Are Butlins right to refuse bookings from solo travellers?

They're a business - they care about money, safeguarding is just their PR spin.

They'll make more money in high season from families with children mithering endlessly for ice-creams and burgers and entertainment, than they will from adult solo visitors using the place as a base.

What would you like me to call them? Child rapists? Can do.
Plus, if it’s all about money why do cinemas do it?
Sexual abuse by strangers does happen, just because it’s less likely it seems very odd to try and downplay it…..

If all she wants to do is go on ‘lovely walks’ she can do that on an adult weekend break , nobody makes you stay out partying all night .

To be honest its probably to spread demand.

Family weeks are probably scheduled around school holidays. You don't really want your adult only groups filling your school holiday slots - its easy to fill those with families whereas the off peak weeks are harder to fill. So you take away the choice, it means if adult only groups want to go, they have to go in those less popular weeks outside school holiday.

Its a business they are running. They want to maximise profits.

I think you will find that 'nonses', as you so articulately put it, are most likely to be a family member, or an existing close contact of the child.

It has nothing to do with safeguarding. Places like Butlins/Centre Parcs/etc. are designed to extract the maximum amount of money from families.

So, it makes no business sense to attract singles/solo people.

I am single. Plus the friends I have are more into sitting around the pool all day types. Want to explore and see sights not sitting around the pool.

I feel sorry for the woman involved, but frankly I can't see why any single/solo person in their right mind would want to spend time with entitled 'families'.

And as for safeguarding as a reason 😂I think you'll find that most safeguarding offenses are committed by parents or close family contacts.

What on earth? The safeguarding is in place for a reason. Let’s have a free for all on nonces should we?

Centerparcs don’t let single occupiers either. But when I mentioned that on here once I got vilified.
Of course they are right, for example would you want an adult single male wandering around? Why would they even want to when they can go to any other hotel in the country that they like?

They aren’t supposed let adults alone in kids cinema showings either, for exactly the same reasons.

I think it’s automatically right because they are a private business and they can do what they want, unless it’s discriminatory to a protected group. She has no entitlement to a holiday with them.

I'm not convinced about the safeguarding explanation, but Butlins can pitch to whoever they like.

DP and I was talking about this. They've essentially said "we're a space exclusively for children." And I don't think that's a bad thing. It's like a soft play not letting you in without a kid. There's a theme park near me that is only for children and their guardian, you're not allowed entry without a child.

You can still go on adult breaks there and there is a myriad of other places for you. Butlins is for kids.

We went to haven recently and I did feel uncomfortable when solo adults were taking part in children's entertainment or in children's areas of the pools so I do like the idea of butlins instead to avoid those travellers.

It is very much the same as adult only hotels.

I suppose Butlins can refuse bookings from whoever for whatever reason they like (although I expect any protected characteristics would be considered discrimination).

While I can understand her reasons for wanting to go...I also understand their point of view.

While I'm sure profits are a big factor - that a solo traveller unconnected to a family booking will be less profitable than a grandparent / aunt or uncle would be - it seems solo travellers aren't outright banned, just need to be connected with a family booking.

Safeguarding is definitely another though - I wonder if it would it considered as terrible and mean if it was man rejected. I'd expect the comments would be questioning his motives and why can't he go on a adults only weekend to enjoy his 'walks'.

It's one thing to book a holiday where there happens to be kids, vs booking an holiday that is marketed specifically for families, and being upset that the part of your holiday you're 'missing' is seeing other families.

I don't get people who book the same place in the UK for years and years - there's better places than bloody Butlins and bloody Skeggy!

I holiday alone - sometimes with fellow singles on a touring holiday abroad and my holiday hell would be a Butlins/Haven and other holiday camps.

This is blatantly untrue.

She isn’t travelling as a family so of course she can’t book onto a family break.

Other people’s families aren’t there to provide her with ambience or an atmosphere. She went with her child when they were of an age. That time of her life has passed and we all have to move on.

Safeguarding is a poor reason, but any company is allowed to say "this is for families" or "this is for over 65s" or whatever. Butlin's is not saying she cannot visit at all, ever, just that she is not eligible to book the family-only sessions.

There is a difference between family friendly, and family only.

This is ridiculous. Fair enough of they don't want a load of rowdy adults there at the same time but then they can just say no adult groups. Saying it's because of safeguarding is stupid because most paedophiles are known to the family. If there are any paedophiles at Butlins they will most likely not be going as a solo traveller.