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INTERVIEW THE BIG
IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
By Ged Henderson
WELCOME DEVELOPMENTS
Andrea Challis is looking at big numbers when it comes to investment in both the holiday park operator she co-owns and the wider Lancashire tourism industry.
The family-owned Partington Group is ploughing £50m into creating a new luxury holiday experience on a 165-acre site at Windy Harbour in Singleton. It is, as she explains, “a massive sign of confidence” in both the Fylde coast and the county’s tourism sector.
The site will cater for a mix of more than 500 lodges and caravans, incorporating premium leisure facilities, making Windy Harbour one of the biggest holiday parks in Lancashire. Looking at the vision and the investment Andrea says: “It is huge”.
The same amount of cash has just been approved for Eden Project Morecambe by the government as part of its levelling-up ambitions. The new £100m attraction on the resort’s seafront is set to attract 740,000 visitors annually and add many millions to Lancashire’s economy.
Optimism has been in short supply in recent times in a sector that has been hit badly by the pandemic and faced the challenges of rising costs and recruitment difficulties. But looking at these figures, Andrea says: “There’s lots to be optimistic about now.”
Andrea, joint chief executive of Partington’s with her brother Robert Kearsley, and the recently appointed interim chair of Marketing Lancashire, says there are many areas where the industry is “flourishing”.
And she is full of praise for the way tourism and hospitality businesses across the county met the challenges, citing their resilience and innovation.
Looking at how strongly her business came out of the pandemic, she says she was surprised at first but goes on: “People wanted somewhere to go with their family which was safe.
“Some who had never been on a caravan holiday before or holidayed in the UK started to come to our parks, they bought caravans and are coming back. They didn’t know what Lancashire had or what they had on their doorstep.
“People come to our parks and visit Blackpool, they also enjoy Lancashire’s scenery, all the places to go walking and cycling and the great food offering we have. A family fun experience runs right through everything we do.”
She believes the demand for UK holidays remains strong and adds: “People today have less money to spend, they want good quality and they don’t want to pay through the nose for it.
“All sectors have to look at the product that they are offering and it has to be about quality and value for money.”
With that in mind, Partington’s is investing £5m on upgrades and refurbishment, including the creation of a themed family entertainment centre at its Newton Hall site. With ten-pin bowling, café, a performance space and interactive family games and activities, it will open this summer.
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