EDITOR'S COMMENT
• As I sit here writing this from IHM's Recharge event in Paris, the news that alternative asset manager Blackstone is considering buying holiday park group Parkdean Resorts should be no surprise to domestic self-catering businesses operating in the UK.
Purchased in 2016 for a fee in the region of £1.35 billion, Parkdean's prospective sale follows a period of sustained M&A activity in the staycation market. Notable transactions include CVC Capital Partners buying a majority stake in Away Resorts in a £250 million deal, Away Resorts snapping up Aria Resorts and Coppergreen Leisure Resorts, and US real estate investment trust [REIT] Sun Communities acquiring Park Holidays UK for £950 million.
It is becoming increasingly clear that institutional investors are keen to invest significantly in this segment, one which has emerged from the pandemic more favourably than others as travellers have been forced to look closer to home for their holidays amid the restrictions.
For an industry that is ripe for consolidation but highly fragmented, the recent investments are a huge endorsement of the sector's long-term prospects. This was echoed by Ben Harper, group managing director of Beach Retreats, who said this was proof that investor appetite was not merely a "passing pandemic fancy".
• Make sure to sign up for our upcoming RockSTRz webinar next week, which will explore "The new categories of flexible living" on Tuesday 5 April [4pm BST]. I'll be joined by Jason Fudin [Placemakr], Emmanuel Lavoie [Jetstream], Fred Lerche-Lerchenborg [Lavanda] and Brian Carrico [The Guild] - sign up for the no-cost session here.
Please click here or contact me if you have a story you want us to tell the industry, or you would like to take part in a feature, podcast or webinar.
For more information and sponsorship / creative solutions advice, contact us at info@internationalhospitality.media.
