Issue 62

GLAMPSITES
SIMPLY C PHOTOGRAPHY
SIMPLY C PHOTOGRAPHY
its many historical sites like Sutton
Hoo where “The Dig “ was filmed. The
beautiful seaside towns of Aldeburgh,
Walberswick and Southwold attract
those who want to escape the city for
that much-needed sea air, which brings
in a lot of money to the local economy.
The challenges small family
businesses like ours face is competition
from big holiday companies and OTAs
(as it is a race to the bottom on price like
in every industry), but we need to hold
fast, as little businesses are unique. We
do offer something that guests want,
a wholesome family holiday without
being overlooked or somewhere
overcrowded where you are herded
to do things in a closed environment.
Our guests love the freedom of being
outdoors and having comfort.
A factor that will have a huge impact
on tourism is the building of Sizewell C.
How did you tackle getting planning?
We thought that planning was going to
be a nightmare, as we had read about
a lot of businesses finding it hard to
get. We were prepared for a long wait,
but again we were very surprised and
lucky that we got planning fairly quickly.
I think back then the local authority
was very enthusiastic about farm
diversification, and there was a shortage
of holiday accommodation.
Even though planning was granted,
we had to jump through some hoops
with the Highways Agency as they
insisted that we had to lay a new
entrance into the farm, which did take
a large chunk of our humble budget. It
was very frustrating as we live down a
dead end road, and the highways were
worried about passing through traffic!
How did you finance the project?
We had some small savings and we
borrowed from our farm business to
get up and started. We bought one
safari tent to see if that one would be a
success and went from there.
What glamping accommodation do
you offer?
We now have two large family-size
safari tents which are open from
Easter to October half-term. They are
well equipped, with real beds, private
ensuite facilities, a kitchen, firepits and
wood burners for the cooler evenings.
Comfort is key for us as a business, as it
is important for our guests. When we get
the chance we do stay in our tents to see
what our guests experience, and look at
ways that we can improve if needs be.
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