Open Air Business November/December 2016

ACCOMMODATION
The Time
is Now
Evidence shows that right now could be the best time
to start a glamping business, says Sarah Riley
GETTY IMAGES
cost holiday option among those
questioned, this should further
strengthen the trend.
TOURISTS WANTING TO vacation
closer to home rather than
booking a holiday overseas have
delivered a boost to this year’s
luxury camping businesses,
which are feeling the benefits of a
bumper summer. However, scratch
the surface of the data and things
start to get really exciting.
REASONS FOR THE TREND
Tourists have had quite a difficult
time over the past few years. First
there was the meltdown of the
world’s financial markets, quickly
followed by a large volcanic ash
cloud that put holiday booking
companies out of business and
upset tourists out of pocket. Now
there are terrorist threats, the
refugee crisis, political turmoil
and Brexit, all leading to the
perception of a hostile world and a
very nervous holidaymaker.
However, celebrities and Royalty
“WE’VE
NOTICED A
SURGE OF
INTEREST IN
DOMESTIC
HOLIDAYS
AND SHORT
BREAKS.”
have also given glamping a boost
with their endorsement of it in
popular culture. This has resulted
in a further boom in bookings,
with one campsite reporting an
11% increase in August compared
to the same period the previous
year.
WHAT HOLIDAYMAKERS SAY
The ‘Family Break Finder’ website
undertook further research by
questioning 1,400 members and
reported, “We’ve noticed a surge
of interest in domestic holidays
and short breaks.” It revealed that
50% of respondents wanted to
stay at a UK campsite or holiday
park next season, while nearly
one-third said they wanted to try
glamping.
Families are also expecting to
see their holiday budgets shrink
next year, but as glamping is
already considered to be a low
THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT
In 2013, academics revealed just
how strong the glamping market
was in the face of worldwide
challenge. The Journal of Outdoor
Recreation and Tourism noted
that glamping was indeed an area
in need of academic research and
called for a study regarding “…
outdoor hospitality, its successes
and challenges, particularly in its
stellar performance during the
recent global financial slowdown.”
More recently, IBIS
Worldwide reported growth in the
outdoor hospitality industry of 1%
and revenue of £3 billion. It also
noted that this surprisingly solid
growth in the industry followed
the economic slump, which
bucked the trend seen in many
other sectors.
Interest in the industry was
also demonstrated at the recent
business-to-business Glamping
Show, which attracted attendees
34 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM