How independent campsites and holiday parks are reclaiming control while still reaching new audiences.
For years, online travel agencies (OTAs), aggregators, and booking portals have dominated how UK holidaymakers find and book campsites and holiday parks. Independent operators were encouraged to “be where the customers are,” often at the cost of paying commission of 10%+ per booking and losing direct contact with their guests.
A quiet shift maybe taking place. UK campsites are reclaiming direct bookings while still using platforms for discovery and reach. It’s not about rejecting portals. It’s about striking the right balance between visibility, control, and sustainability.
Why direct bookings are quietly making a comeback
UK travellers are increasingly choosing to book directly with accommodation providers rather than through OTAs. Research from YouGov shows that a majority of UK holidaymakers now prefer to secure their stays directly. They value flexibility, transparency, and the ability to communicate straight with the provider.
While data specific to campsites is harder to find, if this trend is mirrored in the sector it represents a significant opportunity for operators to reclaim control of the guest relationship while still benefiting from the reach that platforms provide.
Direct bookings vs aggregator or portal bookings: the trade-offs
Understanding the pros and cons of each approach helps UK campsites make smarter choices.
Direct bookings: Pros and cons
Pros:
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Higher revenue per booking: Avoid paying between 10% and 20% commission.
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Customer relationships: Collect emails, encourage repeat visits, and run loyalty initiatives.
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Pricing control: Offer off-peak deals, bundles, and flexible promotions.
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Brand ownership: Guests associate the experience with your site, not a portal.
Cons:
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Visibility challenge: Fewer casual browsers may find you without marketing effort.
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Administrative overhead: Even a simple booking system requires setup and management.
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Trust-building required: Some campers feel safer booking via familiar platforms.
Aggregator/portal bookings: Pros and cons
Pros:
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Instant visibility: Millions of users browse platforms like Pitchup, Booking.com, or Airbnb.
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Simplified management: Payment processing, confirmations, and some guest support are handled for you.
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Discovery potential: New campers who haven’t heard of your site can find you easily.
Cons:
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Commission costs: Can significantly reduce profitability.
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Limited customer data: You rarely get the guest’s email, making repeat bookings harder.
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Price and brand control: Platforms may enforce price parity or highlight other campsites.
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Dependency risk: Revenue can be affected by algorithm changes or commission hikes.
Why this matters for independent UK campsites and holiday parks
The UK holiday parks and campsites sector is a major contributor to the domestic tourism economy, generating £12.2 billion in visitor spending and supporting over 226,000 full-time jobs (UKCCA, 2024). This makes it a huge market. So capturing direct bookings can have a real impact on profitability and long-term sustainability.
Independent campsites and holiday parks are approaching this differently:
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Independent campsites: Typically prioritise direct bookings to maximise margins and retain guest relationships. Depending on the site and customer demand, they may complement this with selective aggregator or portal listings.
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Holiday parks: Usually operate a hybrid model, combining direct bookings with centralised booking platforms to manage larger volumes, complex availability, and multiple accommodation types.
Supporting this, Modern Campgrounds reports record-breaking domestic camping activity during UK bank holidays, while Travolution notes that independent accommodation providers can capture around 60% of bookings directly.
A discovery-first platform allows both independents and holiday parks to showcase themselves to a wider audience. It can also encourage bookings on their own website or preferred system. This allows them to maintain flexibility to adjust their mix of direct vs centralised channels over time.
The quiet shift: balancing discovery and direct bookings
This isn’t an “either/or” choice. Across the UK:
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Independent campsites:Primarily drive bookings direct, using aggregators and portals selectively for extra reach or specific periods.
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Holiday parks:Operate a hybrid, balancing direct bookings with centralised systems to manage larger volumes and more complex availability.
In both cases, platforms that provide visibility without demanding bookings perfectly support this strategy> They let holiday park and campsite operators retain control while still being discovered by new audiences.
The risk of doing nothing
The biggest danger for UK campsites and holiday parks isn’t experimenting with discovery-first platforms . It’s staying invisible. Without a presence:
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Potential new guests may never find you
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Repeat bookings become harder to encourage
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Opportunities to control pricing, relationships, and branding are lost
By offering discoverability without commission, these platforms help independents and holiday parks regain control while still reaching new audiences.
Looking ahead
We will have to see if there is a switch to more direct bookings. Either way this approach for independent UK campsites and holiday parks helps them to:
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Build loyalty through direct channels
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Maintain pricing control
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Use portals selectively for additional reach
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Future-proof their business against rising commission costs
Discovery-first platforms give operators a low-risk way to achieve this. It also keeps the door open to future booking integrations without forcing change today.
Conclusion: reclaiming control while staying visible
UK campsites and holiday parks can quietly reclaiming direct bookings while still benefiting from broader discovery. Platforms like ours can provide:
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Visibility to new audiences
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Control over the guest relationship
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Flexibility to evolve in the future
For independent operators and holiday parks alike, this is a greeat opportunity!