| The traditional English summer sight of fields full of | | | | holidaymakers better choice. However, one of the |
| tents and happy campers enjoying their holidays is | | | | most interesting, they say, is the camping industry's |
| under threat, according to Mintel. The leading UK | | | | inability to harness modern technology to market their |
| research company has recently conducted extensive | | | | product. Richard Cope, senior travel analyst for the |
| research highlighting that sleeping under canvass is in | | | | research company suggests that travellers these days |
| terminal decline, however industry insiders disagree. | | | | are more likely to book on impulse and hints that if the |
| The results show that one in five people have turned | | | | camping industry could offer last-minute vacancy alerts |
| their back on camping over the last five years, and | | | | coupled with favourable weather forecasts they |
| they predict that trend will accelerate over the next | | | | would tempt more people into booking. As Cope points |
| five years with almost one in four deciding to ditch | | | | out: "Gone are the days when people return year after |
| tents in favour of other holiday options; in absolute | | | | year to the same holiday destination and that includes |
| terms that means a total of 14 million UK campers | | | | camping sites. Britons are increasingly looking |
| who pitched up in 2002 will reduce to just 9.5 million per | | | | elsewhere for their holidays and last minute on-line |
| year by the end of summer 2012. | | | | deals mean that they can choose self-catering static |
| Mintel highlight a variety of factors for the decline in | | | | home holidays or holiday cottages rather than opt for |
| popularity of camping, such as a series of wet British | | | | staying in a field. |
| summers and increasing affluence allowing | | | | |