Notice lately fellow Nomads how we are being inundated with programs on Retiring nomads and caravans A C A  This day tonight...I wonder if we are being set up by the greedy ones out  there. Announcing higher fees......For the Air that we breath..Ha Ha ha!   I am suspicious of the lot of them

I agree... there seems to be a push for our dollars. Free camping is the way to go.. Meet beaut people, and there's safety in numbers. Cheers Dellie

I wondered the same thing when I saw it all again tonight. Now, Is that what we call blatant advertising. I think so.

Yes I had similar thoutghts, it was a paid ad. by the caravan park owners assoc., it seems we all want 5 star parks with play grounds and pools, maybe I just look on the dark side

Advertising is an essential part of a free market economy. As consumers we have freedom of choice and it's up to us to make our own individual decisions where we spend our "hard-earned".

True Jim, we all know what we want from a holiday so try not to get caught up in a lot of the hype.

And the whole key to a lot of it is, shop around guys. Its amazing how knocking on a few doors can save you money. A few day trips we did, we would save $50 a head on by looking around and shopping them and don't be shy to ask if thats their best price I say.

I agree jimricho..I stay in Parks when I hve too..( Which is not often)....I wonder tongue in check if we could get a paid spread done on what we /or like our camping style.  I'll  ask AC A  and this day tonight....I'll wager that they are too lousy to get in touch with me.......Maybe some one should ask them to check out  the Grey Nomad site and see what we are about....We need to get the message out before we are swamped with these groups....lets fight back... Don't just cop it

Well, I for one, am the first to admit that I am far beyond the need for swings, jumping pillows, kids playground, tennnis etc. so why the heck would we book into a park that is a 'resort' type with all the bells and whistles and waste our money - like everyone above says, give us free camping with the friendship that goes with it.

The ACA seemed to target the "up market" camping families. The city folk still seemed to be amazed at the Grey Nomad phenomenon, particularly the free camping aspect of this lifestyle. I choose parks, but I don't choose the up-market, top of the shop parks with all the frills and trimmings. They are always the top dollar parks. I've found the Top Tourist parks are mid-price range, with clean facilities, a few comforts and really nice customers. The non-labelled parks are just as good. They aren't paying huge membership fees to be part of a chain name. For me it's all about basic, clean and tidy sites and facilities for a reasonable fee, with friendly service.

The Big4 Parks are obviously working to establish a "brand" image of a more "up market" park for families, especially ones that don't own a caravan or RV. They have obviously established that a good market exists for this and it is common business practice to target a particular market as "you can't please all the market all the time". Their member parks wouldn't be investing heavily in cabins, villas etc as well as the kiddy stuff if it didn't make good business sense to do so.

Traditional family holiday accommodation such as flats, resort hotels (that often don't welcome kids) or even soulless motel rooms have little to offer kids in the way of activities.

This doesn't help us GNs who are spending much more time on the road than the week or two that working families do. ("Orstayan worging famlies" that is)

Like Chris (CG) I find myself staying at TT or unaffiliated parks much more than Big4s. I don't have any "brand loyalties" I just pick a park that I think suits me best.

PS: re the TV coverage I'm not concerned how they portray us, as long as they don't "beat up" on us by implying we're "trailer trash" or some other perjorative description.

-- Edited by jimricho on Sunday 14th of November 2010 07:26:54 AM

If they ever had the cheek to call os Trailer trash..Then a class action would be in order......