It’s a New Year, and a new caravanning season is just around the corner – though it might not feel like it during the recent snowstorms!
But we’ll help you stay on top of the caravanning news by taking a peek behind some of the latest UK caravan news headlines.
Huddersfield location crowned Campsite of the Year
The coveted Campsite of the Year award has gone to a site at Thongsbridge, Holmfirth, near Huddersfield, announced Yorkshire Live on the 16th of December.
Awarding the title to Holme Valley Caravan & Camping Park, Out and About Live praised the site for its eco-conscious operation and for the high quality of its facilities. The organisers went still further by describing Holme Valley as everything one would expect of an award-winning destination.
Holme Valley Caravan & Camping Park occupies an especially peaceful location on what was once the site of a working woollen mill. It became a caravan park in 1986 and has remained a family-run affair ever since. From the outset, the family has aimed for a green and sustainable environment – and that has attracted many wildlife supporters.
Plans to create a new caravan park in South Wales
The 4th of January edition of Barry and District News reported that the Vale of Glamorgan planning authorities are considering an application to turn a vacant site in Wenvoe, South Wales, into a caravan park. Public feedback continues while the council considers the planning application.
The plans focus on the redevelopment of the former Tunnelside Yard, at Alps Quarry Road, in Wenvoe, as a site for touring caravans and motorhomes (no static caravans are included in the application).
Repurposing land for tourism-related activities has not met with universal approval in other planning applications, but the one for Tunnelside Yard rests on credentials that include low environmental impact, eco-friendly amenities, and utility hookups.
The applicants promise extensive landscaping of the park, numerous onsite connections for water, electricity, and waste, environmentally sustainable operations, and affordable holiday choices during seasonal operations.
Festive UK travel delivers £3.3bn domestic tourism boost
The Christmas and New Year festivities throughout the UK this year generated a £3.3 billion boost to the economy, according to a recent news story.
An estimated 11.6 million Britons took a break away from home for at least one night during the recent holidays. This is a notable increase from last year. Over the Christmas period of 2024, for instance, only 9 million Britons chose an overnight stay in the UK.
Most revellers opted for multiple short breaks – around half enjoyed two or more separate breaks away, visiting family or engaging in the many festive activities, and outdoor pursuits like walking and cycling.
Last-minute decisions seem to have been made on account of the changing weather, together with discounts that made certain deals even more affordable. According to analysts, it all added up to the recent holiday period becoming one of the busiest times for travel during 2025.
With 2025 ending on such a positive note, says Visit England who released the figures, a welcome boost has been given to tourism destinations throughout the UK for 2026.
Lake District authorities look at new ways to manage anti-social behaviour and illegal camping
According to local newspaper Cumbria Crack on the 6th of January, councils throughout the Lake District will be taking a tougher stance on anti-social behaviour in the tourism hotspot.
Windermere west shore, Coniston east shore, and Blea Tarn – all sites owned by the National Trust – along with Askam and Dalton, will be subject to public space protection orders.
That will allow police in these areas to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £100 for anti-social behaviour such as irresponsible use of alcohol, dog fouling, and unsafe barbeques and fires.
Failure to pay that initial penalty can lead to a summary conviction before the courts and a fine of up to £1,000.