Caravan Campsite of the Year 2020/21 for Devon Holiday Park
A Devon family who launched an imaginative rewilding scheme on their holiday park during lockdown has been named as the Caravan Campsite of the Year 2020/21. Cofton Holidays in Dawlish scooped the top spot in the caravan and campsite category of this summer’s iTravel Staycation Awards 2021.
With more than one thousand nominations, Cofton beat hundreds of eligible parks across Britain in the contest, organised by national newspaper iNews.
The park was congratulated by BBC Countryfile presenter Sean Fletcher when he announced its triumph in the newspaper’s virtual award ceremony.
Celebrating Caravan Campsite of the Year
The panel of 23 judges praised Cofton for its strong leadership in the category, and its impressive and well-managed facilities for camping and motorhome guests.
Judges, headed by iTravel editor Sophie Lam, also praised the park’s recent rewilding scheme and its creation of nature corridors and other environmental projects.
Cofton Holidays director Helen Scott said that both family and the team at the five-star seaside park were “absolutely thrilled to win the Caravan Campsite of the Year”:
“Last year was a torrid time for the travel and tourism sector, but like so many we focussed on the positive and looked to the future,” she said.
Creating a positive future
“Throughout lockdown we concentrated all our efforts on making improvements to the park, particularly on the camping side, so that when guests returned they could enjoy outstanding facilities.
“We invested over £200k to bring 48 new super-pitches on board for RVs and campervans, and also enhanced our beautiful landscape, rewilding large swathes of the park.
“We also introduced new shrubberies, creating wildlife corridors, and enhanced biodiversity across the site for insects, birds, bats, butterflies, bees and small mammals.
“It’s fantastic to have everybody’s hard work recognised in this way,” added Helen.
She said that occupancy rates at Cofton this year were at an all-time high, and that bookings were stretching right through until autumn and even into 2022.
Outstanding Camping Facilities
Facilities at the park include a heated indoor pool and hydrotherapy loungers, a gym, steam room, sauna, fitness studio, restaurant, pub, play areas, sports wall and outdoor pools.
Guests also have access to five coarse fishing lakes, and miles of cycle paths and nature trails that take visitors through woodland to the golden sands of Dawlish Warren beach and nature reserve.
Cofton Holidays provides luxury lodges with hot tubs, holiday apartments in a Georgian manor house, country cottages, on-site cottages and a range of holiday homes.
5-star holiday park rating
Free kids clubs take place each day during the school holidays, and other free activities include the £50,000 Woodland Adventure Area which features a 25m zip line, a climbing cage, rope ladders, balance beam, balance lines and scramble nets.
Cofton holds VisitEngland’s highest standard for quality, the prestigious 5-star holiday park rating, and is a previous winner of Holiday Park of the Year at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards.
For more information on the Caravan Campsite of the Year visit Cofton Holidays at www.coftonholidays.co.uk.
