large family safari glamping tents which are all totally self-contained with kitchen and bathroom and with their own large fenced garden and so you can easily be totally isolated,’ she said.

Vale’s La Bailloterie Camping owners Richard Collas and Caryl Shaw said they had also received interest from locals, with many interested in motorhomes.

‘[These are] difficult times for everyone,’ they said.

‘Islanders can see camping as a staycation and we would view it as life-saving income for the business, with a lot of clients off-island either waiting to see what happens or simply rebooking for next season.’

The 10-acre site caters for private camping and motorhomes and has separate showers and toilets, together with a large balcony and outdoor dining area. It has also seen its planned 15 May opening delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

They added that they had some concerns regarding what the rules were about getting the business back up and running and what it might mean for those coming to camp.

‘The issues will not be space in the fields, but the rules concerning toilets and shower use, which we are awaiting for guidance on,’ they added.

‘Plus the worry of getting it right to avoid further issues concerning contamination. We are waiting to hear from the team.’

In the UK, booking platform Cool Camping revealed it had seen a 60% surge in bookings.

Market researcher Mintel estimated more than 21m. British people would go on camping and caravanning trips in 2020, many of them glamping holidays in a market forecast to be worth more than £3.2bn.