A must-read for holiday parks that don't just want to compete on price, but above all on loyalty and guest experience.
The leisure market is becoming increasingly competitive. New holiday parks are springing up everywhere and guests have more choice than ever. From luxury wellness resorts to small-scale boutique parks, and from glamping concepts to family campsites. At the same time, booking behaviour is changing. Guests are no longer simply looking for a holiday park with a swimming pool or a great location. They are looking for an experience that matches their lifestyle, interests and needs at that particular moment.
Many leisure businesses try to meet this demand primarily through performance marketing. This often works well, especially in the short term. But sooner or later, they reach a point where increasing the advertising budget delivers very little additional growth. They find themselves on what is known as a performance plateau. Breaking through that ceiling requires more than reach alone. A strong leisure brand creates recognition, preference and trust, helping marketing efforts deliver better results.
That is exactly what concept marketing is all about.
For years, marketing within the leisure industry focused primarily on what a park had to offer. A swimming pool, restaurant, entertainment team or luxury accommodation often formed the basis of the communication. But the reality is that many parks now offer similar facilities. This makes it harder for guests to distinguish between them.
At the same time, we are seeing consumers increasingly base their choices on emotion. They are not looking for accommodation; they are looking for an experience that fits their lifestyle. A place where they recognise themselves in the story being told.
A dog lover gets excited about a holiday where their dog is not merely tolerated, but actually at the heart of the experience. A couple looking for peace and quiet is not searching for a holiday park, but for a place where they can slow down. And a group of friends does not book a weekend away because of the square footage of their accommodation, but because of the feeling of relaxation, togetherness and quality time.
This is precisely where the power of a strong concept lies.
Many leisure entrepreneurs find it daunting to make a clear choice. After all, what happens if you focus on one target audience? Don't you automatically exclude other guests? In practice, the opposite often happens.
When a park tries to appeal to everyone, its message tends to become fairly generic. As a result, potential guests do not truly see themselves reflected in it. As soon as a park takes a clear position, it becomes easier to build an emotional connection.
We are seeing this increasingly across the market. Holiday parks are developing concepts centred around slow living, wellness, dogs, nature experiences or specific types of travel groups, such as weekends away with friends and solo retreats. Not because other target audiences are unwelcome, but because clear positioning helps a park become top of mind among the right guests.
Strong leisure brands therefore dare to make a choice.
A strong example of concept marketing is the rise of slow living within the leisure sector. Vakantiepark Mölke has made this philosophy the heart of its brand. The focus is not on the accommodation or facilities, but on the feeling of slowing down, unwinding and consciously making time for one another. In doing so, the park responds to the growing need for peace, quiet and balance. It shows how a clear brand promise can develop into a distinctive concept that guests recognise and remember.
A good example of this development is the rise of adults-only and kids-friendly concepts. Research shows that the number of adults-only campsites in Europe has increased in recent years. The success of these types of concepts demonstrates that making a clear choice does not automatically mean excluding guests. On the contrary: by putting a specific target audience at the centre, businesses can create a strong appeal.
“A strong concept does not come from inventing something completely new, but from amplifying an existing strength.”
The growing range of solo retreats shows how important clear positioning has become. Recreatielandgoed De IJsvogel, for example, responds to the needs of people who consciously choose to holiday alone in order to relax, unwind or spend time on themselves. The focus is not on a packed programme of activities, but on space for reflection, nature and relaxation. This concept demonstrates how leisure businesses are increasingly responding to specific needs and stages of life.
Gooise Heide is a strong example of a leisure business that has deliberately chosen a single accommodation concept: glamping. The park exclusively offers luxury safari tents. Rather than offering a mix of accommodation types, Gooise Heide has fully embraced comfortable outdoor living, appealing to a specific target audience that wants to combine nature, freedom and luxury. The concept demonstrates how choosing a single type of accommodation can contribute to a recognisable brand and a distinctive position in the market.
A common mistake is for leisure entrepreneurs to think that concept marketing starts with a brainstorming session. In reality, it often starts by looking at the guests you already have.
Which accommodation is booked most often? Which photos receive the most attention on social media? Which words keep appearing in reviews? And which target audience seems particularly drawn to your location?
The answers to these questions often tell you more about your brand than you might think.
For example, some leisure entrepreneurs discover that guests primarily come for the peace and quiet. Others find that families with dogs book significantly more often than average. Other locations turn out to be particularly popular with couples looking for luxury and privacy. A strong concept does not come from inventing something completely new, but from amplifying an existing strength.
A strong concept is about more than simply creating a campaign. It starts much earlier: by determining what you want your park to stand for, which target audience best fits your offering and what experience you want your guests to take away. Only once these choices are clear can you create a story that forms the foundation of a strong brand.
Concept marketing is sometimes seen as a long-term strategy, while performance marketing is considered responsible for generating immediate bookings. In reality, the two disciplines reinforce one another.
A strong concept helps adverts stand out, enables visitors to understand more quickly why a park is relevant to them, and reduces the distance between discovering a park and making a booking. This creates a continuous interaction between brand and results. A strong concept leads to more effective campaigns, while insights from campaigns can in turn help refine and grow the concept.
Let the experts at Booking Boosters help you. Get in touch for a no-obligation consultation.