Kilgetty destination takes top honours at national Hoseasons awards

FOLLY FARM HOLIDAY PARK has been crowned the Best Small Lodge Resort in Britain at Hoseasons’ 19th annual awards ceremony.

The Kilgetty-based park picked up the top national title after receiving some of the highest scores in independent guest satisfaction surveys throughout the 2025 season. It was also named Best Small Lodge Escape destination in Wales.

The awards were presented at the Hilton Metropole in Brighton in front of more than 600 operators, suppliers and members of the Hoseasons team.

Chris Ebbsworth, Director at Folly Farm Holiday Park, said: “We are very proud of these awards. Our team always goes above and beyond to make sure our guests have a fantastic break when they stay with us, so it’s brilliant to see that hard work recognised in this way.”

Folly Farm Holiday Park is part of Hoseasons’ Evermore collection of luxury lodge locations aimed at families and groups looking to unwind in countryside and coastal settings.

Presenting the award, Neil Davies, Hoseasons’ Director of Commercial and Business Development, said: “The team at Folly Farm Holiday Park really are incredibly worthy winners. They always go the extra mile to delight our customers – something clearly reflected in their excellent review scores. We are grateful for their continuing partnership and wish them all the very best for another great year in 2026.”

More information about Folly Farm Holiday Park and other Hoseasons holidays is available at hoseasons.co.uk.

Pictured:

Members of the Folly Farm Holiday Park team — Chris Ebbsworth, Sarah Mattick, Zoe Wright and Jamie Ebsworth — receiving their award from Neil Davies (far right).

AIRBNB has warned property owners could check out of the Welsh tourism market for good over “rushed” licensing rules which could cost hosts up to an estimated £15m.

The tech company gave evidence to the Senedd economy committee on Thursday November 20 on the Welsh Government’s plans to license self-contained, self-catering accommodation.

Carl Thomson, UK public policy manager for Airbnb, described licensing plans as a “blunt and unnecessary tool” that is disproportionate to any risks that might be faced by guests.

“In our view, there’s no evidence that a licensing regime is needed in Wales,” he said. “Or that it will do anything other than cause immense harm to local accommodation providers, reduce consumer choice and push up costs for guests.”

In written evidence, Airbnb estimated the bill could cost Welsh hosts between £4.5m and £15m in reduced income, with “immeasurable” impacts on the wider Welsh economy.

Mr Thomson told the committee experience of short-term letting regulation from around the world shows licensing schemes do not solve the problem they are intended to fix.

He said: “Of course, safety matters but it’s important to remember that problems are exceptionally rare. Our data… tells us accommodation in Wales actually has a much stronger safety record compared with other parts of the UK and internationally.”

Mr Thomson explained that of the hundreds of thousands of inbound trips booked to Wales through Airbnb in 2024/25 – only 39 safety incidents were reported, equating to 0.004%.

He added that none of the incidents related to carbon monoxide, fire safety nor electrical safety, with only a single reported gas-related concern.

He told Senedd Members: “If the purpose of this legislation is to ensure the health, safety and quality of the sector, there’s real questions about whether it’s necessary or needed.”

Fiona MacConnacher, head of public affairs for the UK and Ireland at Booking.com, supported proportionate regulation but suggested the bill had been rushed through.

Warning of unintended consequences, she said: “We’re talking about Welsh businesses here and if we affect those businesses, we don’t just affect those self-catering businesses: we affect the restaurants, the pubs, the shops.”

Barbara Griffiths, who runs North Wales Holiday Cottages, warned government officials have told her they have not had time to add sectors beyond self-contained, self-catering lets.

“It’s rushed and I feel it should be delayed,” she said.

Ms Griffiths argued the bill would not create a level-playing field, as claimed by ministers, because it does not cover other types of visitor accommodation.

Mr Thomson warned booking intermediaries would become legally liable for the accuracy of registration numbers provided by accommodation providers under the bill. He told the committee the first Airbnb learned about this aspect was when the bill was published.

He said: “That approach is inconsistent with established practice elsewhere in the UK and around the world. There’s real technical problems with how that could work in practice.”

Mr Thomson added: “We strongly disagree with the suggestion that criminal liability should be placed on platforms, and the senior officers of those companies, for actions which they’ve not participated in, for which they have no control and for which they’re unaware.”

He called for amendments to ensure liability rests with the accommodation provider.

He argued registration plans previously passed by the Senedd can achieve all of the same aims without the cost, friction and bureaucracy that layering licensing on top brings.

Ms MacConnacher emphasised that most providers are micro-businesses rather than “large corporate machines”, with a majority of hosts aged over 50 and female.

She echoed Mr Thomson’s warning about a cumulative pressure on operators who face a tourism tax, registration, business rates changes and now a licensing scheme. “Rightly or wrongly, they might feel as if they are not welcome to run their business,” she warned.

Mr Thomson said: “There’s real potential for this to make Wales an outlier, not only in terms of being overly regulated but harming its attractiveness and competitiveness.”

Airbnb criticised the proposed “apply-and-wait” model where yearly applications for licenses are manually checked, calling it “outdated” and warning it would leave businesses in limbo.

Calling for renewals to take place every three to five years to provide certainty for the sector, Mr Thomson advocated a more automatic “apply-and-go” system.

TOURISM bosses have warned businesses are being “bled dry” by red tape amid fears new licensing rules will drive small family-owned operators out of the market.

In written evidence to the Senedd, North Wales Tourism urged ministers to “slow down”, warning of a growing regulatory burden and a 30% business downturn in some areas.

Last week, the Welsh Government set out plans to license self-contained, self-catering accommodation on the back of reforms including a tourism tax and mandatory registration.

North Wales Tourism, which represents more than 1,300 businesses, stated its members feel the sector is being “bled dry” to fund other priorities without reinvestment.

The not-for-profit membership organisation warned additional red tape risks driving investment toward competitor destinations such as Ireland, France or Spain.

Appearing before the Senedd economy committee on Thursday November 13, Glenn Evans, who chairs North Wales Tourism, said the industry is already facing a “ream” of challenges.

Mr Evans warned of a lack of data on the sector, which is Wales’ largest private-sector employer, warning the bill has the potential to disrupt the marketplace.

“The consequential effects of it could be profound,” he said. “And of a scale as yet unimaginable or able to quantify as far as the Welsh Government is concerned.”

He agreed consultation and engagement on the tourism bill had been tokenistic.

Mr Evans, who runs hotels in Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, expressed concerns about the 182-day letting threshold to qualify for business rates instead of the higher council tax.

A self-catering operator for more than 25 years, he told the committee: “There is a cumulative impact, just the sheer volume of legislation to get our heads around.”

Mr Evans described layering a licensing scheme for some operators on top of registration as onerous, with some second home owners stopping letting due to the increased burden.

Charlie Reith, a board member of the Short-term Accommodation Association, suggested the tourism bill has been rushed through by Welsh ministers.

“We are concerned the Senedd is being asked to approve something without a clear evidence base and time to scrutinise,” he said.

He described the Welsh Government’s acknowledgement that it has been a “particularly busy time” for the tourism industry as a “huge understatement”.

David Chapman, executive director of UKHospitality Cymru, told the committee the industry has been “beset” by regulations over the past five years.

Mr Reith, who is also an Expedia group director, said: “If you’re operating a self-catering business, you’re facing much more regulation than you have done in previous years.”

He said operators face applying for planning permission, 100% increased council tax, removal of small business rates and tax changes for furnished holiday lets.

He told the committee: “Cumulatively, that is potentially thousands of pounds in additional costs… so any additional requirements or fees have to be seen within that context.”

Asked about a £75 annual licence fee, Mr Reith questioned the credibility of the indicative figure and described a £4.5m forecast of compliance costs as an underestimate. A previous evidence session heard fees in Scotland range from £205 to £5,698.

Mr Reith warned too many elements, such as details of the licence renewal process, are left to future regulations rather than set out within the bill providing certainty.

On enforcement, he suggested powers of entry and inspection set out in the bill were “too intrusive” and called for reassurance through guidance about how the powers will be used.

Mr Reith argued against plans to potentially make booking platforms criminally liable for ensuring thousands of operators display correct registration details.

Councils warned new licensing rules – which will come into force in 2029, if passed – could impact Wales’ ability to host major events by deterring casual hosts from renting out rooms.

In written evidence, the Welsh Local Government Association said small-scale providers usually absorb demand during the Six Nations and Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.

Council leaders warned informal hosts may simply withdraw their properties from the market if faced with more compliance costs, putting a squeeze on precious accommodation space.