Does Team Size Really Matter in Holiday Park Growth?

Does Team Size Really Matter in Holiday Park Growth?

After many years of working alongside holiday parks up and down the country, one thing is clear: there is no single formula for success. We’ve supported parks with tight-knit teams of just a few people, and we’ve helped large, multi-park operations with hundreds of staff. Different structures, different challenges but the same ambition to grow, perform and thrive.

This often leads to a familiar question from park owners and operators: Does team size really matter when it comes to business growth?

The honest answer? Not in the way you might think.

There is no right size for a holiday park team. What matters far more is whether your team structure is fit for purpose, aligned to your goals, and supported in the right way.

Strong teams are the heartbeat of every successful holiday park. They shape guest experience, drive sales performance, maintain standards and protect compliance. But building a team that truly works, one that communicates well, pulls in the same direction and delivers consistently takes thought, leadership and clarity.

Let’s look at how this plays out across large holiday parks and smaller, independent parks.

Large Holiday Park Teams

Larger holiday parks or park groups typically operate with teams of 20+ permanent staff, which are topped up with seasonal team members in the summer. Recruitment is often spread across holiday home sales, operations, maintenance, housekeeping, food & beverage and management.

The big advantage here is scale. Larger teams can:

• Tackle complex operational challenges efficiently

• Share responsibility across specialist roles

• Deliver consistency across departments and locations

• Drive performance through clearly defined objectives

When structured well, large teams become powerful, well-oiled machines where everyone understands their role in achieving wider business goals.

However, scale brings complexity. Without strong leadership, clear accountability and an aligned culture, larger teams can drift. Communication gaps, conflicting priorities and diluted ownership can quickly impact performance and morale.

Growth at scale doesn’t happen by accident. It requires clarity, structure and strong people leadership to keep everyone moving in the same direction.

Small & Independent Holiday Park Teams

Smaller holiday parks often run with teams of around 3–10 people, where everyone wears multiple hats and plays a critical role in day-to-day operations.

This structure brings real strengths:

• Faster decision-making

• Strong communication and collaboration

• High levels of ownership and accountability

• Lower cost burden and fewer HR complexities

In many independent parks, success comes from agility, trust and teamwork. There’s no room for complacency – and when it works well, smaller teams can punch well above their weight.

The challenge, of course, is capacity. Smaller teams have fewer resources, less time and sometimes a narrower pool of skills and experience to aid them with holiday park growth.

Without the right support, growth can be limited, not because the ambition isn’t there, but because the team is already stretched!

So… Does Team Size Matter?

Not really. Team effectiveness matters far more than team size.

Both large and small holiday parks can grow, perform and succeed when their teams are structured correctly, supported properly and aligned to clear goals. Growth comes from understanding what your park needs now, and what it will need next.

The most successful holiday parks don’t copy what others are doing. They build teams that suit their park, their people and their ambitions.

If you’re questioning whether your current team structure is holding you back or wondering how to get more from the team you already have, that’s exactly where we come in.

At Ruth Badger Consultancy, we help holiday parks of all sizes build stronger teams, clearer structures and sustainable growth strategies. Get in touch today to find out more.