Shrewsbury glamping resort attracts 20,000 guests in first six months

Love2Stay, part of Salop Leisure's complex at Emstrey, opened earlier this year, with 124 touring caravan pitches in May, and 11 glamping lodges with hot tubs and fire pits following in August.

“The response has been absolutely phenomenal,” said Laura Plumridge, who manages the resort with her husband Geoff, and said that the numbers have outstripped expectations.

“We opened the weekend before Whitsun and the resort has been full every weekend since.

“One of the things that has surprised us most is the demand for activities. We had no idea just how popular they would be – our record to date is 220 children in one day and we had 60 children on the lake raft building and problem solving."

She said the majority of guests have been young families or grandparents.

The resort is also planning to develop two-day packages for the corporate hospitality market.

The site includes a natural swimming pool, and an Italian restaurant with a wood-fired pizza oven.

Salop Leisure’s managing director Mark Bebb said: “We know that we need to put effort into the re-generation of our industry and it’s our vision that Love2stay will accomplish this.

“We have been mindful when developing the park that we needed to create an offering which appeals to a younger, fresher audience, in order to ensure the success and longevity of the business.

“Lots of the facilities we have incorporated are family orientated with healthy living and wellness being at the core. We are hoping to encourage people who are new to touring too.

"We want to breathe fresh air into the industry and this is the next step in staycations. We know it’s cliché to say we want to put the quality back into family time, but it really is the vision we’re working towards and we hope that others will follow suit and help us regenerate the industry for everyone’s future.”