International Glamping Business | Nov/Dec 2019

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ISSUE 18 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

THE GREAT BRITISH GLAMPSITE REPORT 2019

INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION FOR GLAMPING OPERATORS Gl mping 00 BUSINESS

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International Glamping Business is published by: Upgrade Publishing Registered address: 47 Oliver Close London W4 3RL

Other Publications: Holiday Parks Management www.holidayparksmanagement.com Publishers: Upgrade Publishing Steph Curtis-Raleigh e: steph@upgradepublishing.com Editor: Steph Curtis-Raleigh e: steph@upgradepublishing.com Reporter: Will Rusbridge Sales: Kathryn Kelly t: +44 (0) 7575 408580 e: kath@upgradepublishing.com Design: Dean Coulter Design on Tap www.designontap.co.uk

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Other Events: The Glamping Show w: www.glampingshow.com e: dan.w@theglampingshow.com Global Glamping Summit w: www.glampingsummit.com e: peter.r@swanevents.co.uk

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For a couple of years now, we have been trying to work out the best way of putting together some research into the size of the UK market, what accommodation is being operated where, and at what rate the glamping sector is growing. We looked into all kinds of fancy ways in which we could ‘capture’ the information, when in fact most of the data we needed was right in front of us already - in the visitor registrations and reader subscriptions we hold with our publications and shows. But how do you analyse that data, when there are visitors to the shows that have already named their glamping site but aren’t up and running yet?

Or when several people register from the same company? Well, the prosaic answer is, that there was no super-computer - just yours truly, looking up all the entries manually, with the help of my colleague Will. In addition, we approached Edward from Crown and Canopy, who we knew had carried out a good deal of research for his excellent Glamping Manual

and he and his colleague Hannah set to counting up accommodation numbers across a number of other online platforms.

Some of the highlights of this extensive project are in these pages and reveal - for the first time - how big the UK market is and what kind of accommodation is most popular, as well as how much it is possible to charge for it in different parts of the country.

This is just the beginning! The full report will drill down much further and take into consideration other influences, such as Airbnb, as well as highlighting what kind of units are already proliferating in which county, so that those new sites can make informed decisions. The full report will be available to buy in January 2020 but discounts will be available to our subscribers and existing sites.

Steph International Glamping Business Editor/Publisher

CONTENTS

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News Just How Big is the UK Glamping Market How Much Do They Charge?

Why is Glamping Growing in the UK? Glamping Sites That Opened this year

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Comment: Quality Unearthed UK Glamping Trends UK Diversification Case Study Kate Morel

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Glamping Show Review

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Glamping Summit Review

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Things I Wish I Had Known Sarah Riley

Regional Differences: Site Numbers, county by county

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INSPIRED COURSES AVAILABLE ON APP STORE AND GOOGLE PLAY Inspired Courses supports hosts and owners to build successful glamping businesses and unique holiday retreats with set-up advice and exciting guest booking techniques and has made its knowledge library available to all members on the App Store and Google Play for smartphone users. This means learners can access the valuable steps they can take to build an even stronger hospitality business into 2020 and beyond.

As Sarah Riley, Founder of Inspired Courses said, “It has truly been a team effort to develop this new technology and a very exciting step into the future of learning on the go! Building a successful hospitality business takes time and effort and this app allows members to access proven strategies to help them get there faster.”

The members-only app is available through the Inspired Courses VIP Lounge. For more information about how to become a member and the support available, visit https://inspiredcourses.com for more details.

GET READY FOR THE 2020/2021 SUPPLIERS’ DIRECTORY In the New Year we will start working on the next International Glamping Business Suppliers’ Directory which is one of our most popular issues, featuring accommodation, accessories, services and more from around the world. If you are a supplier to the glamping sector, make sure you get your FREE entry by filling in the form here www.glampingbusiness.com/claim-freedirectory-listing/ The Directory is taken to all the major trade events throughout the year and has a readership of around 20,000.

If you want to be sure of a printed copy - you will need to subscribe for print copies of this magazine, which you can do here https://www.glampingbusiness.com/sign-up-free/

JOSH BELL JOINS ECO STRUCTURES AUSTRALIA Eco Structures Australia has appointed Josh Bell. Josh as USA Sales Manager. “Josh lives for numbers. He eats equations for breakfast. And dreams about exponential growth at night. But he has another passion.... Glamping which is why he was an early adapter within the US market,” says Tom Butterfield, Sales and Business Development Manager.

Josh has experience working with BIG 4 Holidays Parks in Australia and his family history of owning and operating KOA Parks for over 50 years makes him an expert in the international Holiday Parks & Resorts Sector.

“Installing Eco Structures Deluxe Eco Tents in 3 of his 6 Holiday Parks and Resorts, shows that he not only loves our product it proves he stands behind it, just as we do with our own Resort Eco Beach in Broome Western Australia,” adds Tom.

GLAMPING SUMMIT USA BECOMES THE GLAMPING SHOW USA Following the successful Glamping Summit USA in Denver last month, the organisers of the event have decided to rebrand next year’s show as The Glamping Show USA. The move reflects the consolidation of The Glamping Show brand worldwide. The Glamping Show USA is a partnership between Swan Events, which organise the UK Glamping Show and B/B Events, an experienced trade fair organiser based in the States.

“We were really pleased with the Denver event and the reaction from exhibitors, speakers and visitors. We expect the 2020 event to grow on this solid base, therefore, by aligning the brand across the UK and the USA we feel it will be easier for both events to scale up,” says David Korse, Principal of B/B Events.

David can be reached on a new email address david@glampingshow.us

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CAMPINGS.COM COLLABORATES WITH SETOO TO OFFER FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND WEATHER INSURANCE Insurance and protection-as-a-service company, Setoo, announced that Campings.com, a Europe-wide campsite bookings company, selected its platform to provide a first-ofits-kind weather insurance product to its customers.

Currently available to European travellers booking holidays in France, Italy and Spain, Setoo’s platform enables Campings.com to offer campers a rainy day protection, which allows them to cancel and be compensated for their holiday 72 hours in advance, in the event of forecasted rain.

Based on the readily available weather data on Meteomatics, Setoo’s platform issues an immediate and automatic notification of forecasted rain to relevant campers, with the option to cancel their bookings. If a customer decides not to continue with the holiday plans, compensation is automatically delivered, removing any need for a claims process and all associated hassle.

Jerome Mercier, CEO at Campings.com, said, “The weather is an especially important consideration for campers, who are more exposed to the elements than other holidaymakers. Because of this, we have been searching for a weather protection product for some years before finding exactly what we needed in Setoo’s rainy day protection. Setoo’s innovative platform will ensure we continue to create a great experience for our customers while driving additional business for Campings.com.”

LUXETENTEN ACQUIRES CAMPING INDUSTRY PEER GLAMPINGLODGES Takeover part of glamping specialist’s global growth strategy LuxeTenten, a European market leader in the design and production of glamping tents and safari lodges, has acquired industry peer GlampingLodges. The takeover is part of the company’s ambition to become the global market leader in the branch.

GlampingLodges from Doetinchem is a subsidiary of the Sunshine Group, known for its iconic camping brands like Dorema, Alpenkreuzer and De Waard. Together with LuxeTenten, Glampinglodges is one of the Netherlands’ three largest producers of safari tents. “With this acquisition, we will create a solid position in our home market”, says Ivo van der Vlis, CEO and co-owner of LuxeTenten. “That fits in our strategy to supplement autonomous growth with strategic acquisitions around the world.”

With the purchase of GlampingLodges, LuxeTenten will not only increase its market share; the takeover will also result in a solid operational distribution. Moreover, part of the production can be contracted out to the Sunshine Group.

“We’re very pleased with this deal”, says Marcel Beekman, CEO of the Sunshine Group. “We’ll be entering into a great longterm partnership for the production of tents. That will allow us to concentrate more on our core business and three iconic brands. We also see it as a great step and challenge for the staff, who will all be employed by LuxeTenten as well.

The negotiations with LuxeTenten took place in an extremely positive and constructive atmosphere, which certainly accelerated the process. For us, that confirmed that the sale of GlampingLodges is a true win-win situation.”

Van der Vlis: “The glamping market is still fairly young, but with an annual growth of around 20-30 percent, it has a huge potential. We’re convinced that GlampingLodges will be able to develop best under the protective wing of LuxeTenten, and to utilise its enormous potential for growth. We have firm faith in the journey we will embark upon with all our employees and relations.”

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Photo courtesy of Celtic Escapes

JUST HOW BIG IS THE UK GLAMPING MARKET? THAT’S THE QUESTION! The Glamping Show is now in its fifth year and International Glamping Business Magazine is four years old. We are in a unique situation in having both shows and publications and as such, we gather a great deal of data. Together – as a platform – we reach out to just shy of 15,000 readers worldwide and even further via our overseas events and social media.

The size of the UK market has long been a mystery to the sector. People have made guesses, however, it is almost impossible to be sure – given the highly disparate nature of the industry.

For example, of visitors to The Glamping Show in 2019 - 78% stated that glamping is not their primary business but a secondary revenue stream.

The majority of these were: Farmers/landowners, Cottages /holiday lettings, Camping Sites, Smallholders, Caravan Sites/Parks, Self-catering accommodation, Equestrian, Wedding Venues, Hotels & Guest

Accommodation, Event Organisers, Fishing Lakes and Woodlands.

identical number said it took up to 3 years.

Therefore, in order to gain as accurate a picture as possible regarding the size of the UK market, we analysed the visitor data for the past five years of The Glamping Show – manually checking websites and noting businesses that are dedicated entirely to glamping and those businesses for whom glamping is an auxiliary revenue source.

This chimes with the experiences of some of the exhibitors at The Glamping Show; “We noticed this year that we have received a good number of orders for our Sanifos pump from the show from glamping sites that are now ready to build, many of whom we met at the show a couple of years ago as they were starting their journey,” says Ann Boardman, Head of Marketing at Saniflo.

We looked at those sites who indicated that they were setting up when they visited the show and noted that they had succeeded in creating glamping businesses which were now running successfully. Back in August 2019, we sent out a survey entitled “Are You Living the Dream?” to those who had indicated that they were in the process of setting up when they visited the show.

Over 80 per cent of respondents had succeeded in creating their dream business. Of these, 37% said it had taken them 12 months to set up and an

Nobody will be surprised to learn that the biggest hurdles to setting up are: 1. planning permission 2. water management 3. buying and selling land 4. and of course – money.

Of those who have set up since visiting The Glamping Show – 47.3% of respondents set up a site of three units or under, 13.1% had between 5 and 10 units and none had over 10, proving that

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Photo courtesy of Loch Katrine the UK still proliferates in small sites.

Of course, the size of the UK glamping market is not limited to readers of the magazine or visitors to the show and therefore we also checked the following sites and added in any that were missing from our own data: Cool Camping, Go Glamping, Campsites.co.uk.

In addition, we joined forces with Crown and Canopy, leading consultants, designers and glamping site builders, to add our data to theirs and build a deeper understanding. They consulted major booking sites including, Canopy & Stars, Quality Unearthed, Cool Stays, Sugar & Loaf, Featherdown, Quirky Accommodation and Love-Glamping. Hannah and Edward from Crown and Canopy also counted up the number

of accommodation units, whereas we noted the types of accommodation on each site.

We came to the following conclusions*: We counted 1,700 glamping sites in the UK with websites or listed on booking engines

There are around 3,000 accommodation units in the UK on the major booking sites *these conclusions may change slightly as we are still adding in data from Airbnb which will be in our full report published in January.

The chart clearly shows that the majority of the UK market is split between fairly traditional types of glamping accommodation. In the ‘other’ category, we found some of the most interesting stays, mostly transport conversions including buses, railway wagons, horse trucks, jet planes and a Russian truck and a helicopter!

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GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT Photo courtesy of UK Treehouses

In the following pages, we will look at the trends in the UK glamping sector, the drivers and some of the sites which have set up this year. In addition, we will feature a round-up of some those sites who filled in their details to be included in this report, to show some of the variety of the sites in the UK and what they offer.

“The graph below, shows that, broadly speaking, nightly rates have remained stable over the past two years despite the increase in number of sites across the UK. We do see a slight reduction in nightly rates with treehouses and may attribute this to the fact that there are now considerably more treehouses available to rent,” adds Edward Busby.

However, we have dug much deeper into the data than this. We have analysed the trends in every county within the UK – looking at how many existing sites we could find and what types of accommodation they are offering. We also have regional statistics on nightly rates. All of this information is currently being collated into a much more in-depth report, which will be available to buy on the International Glamping Business website in January 2020.

Edward Busby said, “Our latest estimations show that there are around 3000 unique glamping units currently spread across the UK and this number has grown by over 500 units during the course of 2019. However, demand is increasing along with supply, with leading agency Canopy and Stars reporting their best year since launching the agency over 10-years ago, detailing a 20% growth in 2019, with a 30% increase in bookings for 2020.

How much do they charge?

That’s the next million-dollar question. In their excellent Essential Glamping Business Manual (https://crownandcanopy.co.uk/glampingmanual/) Crown and Canopy revealed the following data for 2017 and 2018.

“The most popular and profitable ventures on the market still remain the unique and wonderful custom designed spaces.

However, we are now seeing a new swathe of hybrid developments underway in the UK in the form of outdoor hotels and this will bring a new dimension into the UK glamping sector along with new markets engaging in the fabulous world of outdoor hospitality.”

Edward Busby

“We see this growth and interest increasing exponentially year on year in line with our consultancy and are well on our way to covering every county in the UK with our services showing that future development is spreading far and wide.

“Treehouses and cabins remain the topperforming spaces in the industry, commanding the highest nightly rates.

However, these units do demand considerably higher investment costs and planning is harder to attain for permanent structures Consequently, a longer pay-back period is associated with these structures,” says the report.

Crown and Canopy reviewed nearly 700 glamping sites across the UK, with accommodation ranging from bell tents to treehouses and everything in-between, in order to identify up-to-date average nightly rates, as shown in the following graph.

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WHY IS GLAMPING GROWING IN THE UK?

BY EDEN FLAHERTY Photo courtesy of Brook House Woods

Camping as a whole is seeing a revival in the United Kingdom, and at the forefront of this drive in rural retreats and British ‘staycations’ is the evermore popular option of Glamping. From Shepherds huts in the Scottish Highlands to plane fuselages amongst the Welsh hills and sprawling treehouses in the canopies of Kent, alternative luxury accommodation, which gets people out of doors while remaining in the country, is growing in popularity.

However, it isn’t just changing tastes that all while living luxuriously. A quick look are driving this upward trend in at Google Trends – used to measure Glamping, there are other, larger, factors interest through the use of search terms at play. And, just as the leisure and in the world’s largest search engine – hospitality sectors feel the push from reveals that Glamping has drawn ever elsewhere, they in turn have a knock-on greater interest, year on year, in the UK. effect on some of the In a 2018 most well-established Interview1, Dan A QUICK LOOK AT GOOGLE segments of the UK’s Yates, founder TRENDS – USED TO MEASURE economy. of Pitchup.com, INTEREST THROUGH THE USE explained that Let’s start with the while Glamping OF SEARCH TERMS IN THE segment we wish to is still a small WORLD’S LARGEST SEARCH examine, before part of the ENGINE – REVEALS THAT placing it within the overall outdoor GLAMPING HAS DRAWN EVER sector, it has wider changes of the camping market and GREATER INTEREST, YEAR ON seen massive taking a look at why growth over the YEAR, IN THE UK. this change is last few years. In occurring and its the 12 months possible consequences. to November 2018, “Pitchup’s bookings for cabins [were] up by 102%, Glamping microlodges up 114% and pods up 73%.

- Looking for Luxury Rent-a-tents were up 151%, bell tents Luxury camping aka Glamping, has been 77%, safari tents 73%, yurts 52% and on the rise for the past several years and domes 26%,” according to Yates. shows no sign of slowing. Glamping However, not all forms of Glamping are accommodates a demographic that wants equally as popular with “Wigwams and to get back to nature, reduce their carbon tipis… accounting for a much smaller footprint, and maybe save some money, proportion of bookings… [and] camping

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SUPPLIERS CLAIM YOUR FREE DIRECTORY LISTING INTERNATIONAL GLAMPING BUSINESS https://www.glampingbusiness.com/ claim-free-directory-listing/

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GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT Additional research by Family Break Finder, a UK travel site, questioned 1400 of their members and found that almost a third of them wanted to try Glamping.

Furthermore, the survey found that a third of the families questioned expected their holiday budget to shrink in the future, and this was one of the reasons there was increased interest in Glamping – it was considered a “low-cost holiday option.” This view of the sector can only serve to increase its popularity in coming months. Cost, however, is just one of the reasons for the growth of Glamping, and we shall explore some of the broader factors further on.

IN THE 12 MONTHS TO NOVEMBER 2018, “PITCHUP’S BOOKINGS FOR CABINS [WERE] UP BY 102%, MICROLODGES UP 114% AND PODS UP 73%. RENT-A-TENTS WERE UP 151%, BELL TENTS 77%, SAFARI TENTS 73%, YURTS 52% AND DOMES 26% pods and lodges make up nearly 60% of glamping bookings,” Yates said in the interview. While these trends in bookings are liable to change, any site owner considering developing new accommodation should consider the style of accommodation people are currently looking for.

Looking further afield can also help us get a better idea of the Glamping sector in the UK. The 2019 KOA North American Camping Report by Kampgrounds of America, which has previously ignored Glamping for the most part, spoke extensively on the topic this year showing increased relevance and interest. Moreover, they revealed that “45% of [their] campers wanted to experience glamping” which is a twofold increase on 2018. While these are American figures, trends in many sectors – including hospitality – tend to hop the Atlantic with great frequency, and while the UK is still leading the way in Glamping, the fact that it is seeing such growth in the US indicates the continued strength of the industry.

Camping - The Rise and the Reason

camping and caravanning trips in 2016, a figure which, according to Mintel, is expected to rise to more than 21 million in 2020. Moreover, according to the Pitching the Value 2019 Economic Benefit Report: Holiday Parks and Campsites, UK, by UKCCA, they recorded a massive 438,076 pitches registered with the UKCCA in the UK in 2018, which encompasses parks, touring pitches, campervan pitches and even chalets. Furthermore, the research by Family Break Finder, mentioned earlier, also found that half of the members it questioned intended to stay in a local campsite or holiday park next year.

Camping as a whole is a huge industry, with Pitching the Value 2019 also revealing that Holiday parks and campsites in the UK generate £9.3bn in visitor expenditure and support 171,448 full-time employees. The huge numbers involved, be it the amount of pitches, interest among holiday makers, or growing expenditure, show the continued strength of the camping sector and the glamping market within it.

Glamping has been put forward by some research2 as the key driver in the growth of the camping market as a whole. But, while it plays a very important role, there are other factors, and glamping is still a CAMPING AS A WHOLE IS A HUGE relatively small part of INDUSTRY, WITH PITCHING THE VALUE 2019 the overall sector.

ALSO REVEALING THAT HOLIDAY PARKS According to the research firm Mintel, AND CAMPSITES IN THE UK GENERATE UK adults took more £9.3BN IN VISITOR EXPENDITURE AND than 17 million SUPPORT 171,448 FULL- TIME EMPLOYEES.

Photo courtesy of Celtic Escapes

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GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT Reasons for the Increase in Glamping and Camping at Large The Brexit Effect The impact that Brexit has had on the camping and Glamping sector has yet to be fully realised, and there is no way to explore every way in which it has had an effect. However, it is clear that it has had an effect – and by the looks of it, a positive one.

Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup, said in the Farmers Guardian3 “The sector is likely to benefit from Brexit more than other sectors of the tourism industry, as we appeal to savvy, budget conscious travellers who are looking for ways to make their holiday spend go further. The weakness of the pound has also driven inbound bookings.”

Photo courtesy of Skelwith Fold

recycling, with various operators “Over the last year (March 2017-18) we mentioning “the education of guests, received 76 per cent more bookings from phasing out plastics, energy and water UK customers for the UK, compared to conservation through water harvesting, the same period two years ago, and 59 solar panels, light sensors, low wattage per cent more bookings for the UK from solutions and composting toilets.” foreign There were also customers,” Yates various wildlifeTHE GLOBAL WELLNESS continued. support schemes INSTITUTE VALUED “Brexit has including WELLNESS TOURISM AS A boosted the conservation projects. staycation, with As sustainability and “$639 BILLION MARKET IN booking growth 2017, PROJECTED TO REACH environmental for domestic protection have an $919 BILLION BY 2022 holidays rising increasing importance from 34% to in our lives, we are 46%... Our sector is certainly benefiting sure to see more holiday makers from Brexit – more than other sectors of choosing ‘staycations’ at camping and the tourism industry – as we appeal to glamping sites for lower-impact trips. savvy, budget-conscious travellers who are always looking for ways to make their Increase in Wellness Tourism holiday spend go further,” according to Over the past few years, there has also Yates. been an increase in the demand for wellness tourism. This is “travel for the Sustainability and Environmental purpose of promoting health and wellConcerns being through physical, psychological, Sustainability and environmental or spiritual activities” and naturally concerns are impacting every sector of the goes hand in hand with camping and UK economy, and the glamping and glamping. The Global Wellness camping market are no exception. Apart Institute valued wellness tourism as a from the obvious “connection with “$639 billion market in 2017, nature” that this type of holiday brings, projected to reach $919 billion by the Pitching the Value 2019 Economic 2022.” And, according to GWI, Benefit Report also found that more than “Wellness tourism grew by 6.5 percent 50% of holiday park and campsite annually from 2015–2017, more than operators provided information on how twice as fast as tourism overall (3.2 they actively support environmental percent annually, based on improvements. At the top of this list was Euromonitor data).”

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According to the Pitching the Value 2019 report, many operators fulfil this growing demand for wellness tourism by providing cycle paths, promoting wider community health and fitness and offering healthy food option in parks’ restaurants. This is in addition to what is naturally already a part of glamping sites, with “getting out into nature” often being key to any wellness journey.

Shift Toward Adventure Travel Another sector of travel that has seen recent growth, and helped the growth of Glamping, is adventure tourism.

Adventure tourism is a trip “involving exploration or travel with a certain degree of risk, and which may require special skills and physical exertion.” This often means that the holiday will include outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, kayaking, mountaineering, etc.

Much like wellness tourism, it is easy to see how this sector pairs with camping and, more recently, glamping – getting to a luxury hut or chalet after a day of extreme outdoor sport is surely a relief.

Globally, this sector is expected to grow “at a rate of nearly 46% by 2020”4, which is no surprise considering the niche grew at a rate of 65% yearly from 2009 to 20135. But, what is impressing travel operators about this trend is the massive increase in expenditure the growth is driving – up to $263 billion in 2019 compared with $89 billion in 2010, according to the Adventure Tourism Market Study.6

GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT The Impact of Staycations on other Sectors

Photo courtesy of Blackberry Wood

With UK camping and glamping, aka staycations, on the rise, other sectors of the UK economy have been affected.

Namely, many farmers have diversified into agri-tourism. Of course, this is also being driven by other factors such as the UK’s exit from the EU, but glamping is certainly proving a lucrative opportunity for rural businesses looking to expand.

According to the NFU7, “62% of farms already have some form of diversified activity to provide wider economic opportunity to support farming families and the rural economy.” This diversification is “commonly tourism, creative industries, storage and workshops, professional services and bespoke food production.” In fact, while it is still considered a side-business of most farms, the Countryside Land and Business Association, which represents around 30,000 rural businesses in England and Wales, claimed that “Some farmers are making more money from glamping than food”.8 This comes as diversification on farms as a whole brings increasing returns -- £680 million in 2017/18, up 8% year-on-year (£620 million in 2016/17).

Speaking to the Telegraph9, Tim Breitmeyer, the president of the CLA, said “Diversification is an increasingly important income stream for many farmers and is proof that they should really be viewed as diverse rural entrepreneurs… However, these businesses are not only providing a vital new income stream for farmers, they’re creating rural jobs, encouraging tourism, allowing members of the public to enjoy the countryside and providing new services to local communities. They are social and economic hubs for growth and should be better supported.”

And, as Breitmeyer points out, camping such as fundraising activities” as well as and glamping operators aren’t isolated, promoting more active and healthy but a have considerable ripple effect on outdoor lifestyles. local economies. The camping and glamping industry supports many jobs Overall, glamping is still growing and is and invests money expected to stay in land and on this path for DAN YATES, FOUNDER OF resources across PITCHUP, SAID IN THE FARMERS the foreseeable the UK. According future. This is to the Pitching the GUARDIAN “THE SECTOR IS down to external LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM Value 2019 factors such as Economic Benefit BREXIT MORE THAN OTHER Brexit as well as Report by changes in travel SECTORS OF THE TOURISM UKCCA, trends at large – INDUSTRY, AS WE APPEAL TO operators “support namely the local communities SAVVY, BUDGET CONSCIOUS increase in TRAVELLERS WHO ARE through capital wellness and and operating adventure LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE expenditure plus tourism. As THEIR HOLIDAY SPEND GO wages,” with glamping FURTHER. THE WEAKNESS OF almost half of the continues to THE POUND HAS ALSO DRIVEN move into the companies and INBOUND BOOKINGS organizations that mainstream, its took part in the audience will report only grow. And, cumulatively spending almost £303 with other key UK sectors such as million per year in this way. The report agriculture losing money from elsewhere, also revealed that these companies and rural businesses are likely to increase their organisations “engage with local uptake of diversification into tourism. communities through support for events

1 https://openairbusiness.com/glamping-trends/ 2 http://www.arizton.com/market-reports/camping-tent-market-europe 3 https://www.fginsight.com/news/news/the-rise-in-demand-for-glamping-allows-uk-farms-to-flourish-60435 4 http://www.travelweek.ca/news/adventure-tourism-growing-rate-nearly-46-2020/ 5 https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-adventure-tourism-boom-3252455 6 https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-adventure-tourism-boom-3252455 7 https://www.nfuonline.com/cross-sector/rural-affairs/planning-and-local-authorities/planning-news/how-agriculture-is-changing-the-importance-of-diversification/ 8 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/27/farmers-making-money-glamping-beef-association-tells-members/ 9 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/27/farmers-making-money-glamping-beef-association-tells-members/

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THE LATEST CROP GLAMPING SITES THAT OPENED THIS YEAR LANCASHIRE Little Oakhurst www.littleoakhurst.com 2 Yurts Offering the best of both worlds camping outdoors in an AONB, with paronamic views of Pendle hill, but with the luxury of a real bed, your very own bathroom suite and homely comforts. Set within a working farm, behind Stonyhurst College, in a secluded area near to the woodland you will find 2 luxury yurts ready for chilled out days.

The yurts are warm and cosy, with a wood fired stove and a radiator too!

Outside, is a dedicated shepherd\'s hut bathroom, with hot and cold running water and flushing toilet. One of the yurts has a roll top bath and the other has a wood-fired hot tub.

Opened June 2019 – Price range £110£130 per night

EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE North Star Sanctum Fitling Garth, Humbleton Rd. Fitling HU12 9AJ http://www.northstarsanctum.co.uk 4 pods/2 lodges Boutique 5 star park with all luxuries.

Each unit is bespoke and themed in different country nation. Choose from Moroccan, Indian, Balinese or African style. Each lodge has a hot tub and 3 are pet friendly.

Opened September 2019 – Price range £100-£200

YORKSHIRE Sally Scott – accommodation provider 1 Bank Nook, Green Lane, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield One detached room with glass wall Opened November 2019 Price £30-£35 per night

GLOUCESTERSHIRE The Hudnalls Hideout Hudnalls Loop Road The Common St Briavels http://www.hudnallshideout.co.uk One treehouse A luxury and secluded adults-only treehouse located in the stunning lower Wye Valley.

WALES Anglesey Holiday Accommodation Ltd Mount Pleasant , Rhosybol , Anglesey www.a-h-a.co.uk 3 luxury glamping huts Dog friendly well appointed luxury en suite glamping huts with enclosed gardens and private wood fired love tubs set in 5 plus acres of beautiful meadow land with glorious countryside and lake views, short drive to numerous beaches and unique attractions Summer 2019 £78-£85 per night

Offering an outdoor copper bath for star gazing, luxury indoor wet room bathroom, fully equipped kitchen, cosy lounge with suspended fireplace, treetop views from the mezzanine bedroom, and an outdoor fire pit for cooking up a storm on the campfire!

The treehouse is nestled in your own 2 acres of private woodland. You can also access our beautiful wild flower meadow and orchard for onsite picnics and relaxing in.

Located directly on Offa's Dyke Path with walking direct from the door.

Walking distance to the pretty village of St Briavels with a traditional pub, The Pantry Deli village shop and the historic moated St Briavels Castle.

Opened October 2019 £215 to £250 per night

EAST MIDLANDS Meadow View Glamping and Leisure www.meadowviewglamping.co.uk Meadow View is a semi-rural site built within a farm surrounded by 96 acres of farmland in Stapleford, Nottingham.

There are 6 fully fitted locally sourced and built beautiful pods, each with its own kitchen, bathroom and separate bedroom sleeping 4.

The river Erewash runs by the site, ideal for fishing or sitting watching the ducks.

Outside of the winter months, cows and calves graze alongside.

The perfect setting for peace and tranquility with lots of walks but near to major cities for when you want the huddle and bustle.

Opened 19th April 2019 £54 - £120

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GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES It probably won’t come as any great surprise to find that Devon is the most popular county in the UK when it comes to numbers of individual glamping sites. We counted 108 sites in this beautiful part of the world with neighbouring Cornwall also unsurprisingly coming second in our research with 87 sites.

WANDERLUST CAMPER CO GLOUCESTERSHIRE Wanderlust Camper Co is an independent camper-van rental business owned by Annah and Andy Todman. The couple decided to set up their tailor made fleet of familyfriendly vans after struggling to find suitable vehicles for their own road trip adventures once they became a family. They decided families needed another option and established Wanderlust Camper Co in early 2017.

The Wanderlust Camper Co van fleet is made up of 3 custom converted vans affectionately named Sally, Lula and Amelia. The vans are immediately striking with their glossy sky-blue body work. Each one unique in character and design and perfectly suited to exploring the open road with families in tow! www.wanderlustcamperco.com

As far as density is concerned, Herefordshire deserves a mention. It is one of the smallest, most rural and sparsely populated counties in England, with a population of just 191,000 and yet – it boasts 41 glamping sites, according to our records. North Wales is another area which is incredibly popular for glamping sites – 81 in total in the region.

However, the home counties of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire are not so popular for setting up glamping destinations – most likely due to the high cost of land.

Edward Busby of Canopy and Stars commented, “There are some regions, such as the Midlands where we believe there is demand for more glamping sites. We have recently been working in Yorkshire undertaking consultancy work with Canopy and Stars clients. This is a very popular county in terms of tourism, however, when we embarked on a short study, we found that in order to supply demand, Canopy and Stars would have to recruit around 35% more spaces in the county to keep up!”.

At the end of June this year the then Prime Minister Theresa May announced the UK’s first ever tourism sector deal, reaffirming the UK’s global role as a key player in the industry.

The new deal will revolutionise the way data is used by the sector, through the creation of a new Tourism Data Hub. The hub will collate regularly updated data showing the latest trends and spends, allowing businesses to better target overseas visitors.

The deal will also support the creation of an additional 10,000 apprenticeships for people building their careers in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Last year around 38 million people visited the UK, contributing £23 billion to the local economy. By 2025 experts predict that there will be an additional 9 million visitors to the UK. The new deal commits to building an additional 130,000 hotel rooms to respond to the increased demand for infrastructure. The deal also outlined the government’s ambitions for the UK to become the most accessible destination for disabled visitors, through improvement of disabled facilities and access to destinations across the country.

In the following pages, you will find details of how many glamping sites there are in the different regions of the UK, plus some examples of existing glamping businesses of all types, who contributed to this report by sending in their information. We would like to thank them all and hope this will encourage new glamping sites to take the plunge!

GLAMPING ORCHARD GLOUCESTERSHIRE The Glamping Orchard is part of Peglass Farm, home to Ali and Rich Dyer and their two boys.

They have painstakingly developed their farm over the past few years with their hard work finally paying off at the start of Summer 2017 when their toughest project, a converted 1950’s caravan welcomed his first guests.

The farm is located in the village of Longney, 5 miles outside of the historic market town of Gloucester. Well and truly off the beaten track the farm offers sweeping views of the Severn valley and surrounding countryside.

Life here is tranquil with the peace only being disturbed by birdsong and bleating lambs. A stay on the farm allows guests the chance to enjoy a taster of working farm life such as collecting eggs or feeding lambs whilst staying in their stunning 2 storey retro caravan or pretty bell tent, Belle. www.glampingorchard.co.uk

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GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT What’s going on where you are?

The South East Berkshire Buckinghamshire Surrey West Sussex Oxfordshire East Sussex Hampshire Isle of Wight Kent

No. of Glamping Sites 2 12 11 28 21 39 32 16 58

East Anglia Norfolk Essex Cambridgeshire Suffolk

66 18 12 36

The South West Cornwall Dorset Devon Somerset Wiltshire Gloucestershire

87 50 108 48 18 50

West Midlands Warwickshire Worcestershire Staffordshire Herefordshire Shropshire

25 37 16 41 38

LONG ACRES CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK SURREY Long Acres is a family run caravan and camping located within easy access from both the M23 and M25.

Despite being so accessible Long Acres is surrounded by glorious Surrey countryside… bridleways, fields of corn and green pastures surround the site on all sides.

In addition to their caravan and camping facilities Long Acres have 3 custom built glamping pods. These unique pods are each quirky in their own right with angled walls and cute names like ‘Higgledy Piggledy Pod’. Each is equipped with electricity and a fridge with cooking taking place outside on a fire pit. https://longacrescamping.co.uk

East Midlands Derbyshire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Northamptonshire Nottinghamshire Rutland

37 16 28 9 13 6

The North West Lancashire Cumbria Cheshire Yorkshire

21 61 18 52

The North East Northumberland County Durham

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CONCIERGE CAMPING WEST SUSSEX Concierge Camping is a caravan and motor home site located just outside Bosham near Chichester. Since opening in 2015 owners Guy and Tracey have seen the site receive a number of awards, including the AA Campsite of the year 2019 thanks to their persistence in offering luxury in every possible element of guest experiences.

The site also offers luxury Glamping accommodation in the form of a combination of 6 and 4 person Safari Lodges and new for 2019 - Emperor Pitches providing luxury alongside your caravan or motor home. The safari style Lodges are made by pioneering camping and lodge accommodation provider, Outstanding Tents. They offer unique structures which allow you to sleep under canvas and feel close to the outdoors whilst maintaining a high level of comfort throughout the living space.

Wales North Wales Mid Wales Powys Ceredigion Pembrokeshire Glamorgan Monmouthshire Camarthenshire Northern Ireland

81 8 47 36 48 10 18 32 5

www.conciergecamping.co.uk

(Ireland 29, Guernsey 1, Isle of Man 1)

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GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT TOM’S ECO LODGE THE ISLE OF WIGHT

THE GARLIC FARM THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Tom’s Eco Lodge makes up part of Tapnell Farm, a former working dairy farm which has successfully diversified it’s business to blend both agriculture and tourism on the Isle of Wight. Tom’s Eco Lodge was set up by the farm owners son, Tom in 2012 when he was just 25 years old.

The Garlic Farm in Newchurch is a well established ‘mustsee’ for any visit to the Isle of Wight. The farm’s shop and restaurant are renowned for their unique recipes and gourmet dishes, whilst offering the opportunity to taste an amazing range of garlic inspired products in the farms very own Taste Experience.

More recently the Garlic Farm has established itself as a place to stay with a wide range of accommodation including self catering farm cottages and five luxury yurts.

Located in a beautiful meadow at the back of the farm the yurts offer the perfect balance of escapism and comfort.

Equipped with all mod cons including USB ports and en suite bathrooms guests can enjoy outdoor living whilst maintaining a simple of sense of luxury. www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk

The site has since developed to offer a wide range of luxury glamping accommodation including five safari tents, two cabins, two eco-pods and two modulog pods.

The variety of accommodation appeals to a wide spectrum of guests including families, couples, solo travellers, groups, hardened campers and those after a more 5 star experience. https://tomsecolodge.com

THE SECRET CAMPSITE EAST SUSSEX

SWALLOWTAIL HILL EAST SUSSEX

The Secret Campsite isn’t your average campsite. Here the selling point is true simplicity, escapism and the chance to experience nature and wildlife in its purest form. Owned by Tim and Lisa Bullen the site boasts a total of 16 spacious pitches including a tree tent and gridshell shelter.

Swallowtail Hill owners Christopher and Sarah Broadbent have run the farm as a conservation site for over 25 years adding the glamping element of their business in 2010. The 40 acre farm incorporates traditional wildflower meadow, ancient woodland, hedgerows and free range livestock creating a truly unique place for guests to explore and enjoy during their stay.

The Tree Tent is an incredible spherical structure designed and created by Jason Thawley whose thriving business is also based at the Secret Campsite. The tent supports Tim’s ethos of existing harmoniously along-side the trees and wildlife by being suspended in the branches of a mighty oak without any long term intrusion.

Swallowtail Hill offers a range of unique and luxurious Glamping options including a stylish shepherd hut - Long View, The Roundhouse, fairytale style Woodcutters Cottages and cosy cabins Wood and Penfold.

With the support of bodies such as the Sussex Wildlife Trust Tim has created a place where the utmost priority is given to the protection of plants and wildlife. The result is an inspiring, unique place where you’ll see elements of nature that you’d struggle to see elsewhere.

The farm promotes their own Kids Off Grid movement encouraging children to make the most of time away from technology during their stay. Outdoor adventures of any kind are welcomed from den building to walking the country trails around the farm. If it’s outdoors, you’re in the club!

https://thesecretcampsites.co.uk/lewes/

www.swallowtailhill.com

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GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT BROADHEMBURY CARAVAN PARK KENT Despite only being a few miles outside of Ashford and within easy access of the M20 Broadhembury Caravan Park is surrounded by glorious English countryside.

The park has received numerous awards in recognition of the high standard of service they offer including the AA South East Campsite of the Year 2018/19.

In 2017 they introduced a series of Lotus Tents offering guests the option of glamping as part of their Broadhembury experience. The tents have each been given their own, private fenced off area with outdoor cooking facilities, activities for the children, solar powered lighting and seating areas. With the park being cleverly divided into family areas and adults meadows all guests are guaranteed a relaxed stay without fear of disturbing the neighbours!

WOLFERLOW WIGWAMS WORCESTERSHIRE Wolferlow Wigwams are based in Worcestershire, surrounded by countryside and views stretching across the Welsh Border Counties of Shropshire and Hereford.

The site is as about as rural as it gets….approaching down a single track lane brings a sense of escapism and leaving the the world behind.

Wolferlow offers accommodation in either one of six ‘Big Chief Wigwam®’s or a ‘Running Water Deluxe Wigwam®’ both part of the Wigwam® Holidays model. The site invites a laid back, family experience with a warm welcome and cosy accommodation in beautiful surroundings. The perfect choice for glampers who like to explore off the beaten track in without compromising on comfort. www.wolferlowwigwams.co.uk

www.broadhembury.co.uk

SWINTON BIVOUAC YORKSHIRE

SLATE MOUNTAIN GWYNEDD

Swinton Bivouac is a glamping and outdoor pursuits venue set in the Yorkshire Dales.

Part of the 20 000 acres that makes up the Swinton Estate Swinton Bivouac prides itself in offering a rural experience for friends and family in a picturesque location.

Llechwedd mine was established back in 1836 being one of the world’s busiest mines in its time. The dark days of grueling labour when workers spent up to 12 hours a day underground are now an important part of local history… but the life of the mines continues! Llechwedd has opened a new chapter, reinventing itself as Slate Mountain, a thriving tourist attraction offering a range of adventure sports, mine tours….and luxury glamping.

The site offers glamping accommodation in a choice of three settings. Firstly there’s the option of staying in one of six tree lodges, nestled amongst woodland with front facing views across the Dales. Then there’s the Meadow Yurts with a communal outdoor hot tub and bbq area.

Then finally there’s the Loft and Snug - perfect for group stays.

Guests can enjoy the vast range of activities available on the estate during their stay including cycling, falconry, horse riding, luxury spa...and even a Druid Temple! www.swintonestate.com/bivouac

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The set of 6 ‘luxury safari lodges’ were opened in May 2018 offering a unique place to stay for visitors wanting to make the most of the activities on site. Sat overlooking the quarry the lodges all enjoy sweeping views across the slate mine and beyond into the surrounding mountainous valleys.

The accommodation is a real mix of tent and lodge. The insulated glass doors at the front ensure that those incredible views can be enjoyed whether inside or out.

These large windows also create a bright, indoor space – unlike most safari tents. Each lodge sleeps between 4-5 guests with solid floors, wood burner, electricity and bathroom. Everything you might need for a base for your Welsh adventure. https://llechwedd.co.uk/glamping/glamping-at-thecaverns

GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT

TIM REES FROM QUALITY UNEARTHED ANALYSES

UK GLAMPING TRENDS Over the last few years the market has continued to grow rapidly and we’re intrigued to see just how far it can go.

There are no signs of a curb in trends just yet, however, it’s not been without its challenges too. The industry has become increasingly competitive and many of the more ‘traditional’ sites are feeling the squeeze of an evolving marketplace.

Glamping is often seen as an attractive business proposition with vast swathes of prospective owners exploring the possibility of starting their own venture.

Farmers see glamping as an opportunity to diversify, landowners are thinking about a potential retirement fund, while many city dwellers are looking for a new romantic life in the countryside.

Hence, there is quite intense competition throughout the industry, and glamping is by no means an easy money-making scheme. We’re still confident there’s room for expansion, but new owners must think carefully about the make-up of their site. They need to offer either a great location or amazing accommodation to be confident of success.

What we’re also seeing is that glamping is etching out its own unique sphere in the holiday market. When we started 10 years or so ago, glamping largely lived up to its name of ‘glamorous camping’. Yes, there were new and exciting structures popping up, but a decade or so later, many of those original structure types don’t quite have the same novelty factor.

As one of the first specialist glamping agencies, we have helped market and establish hundreds of new sites across the UK. In such a relatively short period it’s amazing to see how far the industry has come with glamping now firmly entrenched in the national psyche.

‘Glamping’ as such, now broadly incorporates a huge variety of other structure types. Cabins, cranes, boats, roundhouses and many others are now loosely positioned under the glamping umbrella. It is essentially a ‘short breaks’ market, that offers somewhere cool, crazy or beautiful to stay, which can be anywhere from secluded countryside to slap-bang in the middle of a city.

The industry has always championed new and exciting experiences, so it comes as no surprise to see the novel and unusual additions to the market performing well. Anything which creates a more memorable experience will ultimately have a better chance of success.

Hence, finding your own unique selling point (USP) has become more important than ever.

many cases the units are relatively small, but they're cosy, sturdy and offer better year-round protection from the elements.

This has certainly helped to extend the booking season, which makes them a popular choice for owners and guests alike.

Glamping as we know it is on the move.

The traditional sense of ‘getting back to nature’ is still a primary feature for many successful sites, but a wide variety of other unique and whacky places are filtering into the marketplace. To those looking to start their own glamping venture our advice would be to really think about the experience of your guests, but equally, try and create something that really stands out from the crowd.

What’s more, the constant influx of new sites is slowly pushing up the standards.

Sites are now required to offer more than just a few creature comforts but are increasingly required to offer luxury facilities to stay ahead of the competition.

We’ve also noticed the general progress of more solid structures in the market. In

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GREAT BRITISH GLAMPING REPORT Emily and Chris Tams were already successfully renting four glamping cabins, but with another paddock sitting empty they saw an opportunity to diversify and attract new visitors. A different kind of accommodation was therefore required, something more exclusive, a boutique experience at a different price point to the existing cabins.

Structure Design Looking for a different design to their existing ‘cottage’ style cabins, Emily and Chris settled on something curvy or circular and approached Morel & Co for inspiration. We suggested a roundhouse cabin design which could be supplied in various materials and finishing options, from which they chose cedar cladding and roof shingles with anthracite windows and doors - a popular combination as they do look rather well together. Outside, a fanned deck was designed to curve around each cabin creating a spacious outdoor area for patio furniture and the hot tubs – an essential feature for this location and project.

Interiors A sometimes under-utilised aspect of glamping accommodations is the interior design which can transform a structure, especially when we consider the demand for more immersive experiences. We added some carefully considered design features to create a boutique finish, special atmosphere and effective marketing images but without breaking the budget. The striking headboards were made from salvaged timbers that possess beautiful colours and textures, as were the

UK CASE STUDY: DIVERSIFICATION PROJECT As guests seek out more meaningful and authentic experiences from their leisure time, the demand for immersive accommodations continues to increase. For new sites or existing owners who want to set themselves apart from the crowd, this presents an opportunity worth investigating. side tables, beds and shelves. This creates a rustic contrast to the traditional style fabrics, chosen as a subtle reference to the nearby village church. Emily chose bold colours for the feature walls and the overall look is highly photogenic, after all - it's all about images and Instagram these days.

Landscaping For a couple’s retreat, privacy is important, so when we are working with a blank space, we have to create it with landscaping. Strategically placed copper beech hedging will grow to give each cabin year-round screening, and the whole paddock has been planted with new trees, shrubs, bulbs and wildflower meadow that creates biodiversity, habitat and food sources for insects, birds and small mammals.

The roundhouse cabins are being marketed through Hoseasons 'Bouja' brand, and projected rental revenues indicate a healthy return on investment for the owners. We are delighted to have been chosen to facilitate the project, and wish Emily and Chris of Mallory Meadows, who have been the most

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delightful clients to work with, every success with their developing glamping business!

Kate’s consultancy work supports forward-thinking land-owners and companies in diversification projects and starting new businesses. Her design company, Morel & Co, brings together industry experience and creativity to produce commercial treehouses and character cabins. A leading industry ambassador, Kate writes regularly for business publications, presents keynote seminars at leading events, and runs business workshops. www.morelcompany.co.uk Contact: info@morelcompany.co.uk

NEW GLAMPING CUSTOMER FOR SANIFLO Saniflo has consolidated success in the Glamping sector with a new customer for its range of Kinedo cubicles.

Glasgow-based Logspan is a familyowned business that is dedicated to selling a wide range of affordable,

quality timber products.

Whether it's a log cabin, a BBQ hut, garden office or a popular glamping pod the company manufactures and markets the widest range of timber buildings in Scotland.

Customers flock to Logspan’s show site in Dumbarton, Glasgow to fully appreciate the extent of the range available.

Austin Newberry is General Manager of Logspan and first met the Saniflo team at the Farm Business Innovation Show where Saniflo was displaying a range of Kinedo shower cubicles as well as a selection of pumps and lifting stations relevant to the farm and glamping sector. After a demonstration of the simple installation process of a cubicle, he placed an order for a Kinedo Moonlight cubicle which was installed into a Clansman Glamping pod on the

Logspan show site and offered as an option in the bathroom.

“The Saniflo team has been very helpful and even came on site to install the first cubicle and train our fitters in the process. The Moonlight looks excellent; very luxurious thanks to the opaque glass internal panels. It’s early days so far but we’ve already retailed some pods with these showers as customers really appreciate the quality. We’re looking forward to putting more on display in other products going forwards.” www.saniflo.co.uk

Safari Cottage

BRAND NEW, YET STILL FAMILIAR - DISCOVER THE NEWEST OUTSTANDING LAUNCHES Every year, Outstanding likes to surprise us with something new; a new type of glamping tent, improvements to their current assortment, a brand-new showroom, you name it. But this year, the supplier of furnished safari tents and glamping lodges, has more launches than ever before!

“Some things are worth waiting for. And our new releases shine in ways we’d say is brand new, yet still familiar,” says UK glamping advisor James. He tells us that a lot has happened behind the scenes in preparation of the new 2020 glamping season. Because when for many campsites the season is ending, the new season just starts for Outstanding. “This year we have developed considerably,” James continues. “We’ve added a wooden door to our range, expanded with advisors in Japan and America and trucks completely fitted in Outstanding style hit the road. And that's just the tip of it!”

New: a winter coat for your safari tent Outstanding safari tents are resistant against all weather conditions and require little maintenance. Even better, you can leave them outside all year. Still, there are always ways to optimise the lifespan of your tent, and that is why Outstanding has added a set of windbreak mesh to their product range. The green cover is fitted over your safari tent after the rental season. Your investment is even better protected against sun, rain, and deposits, while it keeps breathing at the same time!

New: the Safari Cottage, a bit different “The reliable appearance of a classic safari tent but with a lot of additional space: that's our Safari Cottage Gable.” says James. It’s a variation on the Safari Cottage with hip roof.

“The roof is what defines both models.” he explains. “The Safari Cottage is fitted with a wonderful hip roof. But for those who prefer an open roof we’ve designed the Safari Cottage Gable.”

New: Glamping Chic furniture – luxury like home “And the cherry on top: we’ve launched our brand-new interior line, which makes us proud,” says James. To keep our leading role, James believes it is important to keep developing.

“In recent years, we have focused on developments in our current assortment safari tents and wooden furniture. But to make a real difference, we wanted to offer a second style which was different, innovative and exclusive. And we have certainly succeeded with our Glamping Chic line: a broad range of exclusive and luxurious furniture!”

Visit www.outstandingtent.co.uk for more information or contact James for advice: 0203 769 4999 or info@outstandingtent.co.uk.

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How do you end the summer with a bang?

Head to The Glamping Show for three days of glorious sunny weather, scores of structures, hot tubs, outdoor toilets, accessories of all kinds and thousands of people who love outdoor accommodation and sharing it with the world!

If you couldn’t make it, read on for an overview of what you missed.

REVIEW

Trends spotted on the Show floor For anyone who hasn’t yet heard: tree houses are now getting more attention in the unique holiday rental market and for anyone new to the industry or looking to invest in expanding their site this is one development to watch.

Of course, tree houses aren’t the only structures that will allow you to create a unique, cosy getaway for your guests.

The outside exhibition area was teeming with different structures: Belle tents, Yurts, Safari Tents, Shepherd Huts, Geodesic domes, Timber pods, the Tiny Eco House to name a few, allowing visitors to find the best fit for their individual site. @ferretingforbeds via Instagram: “Loving the interior of this Lotus Belle Tent at yesterday’s Glamping Show”

A word cloud made from frequently recurring terms in visitors’ post Glamping Show reviews 2019

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@bexsimonartsmith, via instagram:“Spent the day at theglampingshow checking out glamping tents pods and #structures @tree_tents was a bestinshow pod for using recycled materials fusalage is made with 80% recycled aluminimum”

@amberlair, via instagram: “Glamping was always part of the Amberlair project!

On the Glamping Show in Stoneleigh Park, UK we were really impressed by this variety of luxury tents, domes and pods.

What could be better than being connected to nature, having peace of mind and not giving up comfort?”

So why does it pay to take your time choosing a structure ? Glamping, as a unique getaway experience for guests is now so popular it’s practically mainstream. That’s great news for the industry and, to meet demand, we’re

seeing many new glampsites starting up. The upshot is both new and existing operators must keep redefining what makes a holiday on their site truly unique. In the face of increased competition, the promise of a unique experience is what makes holidaymakers commit their cash and book up.

Lavinia Carey, co-founder of Castles Carey and new exhibitor in 2019 said: “Having constructed our first highly successful tree-house for holiday lets for a client in the North of England, we have been commissioned to build two more which are awaiting planning consent and, with the potential for this part of the market to expand, the outlook is very encouraging.”

An inventive take on accommodation is a good starting point and some of the designs now coming through are spectacular. Of course, that isn’t the only way to create a unique experience for your guests.

Other trends spotted at The Glamping Show included off-grid shower pods.

Landpod launched their off-grid,

portable wet-room at the Show and new exhibitor ScrubShack showed their off-grid washroom, which includes a boiler and alfresco kitchen area.

The debate around hot tubs: investment, impact on occupancy and health & safety was tackled head on with a seminar from The British & Irish Spa and Hot Tub Association (BISHTA). A spokesperson for BISHTA commented, “... we were inundated on the stand with enquiries from various types of businesses in the holiday accommodation industry, asking about training, BISHTA membership and with questions about HSG282 compliance.”

A friendly, supportive community of like-minded business owners It turns out it can be a long road to realise your business dreams: polls conducted ahead of the Show found that while 40% of respondents launched their business within 1-2 years of starting in earnest, another 40% needed 2-3 years to see their business open its doors to the public.

For those running Glamping businesses, the friendly ear of someone

who has been through it themselves can be a lifeline. Sarah Riley, founder of Inspired Camping and the Glamping and Unique Holiday Rentals podcast recently cited the Glamping industry as one of the most supportive and nurturing she’s ever encountered.

Heather McRae of Heart of Scotland Glamping first visited the Show in 2015 and has attended every year since.

In 2019 after various planning hiccups, the build on her site has just started.

She said: “Having been at the Show and come up with the concept through discussions with others in the industry we had this really clear vision in our heads of what it would be like and how our site would be unique and that is what has carried us through.”

Did you miss out? There’s always 2020!

If you want to find out more about the exhibitors, seminars and experts at The Glamping Show this year visit the website www.theglampingshow.com and subscribe to our mailing list for industry updates. Even better: put the dates for 2020 in your diary now and we’ll see you from 17-19th September 2020 at NAEC Stoneleigh.

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THE US SUMMIT GROWS UP

n The Summit had a total of 459 attendees (not including exhibitors at the event). n Attendees came from 38 US states/territories and 11 countries n 85% of conference attendees rated the conference sessions Good to Excellent! n 90% either purchased or are considering purchasing a product or service that they saw at the Summit This was the second visit to Denver for the Summit and the first time the event boasted an outdoor area for exhibits.

Following the California Summit in November of 2018, the team behind The Glamping Show entered into a joint partnership to develop the US market with experienced trade show organiser David Korse. Following this show – the decision has been made to align the brands and create The Glamping Show USA in 2020.

“It was a steep learning curve to take on the show with no knowledge of the

glamping sector but the feeling from exhibitors and visitors is that it was a great success and we would like to thank everyone for their support,” said David.

“A number of prospective exhibitors visited this year to see how the first show with outdoor exhibits would work out.

We are expecting significant growth for the 2020 Glamping Show USA, which will take place from October 13-14 at the same venue.”

David and his team did an excellent job of organising their first glamping event which was held at the Arapahoe Show Ground on the outskirts of the city.

Laura Golding, who has organised the speaker line-up for the Glamping Show and the previous two US Summits stayed on board and provided an incredible lineup of speakers for a paid-for seminar programme.

Entry to view the exhibits was free of charge and there were around 41 exhibitors ranging from accessories through to structures.

Software, booking solutions and insurance Leading booking system provider Glamping Hub signed up a number of new sites at the show and hosted a drinks

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reception on the first evening.

HipCamp partners with thousands of landowners across the US to open up places to stay, camp and get outside.

Advanced Outdoor Solutions, offered a full-service outdoor hospitality management service.

Also present were NewBook International, a management software system with a centralised guest App. CheckBox Systems exhibited, a provider of equipment, integrated software and expertise to property owners looking for provide internet for their guests.

CampSpot showed its reservation software for park owners and was created by park owners.

Resort Data is a property management software company founded in 1981 with its HQ in Colorado with a client book of over 800 worldwide. TengoInternet designs, builds and supports outdoor Wifi and connectivity solutions for owner operators and enjoyed a busy stand throughout.

In addition, there was a specialist insurance company, Outdoor Insurance Group which is focused on the outdoor recreation business in all 50 states.

From left: Michael D’Agostino of Tentrr, Todd Wynne-Parry of AutoCamp, Steph Curtis-Raleigh of Glamping Business, Will Beilharz of Artistree, Robin Staten of Tiny Urban Escapes

Structures Structures suppliers included leading tent supplier Luxetenten and BiomeCananda another tent supplier and installer. Bushtec Safari – a division of Canvas and Tent exhibited, along with Nomadic Tipi Makers, which has been making traditional Native American Tipis since 1970 (including for the movie ‘Dances With Wolves’).

CanvasCamp exhibited and sells high quality canvas tents and tipis and Outstanding BV showed one of their completely furnished safari lodge tents.

Other tent suppliers included Psyclone Tents, Australia’s original supplier of quality cotton canvas bell tents, covers, canopies and custom solar panels.

Reliable Tent and Tipi has a rich history of producing tents that spans a century and the locally based Colorado Yurt Company is a family business of 40 years, which makes yurts, tipis and Cimarron tents.

Denver Tent supplies wall tents, range tents, tipis, herder tents, and is effectively a one-stop-shop for all tenting and fabric covering requirements. Stout Tent is another US classic, providing fine canvas tents for glamping and events and a fullservice shop for all tenting needs, including customisation. CircHouse Inc. was designed for the 21st century with applications including emergency relief and humanitarian shelter, as well as lifestyle applications. Shelter Structures America is the distributor of Shelter Tent structures for the US, Canada and Mexico with a wide range of clear-span tents.

Eco Structures Australia showed its flagship glamping product with its sleek, modern style, which was a great hit with visitors to the show. TruDomes travelled from the UK with their sturdy but lightweight aluminium framed domes.

It was also wonderful to see two suppliers of the classic full-sized pioneering wagons at the show. Plainscraft LLC was founded by Dennis and Donna Steinman and showed a wagon fitted out with en suite bathroom. Conestoga Wagon Company presented their wagon with a look and style right off the Oregon Trail but fully fitted with all the modern amenities, such as A/C and heating and mini kitchen.

Cavco Park Models, Cabins and Tiny House RVs was also present showing their solutions for the recreational vehicle, campground RV resort and outdoor hospitality industry.

Associations The American Glamping Association exhibited and revealed new benefits to members. The Colorado Campground & Lodging Owners Association (CCLOA)/Camp Colorado has served Colorado outdoor hospitality professionals for over 50 years. Also present was the South Dakota Campground Owners Associations (SDCOA) the Texas Association of Campground Owners, CampCalNOW RV Park and Campground Alliance (supporting California campground and RV Parks) and the Kansas Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (KansasARVC).

Accessories and Journals International Glamping Business was the only glossy trade publication dedicated to the glamping sector and showed its first Glamping Business USA print issue. Editor Steph Curtis-Raleigh also chaired a panel session involving Will Beilharz. Founder Artistree, Michael D’Agostino, founder Tentrr, Robin Staten, Founder Tiny Urban Escapes and Todd Wynne-Parry, Chief Growth Officer, Autocamp.

Byer of Maine showed an assortment of outdoor products, including folding cots, hanging chairs and hammocks. Planetary Design/BruTrek are innovators and designers of coffee and tea brewing and food preservation canisters and the Big Sky Bistro French press travel mug.

Viking Log Furniture showed a range of rustic log and barnwood furnishing.

Finally, outdoors The Honeytrek couple Mike and Anne Howard who turned their honeymoon into an acclaimed blog, showed their coffee table meets guidebook Comfortably Wild which features 70 destinations across 9 countries in their 73,000-mile glamping quest.

The US Farm Stay Association connects travellers to authentic farm and ranch stay vacations around the US via its website and social media channels. Also present were the Masters of the Environment (MENV) from the University of Colorado – a graduate program offering an innovative interdiscipinary professional master’s degree addressing the complex environmental challenges the world is facing.

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FINDING THE COST OF A HIGHQUALITY SHEPHERDS HUT A LITTLE EYE WATERING?

‘Jones’, the shepherd hut at Graigwen Then, why not build your own and save up to 50%? One of Tithe Barn Shepherd Huts’ many “Glampsite” customers tell their story: “We had been operating a successful campsite for over 10 years. We had offered yurts and bell tents, which proved very popular over the spring and summer periods. However, we noticed we were still getting enquiries for glamping stays during the autumn and even winter. We wanted to offer our guests the option to stay somewhere that could withstand the Welsh winter and offer the level of comfort and luxury that our guests demand. There are

numerous options on the market, but we felt a shepherds hut would fit in with our design ethos and prove attractive to our market. Our research into what was available, showed us that you could either buy something basic and functional, or spend a fortune on a bespoke hut. Neither of these appealed or were financially viable.

“By chance, we stumbled upon Tithe Barn Shepherd Huts at The Glamping Show in 2018. They offered a self-build option which would enable us to build the bespoke hut we wanted, but within the budget we had set. We asked Tithe Barn to provide us with a quote, which was received promptly and adapted to suit our needs and we placed an order. We were always kept informed of the progress of our order and were even sent pictures of the chassis “in-build” to start our marketing campaign! All the components were delivered on time and safely, along with the self-build handbook.

“During the construction phase we worked through the Step by Step Guide, but always felt we could ask for advice and offer feedback. If you are prepared to have a go at self-building, having someone to turn to can also be a great help By following the stages in the self-build guide, we completed the exterior of the hut in five weeks. We then employed a skilled joiner to complete the interior. This approach provided us with a finished hut of a standard which would have been unaffordable if we had purchased a fully completed model.”

From delivery of the components, to completion, took 12 weeks. Our first paying guests provided positive feedback and we now have bookings coming in throughout the year!” www.graigwen.co.uk/buildingshepherdshut/ www.shepherd-huts.com/self-build.php

ELFIN KITCHENS PROVIDE LUXURY CABINS IN THE OUTER HEBRIDES WITH PREMIUM CATERING FACILITIES Two compact, top of the range, robust steel Premium 1500 kitchens from Elfin Kitchens have been installed in two luxury cabins in Uig, located on the Scottish Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Owned by Carnish Cabins, the boutique, self-catering holiday cabins are built into a hillside and overlook the expanse of Uig Sands.

Both properties – named “Ebb” and “Flow” respectively – have been designed with floor-to-ceiling windows to maximise the light and the spectacular view, with a contemporary interior and colour palette inspired by the surrounding landscape.

Commenting on the decision to install Elfin Kitchens, Jo-Ann Leparoux said: “Our bespoke cabins are modern, spacious and have been constructed to a very high standard.

We chose Elfin’s kitchens as they fitted perfectly with the overall look, size, colour and quality finish; they were just what we were looking for.

We looked at other companies offering compact kitchens, but settled on Elfin as it ticked all our boxes. What particularly impressed us was the range of colours available, with the matt Sand complementing our beachside location.”

The proprietors of Carnish Cabins are Richard and Jo-Ann Leparoux. The couple purchased the two Premium 1500 units in matt powder-coated Sand colour from Elfin Kitchens, after which they were then installed in the cabins by local tradesman Malcolm Macleod in February 2019.

In addition to the Elfin Kitchens, the two luxury cabins are each fully equipped with a range of modern facilities, including double bed, flat screen television, chaise sofa and outdoor seating area, allowing guests to take in the fresh sea air and enjoy the scenery.

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Available in sizes from 900mm to 1500mm, the Premium range of kitchens incorporates high-quality appliances, including a refrigerator, sink and tap, plus a choice of solo or combination microwave, oven and grill. In addition, Premium models are supplied with optional soft close drawers and/or a ceramic hotplate, complete with a safety cut-out timer.

For information on Elfin’s entire range of kitchens and accessories, visit: www.elfinkitchens.co.uk

GET SEEN, GET BOOKED, BUT NOT DOUBLE BOOKED! As a newly launched glamping business, your primary focus will change to generating bookings, but, if no one has heard about you, then they can’t book!

Equally, as an established business, how do you increase visibility to your business during your quieter periods?

With an increasing number of consumers in the UK booking their holiday online and using Online Travel Agents (OTA), such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Glampsites.com, this can be a great avenue to generate bookings and immediately open you up to a consumer base that you may have otherwise struggled to reach.

With OTAs ultimately broadening your reach, attracting a wider pool of potential guests and generating more bookings, you can find yourself presented with the problem of managing bookings from multiple channels and risking the dreaded double booking, which costs you financially and damages your reputation often at a time when it is at its most vulnerable.

For example, if a guest books at a time when maybe you are sleeping or do not have internet access, this leaves this date

still bookable across all other platforms.

This is where GlampManager comes in.

GlampManager centralises all your bookings in one location and automatically synchronises your availability & bookings across all the channels your accommodation is listed on.

GlampManager provides an intuitive and easy to use system that allows you to develop your website into an additional booking platform, whereby you can take direct and commission-free bookings. Not only does this save you time managing your bookings, but also

provides a solution to assist in the management of your glamping business.

With GlampManager, you can take full advantage of the brand awareness created via OTAs and your marketing efforts. It’s all about utilising management tools and platforms that help you to work smarter not harder, thus allowing you to get seen, get booked, but not double booked. Why not arrange a free 30-day trial of GlampManager today? www.glampmanager.com

GET THE PERSONAL TOUCH WITH FRIAR BEST INSURANCE

Friar Best Insurance Services Ltd is a company dedicated to providing and maintaining the ‘personal touch’ with clients and prospective clients alike, and provide a first-class service from receiving an initial enquiry through to arranging insurance, and claims service if the worst should happen.

By understanding the glamping industry, the company are committed to helping site owners arrange suitable and adequate insurance for their glamping site in order

to provide vital protection to secure the future of the site owner’s business. They are also very happy to help those who are just at the initial planning stage of setting up a site by discussing the various aspects of risk for insurance, and provide an idea of insurance costs to assist business plans.

get insurance right, with an excellent claims service, to enable a business to get up and running with the minimum disruption as reasonably possible,” says the company’s director, Julie Friar. www.friarbest.co.uk

Insurances are arranged tailored to individual business owners’ needs ensuring that the right insurance is in place to protect the specific business and livelihood. “Nobody likes to pay for insurance, and therefore it is important to

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“WHAT I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE STARTING MY GLAMPING BUSINESS…” …. AN OWNER’S PERSPECTIVE

By Sarah Riley “IF YOU’RE SETTING UP A GLAMPING BUSINESS FOR A WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND LIFESTYLE CHANGE THEN MY ADVICE IS STAY SMALL..IT WILL BE MORE ENJOYABLE!” KERRY, CAMP KATUR and is why I’ve worked hard to build a business community, a library of knowledge and give training and support to those in need of extra help.

Although it’s easier now more than ever to overcome the struggles of setting up a new business, the best solutions always come from the owners themselves who are already a few steps ahead of you.

Many of us keep doing what we’ve always done as it feels scary to step outside of our comfort zone. We hesitate to take chances and tackle change because... what if? However, the reality is that most benefits wait for us just outside of our comfort zone because that’s when we really stretch ourselves and begin to step up a level.

After all there’s always so much to learn even after many years in the hospitality industry, but there are lots of benefits too as Katrina from Beautiful Bells highlighted when she said she didn’t realise her idea, “…was going to grow from a hobby business to a full-time thing that I ended up leaving my career for!”

This was just one response from thousands of inspiring and successful people in the unique hospitality industry, when I asked them: What do you wish you’d known before you started your glamping business… and; If you had to start from scratch, what is the one thing you would do first to have the most impact fast?

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I have been involved in the Glamping and Hospitality Industry in some capacity since 1998 and in that time I have learnt the value of connecting with others to share knowledge about what works and - more importantly - what doesn’t.

There was a time when there were very few tools available to help hosts and owners and absolutely no networking groups specific to the industry. This made it much more difficult to get a head start

EDUCATE YOURSELF, SURE, BUT I THINK A DEGREE OF NAIVETY CAN ACTUALLY BE SOMEWHAT USEFUL. CAMERON, SIERRA ESCAPES

How Do I Understand The Benefits Of The Glamping Business Model?

Although working through your business plan and financials is key to a successful launch, Cameron from Sierra Escapes, advises us to “Educate yourself, sure, but I think a degree of naivety can actually be somewhat useful.” He also notes that many of the same people are still asking him questions about his business and procrastinating when he has already moved onto the expansion phase.

But it’s worth noting that it’s not always about profitability and growth. It’s also about lifestyle. As Kerry from Camp Katur, said “If you’re setting up a Glamping business for a work-life balance and lifestyle change then my advice is stay small..it will be more enjoyable!”

And there are many other lifestyle benefits as Kate from Round The Woods Yurts explains, “I also didn’t know just how great it would be to work from home, together as a family, to spend so much time outdoors and so little time at a desk, to have the land support our family and give us an income as well as a

“I WISH I’D KNOWN JUST HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET A BUSINESS LIKE THIS GOING, I WAS NOT REALISTIC AT ALL! I ALSO WISH I’D RESEARCHED THE BEST PLACES TO ADVERTISE OUR SHEPHERD HUTS BEFORE WE WERE READY.” CLAIRE, THISTLEDOWN GLAMPING bit of time for food growing and harvesting logs, helping us to become self sufficient.”

How Do I Attract More Guests?

As Tim, from The Farm Camp, said when I spoke to him, “I thought it would be as easy as pitching some tents and watching the bookings roll in!”

Attracting guests needs a strategy and to know what works in the industry, especially as people are booking their holidays in different ways, which has resulted in gaps in the calendar where there were never gaps before.

This is a challenge experienced by many including Claire from Thistledown Glamping who said, “I wish I’d known just how long it takes to get a business like this going, I was not realistic at all! I also wish I’d researched the best places to advertise our Shepherd Huts before we were ready.”

Or sonny from BubbleTents Australia, who noted that, “It’s not unlike other businesses really, to succeed it will

require you to be malleable, persistent, customer-experience-focused and have a great friend/partner who won’t mind you having a whinge every now and then.”

“I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AS EASY AS PITCHING SOME TENTS AND WATCHING THE BOOKINGS ROLL IN!” TIM, THE FARM CAMP

How Do I Stay Motivated And Inspired?

Working in a customer-focused and seasonal business can be exhausting at times, so it’s wise to set up your support systems for those moments when you need them most. But the benefits are huge and are illustrated perfectly by Lisa of Oak Tree Meadow, who summed up why we are so passionate about offering an outstanding service, when she said, “I wish I’d known what hard work it is but also how rewarding it is when your guests leave such positive reviews.”

Now that’s inspired!

Readers of International Glamping Business Magazine can download a free copy of the book ‘What I Wish I’d Known Before Starting My Glamping Business - An Owners Perspective’, here: www.inspiredcourses.com/wish2

About the author: Sarah Riley is the Founder of Inspired Camping, Inspired Courses and The Glamping Business Podcast. She helps owners set up their unique holiday and glamping retreat accommodation and improve their occupancy in The Guest Booking Success Masterclass with The Direct Booking Blueprint®

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The models now include the most ‘bijou’ that is the Wee Brave cabin, sleeping up to three guests and the Big Chief that accommodates a family of five.

WIGWAM® HOLIDAYS BUILDING A LEGACY Cabins made in the UK, over 80 sites nationwide, and a portfolio of six designs has helped build the legacy of one of the UK’s most respected glamping brands.

The brainchild of one man, Charles Gulland, Wigwam® Holidays operates the length and breadth of the British Isles. And while many glamping operators have ‘popped up’ over the years, the Wigwam® brand has over 25 solid years behind it.

Their latest innovation is the Wigwam® Lodge Accessible with space for up to four guests and which has been adapted to Category 3 disabled regulations.

Suitable for all users, this latest development means glamping can really be for everyone!

Yet the handcrafted cabins, of which around 600 are currently in operation across the UK, are much more than a camping ‘pod’. Fully heated, insulated, with lockable doors, Velux® windows and comfy mattresses, storage space and lighting; these fittings are standard in all cabins.

Over the decades, as the glamping industry evolved, the Wigwam® portfolio expanded and grew to match the demands of the staycationers.

Next in line are the Running Water cabins, both of which have ensuites.

New for 2019, is Wigwam® Lodge taking up to a family of six and includes a fitted kitchen area, en-suite bathroom, dining area and beds for a family of six.

Looking ahead to 2020, the brand, which operates a successful Franchise Business Model, will continue to bring a tried and tested ‘business in a box’ to landowners and farmers, which includes assistance with planning, marketing, online bookings and site operations.

This leading glamping brand has just held its annual conference for site owners and speakers included a representative from Euan’s Guide, one of the leading websites for disabled travellers, and from Steve Judge, twice world champion para-triathlete, now a renowned motivational speaker. www.wigwamholidays.com

BUSHTEC BY CANVAS AND TENT RAISING THE ROOF ON GLAMPING Bushtec Safari (a Canvas and Tent brand) to combine and harmonise the various dynamics of weather, location, terrain and functionality to find the perfect architectural balance between comfort and camping.

The trend for glamping tents is for them to become ever larger, but they also need to be weather robust, multi-purpose, durable and increasingly eco-friendly.

A new mindset is emerging where architectural design is becoming more important in glamping. Today’s glamping structures are more sophisticated, while simultaneously offering robust shelter, in even the harshest locations.

Luxury tent design and manufacture comes with its own unique set of challenges, tasking the designers at

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Their roof designs are custom-crafted to include four layers of roofing on most structures, which consist of an aesthetical inner drape material ceiling, a canvas roof concluding the canvas body, followed by a PVC flysheet forming the main roofing structure. Finally, a shadenet flysheet covers all of the above to ensure additional protection against sun exposure. This additional space between the roof elements provides an effective ventilation process to assist in regulating the temperature internally. The company focuses on designing varied pitches in adjacent tent roofs to maximise winter sun saturation, while protecting other areas in various seasons.

Bushtec Creations offers full turnkey solutions and assists clients in creating

these custom luxury tented lodges, with unique design and manufacture requiring specialist skills, experience and acute attention to detail.

Louw Bekker, CEO of the Canvas and Tent Group explains, “For ideal glamping roofing, its vital to achieve an even distribution of weight and forces inherent in the tented structure. As specialists in the design and manufacturing of luxury tented lodges and resorts, the Bushtec Brand combines architecture and glamping, providing clients with a creative solution to give visitors a chance to relax and have a closer experience with nature.

In addition, offering a unique architecture which can be modular or extendable. The key is to provide resistance from the elements while creating a bespoke, beautiful architecture where design meets functionality.” www.bushtecsafari.com

JUNE 18-20, 2020

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