Insider Media Limited

The much-hailed 'staycation' holiday boom has failed to materialise this summer for the Coventry-based Camping and Caravanning Club, Insider has been told. Matthew Eastlake, a director at the £43m-turnover company, said that although bookings had improved on 2010 levels, numbers were "not as high as expected".

Communications and marketing director Eastlake said the company, which offers camping and catered holidays, had experienced a "surprise 2011".

"The early bank holidays in April and May proved very popular; the weather was fantastic and everyone wanted to make the most of it. But the summer weather has not really come through for us, and although sales are slightly up on this time last year, they're quite flat.

"There just hasn't been the business growth over the summer this year."

Eastlake attributed the company's stagnant sales to a lack of consumer confidence, with worries about job security and rising inflation hindering holidaymakers' bookings.

"The rule book has definitely been torn up – we're opening more sites than ever over winter but summer sales have been slow – you just can't predict what will happen. If we get a bit of sun, the bookings are up again; sales have risen 28 per cent this weekend with good weather forecast," he said.

However, the company's international subsidiary Carefree Travel Services is continuing to expand, said Eastlake.

Carefree, which provides motor home and camping holidays across Europe and America, has recently opened its services in Argentina.

"Argentina is the first non-English speaking country we have grown into," he said. "So far it has been hugely popular, so we'll definitely look into growing the international side further."

Eastlake said The Camping and Caravanning Club would focus on completing its £29m refurbishment of many of its UK sites during 2012. Development, which begun earlier this year, will be continued until 109 sites have been refurbished.

Group turnover, which includes The Camping and Caravanning Club, Carefree Travel and Camping In The Forest, hit £65m last year.