Fuel costs partly behind surge in camping bookings

Campsites in parts of the West of England are reporting a rise in bookings for 2026, despite early uncertainty, with fuel costs playing a part.

Bosses at Greenacres Campsite in Coleford, Gloucestershire, said they were initially concerned as customers delayed booking due to financial pressures, but said more people booked over April and May than in 2025.

At Petruth Paddocks in Cheddar, Somerset, about 1,500 bookings were recorded over the May bank holiday weekend - roughly double the usual number - contributing to a 20% overall increase this year.

Site owner Jules Sayer said: "General disposable income is less, diesel and fuel cost is a huge factor for more people."

"This year 60% of our customers have travelled here from a radius of 40 miles," he added. "We've been consistently well over 20% up on the previously year."

Maureen Bessant, owner of Greenacres Campsite, said 2026 was shaping up well, despite some unusual trends.

"April started out looking poor, but lots of people booked stays with us with just a few weeks to go, and by the end of the month we were up on [April] last year," she said.

"Our summer bookings are still a bit down, but I'm not worried anymore - after seeing the first two months of the season."

People staying at the campsites confirmed that the cost of living and fuel prices were major reasons for choosing that type of holiday.

"You are counting pennies and I definitely had to think about it" said camper Vicky Green, who was staying at Greenacres.

"We may have another [camping trip] planned in August, but like everybody else, I haven't booked it yet because I'm waiting a bit longer to see if we can put that money down and maybe go abroad instead.

"The car is costing £90 a time to fill up, so it is hitting the wallet."

While campsites are benefitting from the current period of warm weather, Visit Somerset said some other types of tourism businesses in the region, including hotels and indoor attractions, faced major challenges.

CEO John Turner said: "The camping and caravanning industry is clearly thriving at the moment and thank goodness it is, because it caters to the family market and it's less pricey.

"Tourism in general is driven by disposable income - what people have left after their bills have been paid.

"If their bills start going up, they have less disposable income, so we are seeing a general squeeze in the tourism market, which in Somerset is worth around £1.1 billion annually and supports about 18,000 jobs."

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.