TOP TEAM FOREST HOLIDAYS
Forest Holidays has seven sites across the UK, with a new site, Blackwood Forest in Hampshire, due to open open May 2013 Martin Draper, Managing Director, LDC
Why did LDC find Forest Holidays appealing to invest in? There were a number of key attractions: the strength of the brand, a loyal, growing customer base and the genuine uniqueness of the propo- sition, emphasising luxury facilities and high-quality accommo- dation in hard to access, picturesque woodland locations. Forest Holidays is led by a high quality management team with a huge amount of knowl- edge and experience.
How much involvement will LDC have in the running of the company? We see ourselves as active and inter- ested, but not overly intrusive in terms of guiding the team in key areas, such as strategy and ongoing performance, while trusting the management team with the day to day operations. We have two representatives on the board; myself and Andy Grove. We
ISSUE 1 2013 © cybertrek 2013
have also appointed Peter Phillipson as non-executive chair. Previously chair of The Tussauds Group, his insight and experience of developing brands should help drive the business growth strategy.
Were there any
weaknesses you wanted ironed out? Not weaknesses, but we were keen to work through future growth plans and understand the potential of the invest- ment and how best to scale it.
What sort of performance are you hoping for going forward? The focus will be on maintaining the excellent track record and replicating its success at new site locations.
How attractive does the sector currently look to investors? The UK short breaks market is particu- larly attractive. It’s a large and growing market supported by a number of
positive trends, including a growing consumer demand for convenient, easily accessible holidays and authen- tic trip experiences, along with a high degree of product innovation, driven by the likes of Forest Holidays. At a macro level, the leisure industry has been challenged during the recov- ery from the recession, with increased pressure on household budgets, cau- tious corporate discretionary spending and subdued consumer sentiment, with low income growth relative to infla- tion. However, several companies have performed well and created growth opportunities despite this challenging environment: cinemas have used 3D to drive visits, pubs have broadened their offering with more food, and the health and fitness sector has champi- oned the low cost model. Businesses with a full apprecia-
tion of the impact of key trends, such as digital technology, the increasing polarisation between value and luxury segments and the importance of health and overall wellbeing will do well. l
Read Leisure Management online
leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital 61
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