How do I become a host?
Just offer an overnight parking place at no charge for one to five self-contained motorhomes on your site. Ideally the ground should be flat(ish), level(ish) and firm. And that's it!
Feel free to show visitors your goods or produce, but visitors should not be under any obligation to buy. The French version of this scheme reports that 93% of guests do buy something though – after all, they save camp site fees of up to £25 per night!
Why Motorhomes?
There are over 135,000 motorhomes registered in the UK, and over 1.3 million across Europe. These not inexpensive vehicles are predominantly owned by older people who have often taken early retirement, and their owners enjoy touring throughout the year, exploring off the beaten track and trying local produce in the heart of the community.
Whereas in other European countries there are specific overnight motorhome parking areas (“aires” and “stellplatze” etc.), these do not exist in the UK. Camp sites often get fully booked, and ”wild camping” is very difficult in the UK, not to mention potentially unsafe.
Last year over 100,000 motorhome owners from all over Europe enjoyed using a similar scheme to Brit Stops in France, and this well-established format is now spreading rapidly through Europe, introducing adventurous and curious tourists to local farm shops, vineyards, breweries, craft markets and the like.
The 2011 Brit Stops guide is promoted Europe-wide through a range of media and closely-targeted marketing aimed directly at the motorhome owner. The guide itself will be sold from this website, as well as through specialist online book stores in Europe as well as at motorhome exhibitions and other outlets.
