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Child Item

The Center Parcs Experience

JupiterKid

I just watched an advert on TV for Center Parcs Longford which opens in May of next year, in time for the summer.

Center Parcs seem to be a modern version of the Butlins holiday camps of the past, or like Trabolgan on steroids. There are a number of them in Britain and a couple in Holland also. It seems very much aimed at families with children. Families stay at lodges, which are located in a forest/wooded setting and the centerpiece of the Center Parc resorts is a huge enclosed subtropical swimming pool/water park facility, with many other activities on offer, such as cycling, gyms, sports facilities, play activities for younger kids, restaurants, bars etc.

Looking at the UK Center Parcs they do seem very expensive for what you get.

Anyone been to a Center Parcs resort and did you enjoy the experience? Do you think Longford will be a success?

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Plumbthedepths

Yaretzi Thousands Sandbox wrote:

Is there that much unemployment in Longford already?

No idea but new employment opportunities usually give an area an economic boost, even if the jobs are minimum wage.

Graham

Yaretzi Thousands Sandbox wrote: »

How so? People go there and don't leave...

1,000 local jobs is going to have a fairly significant impact.

To put that into context, the combined population of the closest towns Longford, Ballymahon and Edgeworthstown is around 15,000. This is in an area that has some of the highest unemployment in the state (approaching 20% iirc).

Get Real

fits wrote: »

^ I don’t get that. Wouldn’t you just go to the closest one as I’d imagine they are essentially the same.

I don't think so. I mean there's center parcs in France that are huge with the UK market and yet the UK have center parcs of their own.

People still might want to go on a family holiday abroad but like the "all in" bit, particularly with young children.

I could understand why Longford will be bigger with families from abroad than with Irish families themselves (although you'll get a good few Irish families too)

Families from France, Germany etc with young children who may not have entertained travelling to Ireland until they're retired etc but understand the Center Parc model and can use Longford as a base. Or can leave the kids there with the grandparents while mam and dad do x.

There were a few press releases in French media two years ago about the project
https://lepetitjournal.com/dublin/tourisme-feu-vert-pour-la-construction-du-premier-center-parcs-irlandais-102585

nim1bdeh38l2cw

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

All the minimum wage job workers in the Parc will spend some of their income locally, there's the economic boost. They certainly won't be able to afford to stay in the Parc.

Is there that much unemployment in Longford already?

xzanti

demanufactured wrote: »

Would they have been fairly good at travelling?

The best.

Odyssey 2005

Yaretzi Thousands Sandbox wrote: »

How so? People go there and don't leave...

Local Tesco will do well, end of.

demanufactured

xzanti wrote: »

Yeah we went to Trabolgan a few years ago for the craic. The place was full to the gills of very, very well travelled folk*.

Would they have been fairly good at travelling?

Plumbthedepths

Yaretzi Thousands Sandbox wrote:

How so? People go there and don't leave...

All the minimum wage job workers in the Parc will spend some of their income locally, there's the economic boost. They certainly won't be able to afford to stay in the Parc.

xzanti

LirW wrote: »

Ireland is hugely popular with Europeans, Asians and Americans, so I believe that one will do well enough. People are willing to pay money for the peace of mind and ease of a resort holiday.

Yeah we went to Trabolgan a few years ago for the craic. The place was full to the gills of very, very well travelled folk*.

nim1bdeh38l2cw

JupiterKid wrote: »

This will be a huge economic boost for Longford.

How so? People go there and don't leave...

Odyssey 2005

fits wrote: »

When you have very young kids strong sunlight can be difficult to manage too. We couldn’t go outside in last summers hot spell until after 6 pm as my old house was fully south facing and had no shade at all. It was a heat trap.

We have rain overalls for the lads so it’s actually easier to go out in wet weather than hot weather for us. But obviously would prefer a nice few dry days while we are there.

You should relocate to longford so

fits

^ I don’t get that. Wouldn’t you just go to the closest one as I’d imagine they are essentially the same.

demanufactured

The thing is, I don't think Center Parcs Langford is actually aimed at The Irish market.
I have a friend working there, who has told me the majority of the bookings for next year are from European countries.

fits

When you have very young kids strong sunlight can be difficult to manage too. We couldn’t go outside in last summers hot spell until after 6 pm as my old house was fully south facing and had no shade at all. It was a heat trap.

We have rain overalls for the lads so it’s actually easier to go out in wet weather than hot weather for us. But obviously would prefer a nice few dry days while we are there.

stateofflux

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

Had a look online today at pricing. 23rd of Aug to the 26th for 3 adults 929 euro self catering. Same dates in Malaga Spain flights and accommodation coming in at 824 euro plus gauranteed sunshine.

This is the main thing for me.. ive been to many a caravan park in ireland where it rained torrential for weeks..some 'holiday'.

[Deleted User]

JupiterKid wrote: »

I think there is a market and demand for Center Parcs but I doubt Ireland, given our much smaller population than Britain, could support more than one.

Anyone remember Trabolgan? Built in the late 1980s and a bit like an early, much smaller version of Center Parcs for an Ireland of much more limited means.

But the average Irish holiday maker will not be attracted to a Center Parcs resort. I suspect they will appeal to upper middle class young families (the ones who managed to actually afford a house...) who are very sporty/active and have plenty of dosh to spend whilst there.

Think of those families who all go out cycling together in the park at weekends...

Trabolgan still exists.

we have been a few times, primarily because it's close and the kids love it.

But it is a bit dated and to be honest, full of skangers from Dublin.

It is not cheap, but the kids love it.

I agree that CP will attract a different clientele.

OwaynOTT

facehugger99 wrote: »

Trabolgan with a zero on the end.

Trabolgan0?

facehugger99

Trabolgan with a zero on the end.

joe swanson

I like the idea of it but it's just not good value compared to other holidays on the market

JupiterKid

I think there is a market and demand for Center Parcs but I doubt Ireland, given our much smaller population than Britain, could support more than one.

Anyone remember Trabolgan? Built in the late 1980s and a bit like an early, much smaller version of Center Parcs for an Ireland of much more limited means.

But the average Irish holiday maker will not be attracted to a Center Parcs resort. I suspect they will appeal to upper middle class young families (the ones who managed to actually afford a house...) who are very sporty/active and have plenty of dosh to spend whilst there.

Think of those families who all go out cycling together in the park at weekends...

salmocab

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

That's the point CP don't want you heading away which is why all activities are extra.

Yeah I get the model that’s why I said it was a shrewd move putting it in Longford. They are a business, of course they want to get as much money from customers as they can. I don’t see the issue with the price, if people will pay it then good luck to them.

Plumbthedepths

salmocab wrote:

I was thinking more like cliffs of moher, giants causeway, ring of Kerry. There is no major tourist attractions nearby, very few people are going to head to Athlone if they are there for 3/4 nights. Maybe a week stay you might head off for a day trip.

That's the point CP don't want you heading away which is why all activities are extra.

Folkstonian

Center Parcs is nothing like Butlins - It’s not really where you go for that ‘bingo, cabaret and unlimited chips at dinner’ vibe. It’s a bit more expensive with a different ethos so usually attracts a different type of visitor to the type of people who could be background extras in ‘Benidorm’

My parents took my sisters and me a fair few times when we were quite small. We went to Sherwood Forest, Longleat and somewhere in Europe too.

Never for more than 3 days, but you don’t need any longer. We were always an active family, so it was brilliant as kids to be able to cram archery, rock climbing, cycling, swimming, canoeing, forest walks and a whole lot more into one weekend.

Maybe it’s changed over the last couple of decades, it’s been so long since I’ve been. But I expect not, and it will be a great option for families here

salmocab

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

It's actually located just outside Ballymahon which is 15 miles from Athlone, which is in its own right quite a large shopping hub.

I was thinking more like cliffs of moher, giants causeway, ring of Kerry. There is no major tourist attractions nearby, very few people are going to head to Athlone if they are there for 3/4 nights. Maybe a week stay you might head off for a day trip.

Plumbthedepths

salmocab wrote:

Longford is a shrewd choice I would think, less than 2 hours from Dublin so well placed from the largest population base in the country, also they want you staying in the place spending money not heading off to well known tourist spots.

It's actually located just outside Ballymahon which is 15 miles from Athlone, which is in its own right quite a large shopping hub.

salmocab

Westernyelp wrote: »

It's a product looks like something new for the Irish market. All the best to them Longford is certainly a new one for most people.

Longford is a shrewd choice I would think, less than 2 hours from Dublin so well placed from the largest population base in the country, also they want you staying in the place spending money not heading off to well known tourist spots.

StupidLikeAFox

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

That's quite the logical fallacy to try explain the price disparity between the UK and Ireland when it comes to similar goods and services

Tbf if you wanted to do a proper analysis you would have to look at the wages, taxes, cost of living etc if you want to compare like with like. It all boils down to whether people are willing to pay the price or not, and centerparcs will probably have done their research and if they got it wrong they will find that out fairly quickly.

I can see the attraction. Have no kids myself but for families this is a good proposition. Kids don't care where they are on holidays as long as they are occupied, they have no concept of Longford

Westernyelp

It's a product looks like something new for the Irish market. All the best to them Longford is certainly a new one for most people.

Johnnyhpipe

I expect it to be a Paddy version of what could have been something good. Like most of the attractions in this country, two steps up from the fair in father ted

Plumbthedepths

Car99 wrote:

More competition in the UK.

Center Parcs occupies a unique space in the UK limited competition tbh very little reason to justify the price difference in Ireland. On a different note if there are multiple idiots willing to pay the elevated prices why should I care other than to point out the rip off ......