The Canadian owner of Parkdean Resorts, one of the UK’s biggest holiday resort-owners, is preparing to put it up for sale in the latest attempt to cash in on Britain’s booming staycations market.

Sky News has learnt that Onex Corporation, which bought Parkdean in late 2016, is talking to investment banks about an auction of the business.

Parkdean owns more than 65 holiday parks across the UK, making it one of the biggest players in a market which is benefiting from a COVID bounceback in sales.

The timing and valuation of a sale were unclear on Monday, although insiders say the business may fetch more than the £1.3bn that Onex paid for it nearly five years ago.

It is the latest in a string of similar companies to be put on the market in recent months.

Sky News revealed recently that Britain’s biggest pension fund – the Universities Superannuation Scheme – was among the bidders for Park Holidays, another big player in the industry.

USS is bidding against PAI and others in a sale process that is expected to be valued at about £850m.

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Other recent deals in the sector have included CVC Capital Partners buying Away Resorts – the owner of well-known holiday parks such as Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight and Sandy Balls in the New Forest – and subsequently combining it with Aria, another operator.

Bourne Leisure, the owner of Butlin’s and Haven, was sold in February to Blackstone, another major buyout firm.

Parkdean declined to comment.

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