Caravan Holiday Parks

Caravan Holiday Parks Accreditation Program

The Caravan Holiday Parks Accreditation Program is about leadership and professionalism. The program identifies industry leaders and recognises their professionalism in achieving benchmark performance levels in customer service, risk management and business planning.

It provides a framework for good business practice and encourages continuous review and improvement. It also provides an assurance to consumers and the industry that operators possess a commitment to quality and good customer service.

Why we do it

• To provide an industry "cradle to grave" philosophy, giving consumers confidence in the industry by identifying an accreditation key throughout their RV journey;
• To give consumers greater confidence and better outcomes by ensuring the caravan holiday parks they stay in have better business practices;
• To better de-risk industry businesses by identifying business process gaps;
• To provide guidance on risk mitigation.

Why become accredited?

• Develop a useful, comprehensive business plan for your park;
• Learn how to gain and maintain more happy customers;
• Improve productivity and profitability through best practice management strategies for staff, park facilities, environment and customer interactions;
• Gain competitive advantages through selected marketing campaigns and recognition by the industry as a reliable, and professional operation.

The program may also assist your business in securing business loans and insurance, as accredited operators can demonstrate astute, productive management.

How the program works

The Caravan Holiday Park Accreditation Program has the following characteristics:

• A single-level program, based on self-assessment and supplemented by an onsite assessment from an independent assessor within the accreditation period;
• Subject to an annual renewal;
• Self-funded by the caravan industry;
• Managed by the industry at national level, or under sub-licence through a relevant state caravanning association;
• At an absolute minimum, each member incorporates and adheres to the national standards established by Caravan Industry Association of Australia, which issues the Accreditation Key logo;
• Consistent with the principle of continuous improvement, the national program will be reviewed regularly.

Requirements

The Caravan Holiday Park Accreditation Program requires businesses to:

Note: Once Caravan Industry Association of Australia receives an application for the Caravan Holiday Parks Accreditation Program and a payment is made, the business will be provided with access to the Caravan Holiday Parks section of the Industry Hub. The hub provides further resources, including business templates and a workbook to assist with the accreditation process.

Assessment of applications

Caravan Industry Association of Australia assesses applications from caravan holiday park operators. If all criteria are met and accreditation is approved, the applicant is presented with Certificates of Accreditation on behalf of the Caravan Industry Association of Australia.

Renewal and on-going assessments

Accreditation is renewed on an annual basis. The renewal process requires each accredited park to sign a declaration that all documents and compliance are still current, and that implementation of plans is occurring. A renewal fee must also be paid.

An on-site assessment by an independent assessor will be conducted from time-to-time to verify statements made in your application.

Appeals

A procedure for appeals allows operators a right of appeal against decisions relating to the non-approval or removal of accreditation. Appeals are to be made by the operator to Caravan Industry Association of Australia's Accreditation Programs Manager.

The basis for appeals is to be limited to a refusal to grant accreditation or a removal of accreditation. Criticism of the accreditation program content is not a valid basis for appeal.

Loss of Accreditation

You can lose accreditation if:

• You fail to maintain compliance with the requirements or fail to pay the required annual fee;
• There are substantiated complaints about your business reflecting a serious breakdown in a standard required;
• There are regular, substantiated reports of failure to maintain the defined requirements;
• Caravan Industry Association of Australia becomes aware of any of the above and advises the operator that it has a maximum of three months to rectify the situation before accreditation is removed.

Licensing agreement and use of logo

Approval of the application for accreditation will give the caravan holiday park operator the right to display the Certificate of Accreditation, the Accreditation Key logo and Code of Conduct. They must be prominently displayed and only used when accreditation is current. The logo may be displayed on any social media pages for your park, your website, brochures, literature or signage.

The accreditation logo remains the property of the issuing authority, Caravan Industry Association of Australia, who retains the right to recover use of the logo directly from the individual business. If accreditation is withdrawn, or an operator chooses not to renew, they are responsible for returning all certificates, signs and logos to Caravan Industry Association of Australia immediately.

Promotion of your accreditation

Promotion of accredited holiday caravan parks will be supported by Caravan Industry Association of Australia from surplus funds derived from this accreditation program.

The onus is on each accredited park to promote the meaning of the logo and the advantages to your customers. Each park is also responsible for meeting customer expectations about accreditation, for maintaining their high standards and for continually seeking to improve their management practices and customer service.

Upon becoming accredited, Caravan Industry Association of Australia will provide each park with:

• The Accreditation Key logo to display and use in promotional materials;
• An Accreditation Certificate and Code of Conduct certificate to display;
• Opportunities to be included in accreditation specific promotions.

Code of Conduct

Once accreditation status has been granted, each accredited caravan holiday park is obligated to commit to the program's Code of Conduct, which states:

• Our organisation will endeavour to follow best business practices by ensuring continuous review and improvement of all operational documentation.
• We acknowledge our responsibility to meet the reasonable expectations of all customers and suppliers to the best of our ability.
• All our customers will be treated equally and all reasonable concerns and queries shall be fairly and amicably dealt with as soon as practicable.
• We are committed to exercising all reasonable care when addressing customer's safety and comfort.
• Customers will be informed of the terms and conditions of any transaction including terms of payment and cancellation. Our business will adhere to these conditions.
• A reasonable commitment by us will be made to present our facilities, products and/or services in the best possible way and take reasonable measures to ensure that all facilities, equipment and products are in good working order.
• Reflecting a true representation of all advertising, promotional activities and products are recognised as the responsibility of our business.

Failure to meet the professional standards and ethical behaviours outlined in the Code of Conduct may result in expulsion from the program.

Getting Started

To help you with your application, download the Accreditation Criteria and Accreditation Workbook below.

You will need to provide documentation as evidence that you comply with the accreditation criteria. Should you require assistance, Caravan Industry Association of Australia may be able to assist with business templates.

Getting Organised

Taking an organised approach to accreditation will be very helpful.

You will be required to complete an initial on-site audit. For this, you will need to provide documented evidence demonstrating that your business complies with the Caravan Holiday Park Accreditation criteria. Caravan Industry Association of Australia offers self-help templates for many of the required processes. The Caravan Holiday Park Accreditation Workbook will assist you in gathering the required evidence and understanding why implementing the elements of accreditation into your business makes good sense.

We recommend establishing a file to hold all the required documentation. This file will serve as the framework for your application and may be requested by the assessor visiting your business.

The accreditation process also presents an opportunity to lift your business’ performance. Your staff may have good suggestions on how best to implement the program’s requirements, so give them a chance to have a say and gain ownership of the process.

Conduct a gap analysis to determine where you comply with the requirements and where further effort is needed to reach compliance standards. Involve your staff in assessing current standards against the requirements. Depending on the size of your park, consider establishing a project team tasked with meeting regularly to review progress and keep everyone informed.

Useful resources and templates are included in the Parks HUB to help you prepare. If you have any specific questions or need assistance completing the application, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.

Accreditation Costs

The annual fee for the Caravan Holiday Park Accreditation Program is $600 + GST.