Yorkshire Holiday Parks

YORKSHIRE HOLIDAY PARKS

. 1. Who Can Enter?

This award recognises Caravan Holiday Parks, Holiday & Touring Parks, Camping & Touring Parks and Glamping sites, including Shepherds Huts and Camping Pods that have all helped to boost business by making the most of their distinctive appeal. This category also includes Holiday Villages. Applicants could offer a variety of accommodation, a range of entertainment, activities and facilities. Conservation and sustainable tourism must be a key feature.

You need to have committed to the Welcome to Yorkshire Y Quality Charter as required by the Welcome to Yorkshire membership scheme.

The Judges will be looking for evidence of:

The quality of the overall visitor experience Facilities Surroundings & location Warmth of welcome Sustainability and Environment Investment and Growth How your product supports the wider picture of other attractions in the area

All applicants must be members of Welcome to Yorkshire.

Please state which months of the year, if any, your property is closed:

Applicants Name:

Name of Business/Organisation:

Date the Business was Established:

Address:

Telephone:

Email of the business:

Email of the person to contact for requests: (if different from Email of the business)

Name and email address of business owner:

Website: The answers to the following questions form the basis of your submission to the White Rose Awards 2017. Supporting documentation is helpful to illustrate your answers and may include visitor feedback, extract from promotional material, sample leaflet, quality images etc. IMPORTANT – please restrict your supporting documentation to 6 carefully selected pieces and include them in separate plastic inserts at the back of your application form.

PLEASE STATE IN NO MORE THAN 150 WORDS WHY YOU THINK YOUR BUSINESS SHOULD WIN THIS AWARD 2. Commitment to Excellence

Staff – Judges will be looking for evidence of technical and social skills. Anticipa ting and responding to guests’ needs and requests will also be noted. A demons tration of staff ability to ‘go the extra mile’ in all aspects of customer service will be noted.

Judges will be interested to hear how you promote Yorkshire to your guests – this c ould include maps, local interest guides, web copy, personal recommendations etc for places to visit and things to see and do.

Facilities - The judges will be looking at how well the park has been developed, the facilities available for families, the elderly and ease of use of the facilities provided.

Letting Accommodation – The judges will be looking for how the ambience has been developed, as well as good housekeeping policies, décor and maintenance and customer service.

1. How long have you been in business at this location? Give a brief history of your business, including size.

2. Occupancy for the previous 12 months

• Total occupancy for year % • What percentage was repeat business? % • Percentage of visitors from outside Yorkshire % • Percentage of visitors from overseas %

3. Describe briefly how you ensure consistently high levels of custome r service, including enquiries, arrivals, the stay itself and complaints. Please give examples. Answer: (strictly max 200 words, any words above this limit will not be consi dered)

4. List specific improvements that you have made to your business to enhance your guests’ experience. These improvements should have been made no more than two years ago. What impact did this have on your business? Answer: (strictly max 200 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)

3. Investment In Staff Training And Development

Staff should have completed customer service training courses or the establishment should have participated in awards for good practice. Please identify in your answer any schemes or awards for either the establishment or individuals. The judges will be looking for examples of how the training has been put into practice and how it has improved customer service. Investment in training must have taken place within the last three years. Investment is defined as investment of money and/or time.

1. What investment has been made in staff training and development? This investment must have been made within the last three years. How has this improved guest services? Answer: (strictly max 200 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)

4. Conservation and Commitment to the Environm ent

1. Describe how your business makes a contribution to conservation an d the environment and provide evidence. Answer (strictly 300 words, any words above this limit will not be consi dered) 5. Creative and Effective Marketing

The judges will be looking for marketing initiatives and fresh ideas which have in creased occupancy levels. Please describe these marketing initiatives and how y ou have measured their success. Promotional information and websites should b e of a professional standard with detailed, accurate, clear and up-to-date inform ation.

1. Explain how you attract new and/or repeat business including any effective marketing campaigns that you have been involved in. Answer: (strictly max 250 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)

6.Judging Process

Please read thoroughly

Your entry will be judged on the clarity and relevance of your answers to the questions in this application form. We only require 6 relevant pieces of supporting documentation to support and enhance your answers. Please bear in mind, the judges have approximately 200 applications to read through and to assist them it is imperative that you do the following:

1. Use a lightweight plastic A4 ring binder file (not a lever arch file).

2. Put your 6 pieces of supporting documentation after the individual pages of the application form in separate plastic file inserts. By inserting them back to back you will be able to show 12 pieces.

3. Make your application easy to read. Place the individual pages of the application form and supporting documentation into separate plastic inserts as this prevents the judges from having to remove information when they assess your entry. The Judges will also look at your website and social media to help to get a feel for your business.

4. Remember – write your answers with the same PASSION you feel for your business!

Please note: the judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome of the final awards decision.

If you are unsure about any aspect of the WRA process, please email Claudine Shaw on [email protected]