Members of the international body which represents more than 20,000 holiday park businesses across Europe have elected Martin Cox as their new president.
Fellow members of the European Federation of Campingsite Organisations & Holiday Park Associations (EFCO&HPA) voted Martin into its most senior role in spring this year.
The election took place at EFCO&HPA’s general assembly in the central Portuguese city of Viseu, and Martin will serve as the federation’s president for two years.
Martin is a director of his family’s West Dorset Leisure Holidays which was established 45 years ago and now comprises five multi-award winning holiday parks in the county.
As president, Martin will play a key part in helping shape tourism and job creation policies affecting holiday parks in membership of national trade associations across 22 EU countries.
He will also help steer EFCO&HPA’s lobby work with the European Commission which aims to account during decision-making processes.
Martin will be supported in his role by the federation’s vice president, Linda Gedink of Luxembourg, and by the retiring president, Guylhem Féraud of France.
Holiday parks of all types and sizes are represented by the federation, and Martin believes that their co-operation at a European level helps to ensure fair treatment for member businesses:
“Right across Europe, holiday parks welcome millions of visito regional and national economies,” he said.
“This fact is recognised by the European Commission as well as the EU Parliament, and is the reason why the voice of EFCO&HPA is both respected and heeded.
“Member parks share the collective aim of providing good value and high quality holidays, and our success in doing so sustains many thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
“The federation’s work helps to safeguard everybody’s interests, and also creates a pan-European platform on which members can share new ideas and initiatives,” said Martin.
Martin is a former national chairman of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, and currently serves as one of its vice presidents.