A major Devon holiday park is applying to extend the number of weeks it can open during the year so it can benefit from an extra school holiday.
Devon Cliffs Holiday Park, in Exmouth’s Sandy Bay, has submitted an application to allow it to open from 1 February each year until 14 January so it can welcome guests during that month’s half-term holiday.
At present, it opens on 28 February meaning it can miss out on the first school holiday of the calendar year. It usually closes in November, Haven said, with selected festive breaks in December.
The park, which was established back in the 1970s, said it was not seeking any other changes, and that the extra opening weeks, if secured, would help protect existing jobs and contribute to the area’s economic growth.
No new development is proposed as part of the bid to open longer, the park has stated in its application, simply reiterating that the move is purely aimed at bolstering the business and the wider area.
Haven Leisure, which owns Devon Cliffs, said the firm was a “highly significant contributor” to Britain’s tourism, stating its organisation, including 39 holiday parks in England, Scotland and Wales, employ around 14,000 staff.
It added approximately 3.9 million holiday makers visited Have parks in 2025, with a prediction of this surpassing the 4 million mark this year.
“These visitors bring direct investment to the parks and their staff but also create further investment to local economies and communities, generated by Haven’s visitors,” the firm’s application to East Devon District Council stated.
“On this basis, the parks, many of which are located near the seaside, play a critical role in tourist focused, seasonal economies.
“Expanding the occupancy period would further support these economies and reduce seasonal inequality in investment and employment opportunities.”
Widespread efforts are underway across areas of Devon to expand the so-called ‘shoulder seasons’ – meaning those times either side of the main summer rush.
Bringing in visitors throughout the spring and autumn is increasingly a focus of tourism businesses, with some seeking to attract holidaymakers as early in the year as possible.
Responding specifically to the bid to expand Devon Cliffs’ opening dates, a spokesperson for Haven said, if approved, it would “give our guests more opportunities to enjoy everything the park and the beautiful Devon coast have to offer”.
“Extending our season will not only allow more people to experience a Haven break outside the summer months, but also help bring more visitors to the area during the quieter seasons, supporting local businesses and the wider Devon tourism economy,” the spokesperson added.
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