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