A UK holiday group which operates venues across the country has said it “continued to build for growth” during its latest financial year, with the business upbeat as it observes stronger booking volumes across its divisions.
Forge Holiday Group was formed following the acquisitions of Sykes Cottages, Forest Holidays and caravan rental business UKCaravans4hire.
Revenues at Sykes Cottages, which is headquartered in Cheshire, reached £136.1m in the year to 30 September 2024, dipping slightly from £136.5m, while pre-tax profits held steady at £26.9m. EBITDA rose from £30.1m to £33.9m.
Forest Holidays, formerly backed by LDC, was acquired by Sykes Holiday Cottages in April 2022.
East Midlands-based Forest Holidays has invested more than £100m into Britain’s forests, with the aim of increasing recreational use, improving facilities and creating and maintaining trails.
It has locations across the UK including a number in national parks, such as Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in Scotland.
Forest Holidays’ revenues jumped from £57.3m to £59.1m but pre-losses widened from £4m to £11.9m. EBITDA dipped from £35.4m to £30.9m.
UKCaravans4hire saw revenues top the £2m mark, compared with £1.4m in the prior year. Losses were cut from £1.6m to £1.3m.
A spokesperson for Forge Holidays said: “Last year, we continued to build for growth and support our long-term vision – to create the largest and most diverse technology-driven, impact-focused provider of UK short-stay holidays, offering an unrivalled experience for customers and value-adding services for property owners.
“Our model – as a centralised group of distinct and highly-differentiated offerings – meanwhile enables us to scale quickly and efficiently whilst serving multiple customer groups and supporting our community stakeholders.”
They added: “Despite continuing pressure on consumer spending from the impacts of inflation, the UK short-stay continues to show its resilience, thanks to macro trends in more environmentally conscious travel, more frequent and shorter breaks and the enduring appeal of the UK’s coast, countryside and woodlands.
“Looking ahead, with inflation generally easing, this is already translating into stronger booking volumes across our divisions.”
Forge Holidays also operates Bachcare, one of New Zealand’s leading holiday home businesses, spanning more than 180 locations.
