Haven officially opens its new holiday park in Skegness

 Following an £11 million pound investment, Haven Skegness increases Haven’s Lincolnshire

offering to three holiday parks

 Haven Skegness opening brings employment and economic benefits to the wider community,

with 200 new seasonal and permanent team members recruited in Lincolnshire in 2023

 Bookings at Haven for this year’s summer school holiday period have exceeded pre-pandemic

Most local people will remember it as the Richmond Holiday Park, which Haven bought last year and quickly undertook a £11 million makeover.

Skegness is Have’s first new holiday park to open in eight years and marks a major investment under Blackstone’s ownership of the business.

Celebrating the parek’s heritage as a family-run business. the new owners say the park will continue to deliver the holiday experience that guests have enjoyed for decades, as well as enhance its offering to UK holidaymakers across its three parks in Lincolnshire.

Changes include a brand-new state of the art Marina Bar & Stage entertainment venue, a fun-filled arcade and new branded food and drink options, including a Cook’s Fish & Chips, Papa John’s and Burger King. Meanwhile, the park’s outdoor piazza and stage provide an additional escape for holiday makers to relax and be entertained.

Providing a link with the past, the Richmond Arms – a stylish 80-seater restaurant – offers guests a gastro-pub style option.

In spite of the challenging economic climate, Haven says it is welcoming more holidaymakers than ever, with projected guest numbers expected to reach 3.5 million across all Haven parks throughout 2023.

Haven Skegness has increased its guest capacity by 33% and team numbers have more than doubled from 85 last summer to 191 in 2023.

Elsewhere in Lincolnshire, Haven Thorpe Park Holiday Centre has recently rebranded to Haven Cleethorpes Beach and also has Golden Sands in Mablethorpe.

The launch of Haven Skegness and the reinvention of Haven Cleethorpes Beach brings 200 summer jobs and permanent positions to Lincolnshire .

General manager at Skegness Luke Cullen took over ahead of the transformation.

"I was here last year when Haven acquired the park and I’ve seen first-hand the change in that 12 months,” he said. “It has been absolutely fantastic – we’ve ben able to transform the facilities and activities on offer to our guests. The big thing for me is the feel and look of the park.

"We’ve been able to retain the family feel but the facilities are first class.”

Amongst the guests at the official opening was Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness. He said: “It’s great to welcome Haven as a key player in Skegness’ hospitality sector, bolstering the local economy and providing hundreds of jobs in the county.

"This new park transformation is a testament to Haven’s ongoing commitment to invest in its guests and the local communities in which the parks are based.

"There is so much fun to be had when people holiday in this region and I was pleased to spend some time at the park to meet holidaymakers and see for myself how guests are enjoying the new activities on offer.”

*See next week’s Skegness Standard for full story