Business was going really well for John Fowler Holiday Parks - it had been investing heavily in new accommodation and had expanded its portfolio with the - bringing the number of parks to 12 across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Wales.
Managing director John Fowler explained: "We really felt the business was moving forward and advanced bookings were up by 8% on the previous year. It seemed that the domestic staycation market was quite buoyant and there was a lot of interest in the service that we offered, and there still is."
Figures for this year's Annual Business Guide: Top 150 Businesses in Devon and Cornwall show that John Fowler Holdings turnover for 2019 was £24,445,804 - making a debut on the list at number 142.
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"But then lockdown hit," said Mr Fowler.
"One minute we were busy, open and taking bookings and the next we were completely shut down. Our call centre went from taking bookings to issuing refunds.
"Luckily a lot of loyal customers just wished to postpone their holidays but anyone who wanted a refund was able to do so.
"Thankfully, because of the government support, all of our 500 staff were kept on furlough while the core staff on the parks kept them maintained and tidy."
The parks re-opened again on July 12 but some aspects of the business, like entertainment and amusement arcades remain closed though swimming pools have reopened.
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Mr Fowler said: "Demand has been really good and as soon as shutdown lifted, our business resumed immediately. Bookings have been good and the main thing people want is our holidays in our lodges and caravans, which naturally mean that people can get away, but still social distance to comply with the Covid restrictions.
"We invested heavily prior to Covid-19. The three and a half months that we were closed, we will never make that money back but we are more fortunate than most. If we can keep out parks running then we will be quite content.
"We think staycations are here to stay, especially for the short term but I think a lot depends on the sector stepping up to deliver a quality park that people want to return to.
"This year, a lot of people will have tried a park holiday for the first time and we want them to come back again and again.
"It has got to be good enough to rival a holiday abroad."
He said that bookings at the moment remain strong for next year and all staff are back and working.
"Our priority is to ensure that we are ready to react to the demand that should come back for next season, we need to be able to deal with all the enquiries and make sure are parks are ready to go."
Find out the Top 150 businesses in Devon and Cornwall 2021
This article has been produced for the Annual Business Guide Top 150, sponsored by PKF Francis Clark.
The guide profiles the biggest 150 firms in Devon and Cornwall and takes a comprehensive look at the sectors that dominate the regional economy.
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