Are you thinking about starting a glamping business in the UK in 2023? We have written Glampitect's Glamping Industry Forecast for 2023 just for you. Here we have written about some of the highlights of the forecast but you can also download the forecast in full here.
Remember, you can book a free glamping consultation call with Glampitect.
We have only taken some of the highlights from our Glamping Industry Forecast 2023. For the full forecast, download for free below:
Why Should I Start A Glamping Business?
"The glamping industry has been growing quickly over the last few years and we expect more of the same in 2023. We are the busiest we've ever been and working closely with Glampitect is going to make us even busier."
Alexander Cash
Founder, Pod Factory
The boom that the glamping sector is experiencing isn’t just a short-term spike. As shown above, much of its growth is driven by millennials and younger age groups, as opposed to the more traditional leisure markets that rely on older crowds. We see no evidence of the movement slowing down anytime soon. Providing you do the right things (which we can help you with), people will be clamouring to visit your site.
There are lots of different types of glamping accommodation dotted throughout the UK, as the chart above shows. You can pick the style you like, or create something completely new!
Of course, you shouldn’t be making business decisions as significant as setting up a glamping site based purely on consumer demand. It’s important to look at the numbers behind all the noise to see the potential returns you can make. As the graphic to the right shows, glamping investments blow property investments out of the water when it comes to size and speed of returns.
You might argue that setting up and running a glamping site is a lot more hassle than buying a property, but with experts like us to guide you through every step of the process, you won’t have to worry. Plus, once the site is up and running, you can choose to be involved with the day-to-day operations or you can hire someone to run it for you, allowing you to sit back and watch the returns come in. Don’t be fooled into thinking you need to have hundreds of thousands of pounds lying around to start a glamping site, either. There are plenty of financing options to help you get started.
Talk to the team about glamping finance options today.
What UK Glamping Trends Will We See In 2023?
Innovative glamping pod designs
The glamping pod manufacturer market is getting more crowded by the day. As competition increases, the range of glamping pod designs will increase with it. This is why we've partnered with the best manufacturers in the industry. See the brochure here.
Luxury glamping is the new norm
We are seeing much more luxury in the glamping industry. More on this later.
Remote working for digital nomads
Something else we'll be talking about later...
Fire Pits
If you watch love island you'll understand this!
Hot Tubs & other cosy accompaniments
The glamping pod manufacturer market is getting more crowded by the day. As competition increases, the range of glamping pod designs will increase with it. This is why we've partnered with the best manufacturers in the industry. See the brochure here.
Specialisation of sites
More in this later too.
Demand for wifi and netflix
You may not like it, but, unless you’re marketing your site as a ‘digital detox’, you need to be offering Wi-Fi and a good internet signal at the very least. Netflix is also an option that most good sites will offer.
Accessibility
Though making life easier for people with additional needs shouldn’t be considered a ‘trend’, awareness around accessibility is increasing. Again more on this later...
Increasing levels of competition
While we won’t reach saturation next year, competition among site owners will increase. You need to make yourself stand out
Nature, mindfulness & wellbeing
Apps like Calm and Headspace have brought meditation and other mindfulness practices to the mass market. Clever site owners will see this and market their sites as places for guests to reconnect with themselves and their natural surroundings.
Winter glamping
Glamping is typically seen as a summer activity. But as competition continues to increase, will you be one of the few remarketing your site as a winter wonderland or hot tub paradise?
Rise of the staycation
The staycation market boomed over the last few years and that will continue into 2023, particularly in the second half of the year.
Increasing Standards Of Luxury Glamping In The UK
Prediction: Glamping guests will expect higher standards of luxury, and the astute glamping site owners will cater for this.
It’s natural for people to expect a minimum level of ‘glamour’ when they go glamping. Otherwise they might as well have turned up to a campsite. But it isn’t enough to merely offer a wooden structure instead of an empty pitch anymore. Guests want luxury.
They want ensuite bathrooms. They want underfloor heating. The kids and the tech-savvy may even want Netflix, Amazon Alexa, fancy lighting and all things modern. They’re going glamping for a reason. In an interview with Made Of Bits, our Co- Founder, Calum, said this: “We rarely have a client get in touch wanting a low-end pod without toilets or anything like that. Typically, they want that really good quality, high-end finish, with toilet, shower, and all that sort of stuff. Is that a USP? Nope. But it’s a given that needs to be in place.” As the industry continues to grow, so too do consumer expectations. If you’re thinking of going for a budget site, think again.
It makes financial sense to go luxury, too. For one, you can charge a higher nightly rate with bigger margins. And, as Kaley Vermijs points out, it reduces cleaning costs: “Public sanitary facilities must be maintained every day and several times each day. With private sanitary facilities, cleaning can be done once a week or when new guests arrive.”
So, what form will luxury take in 2023? As mentioned, ensuite bathrooms and Wi-Fi (specialist sites aside) are a must. Outstanding finishes will be the big thing this year, and, if you’re not specialising as a ‘tech-detox’ site, Netflix and voice-controlled systems also add to the experience.
There’s also the rise of the hot tub, which was a huge trend that emerged in 2020. Google searches for accommodation with hot tubs soared to over 100,000 per month in the autumn, and they’re particularly popular with avid Instagram users. This trend has continued right through to 2023 (and beyond). Glamping sites that offer hot tubs and market them well on social media should see a big return on investment, especially in the winter months, when occupancy rates drop sharply for sites not prepared for the colder climate.
Luxury can take many forms. The most important thing to remember is that you’re trying to separate yourself from camping, while still retaining an ‘outdoorsy’ feel. It’s a difficult balance to achieve, but you’ll be rewarded if you do.
Impacts of COVID & Cost Of Living On The Glamping Industry
Staycations
We are getting past it but COVID is still having a (positive!) impact. In 2020 and 2021, it resulted in booking cancellations and refunds, but it also kickstarted the staycation explosion in the UK, with many preferring to explore travel opportunities within our own borders.
Now that COVID is a distant memory, we may not realise the impact it is still having on the industry. A number of NC500Pods visitors that stayed over 2020-21 said they only did so because they couldn't go abroad, however they loved it and would definitely come back. This has shown in 2022 and 2023 bookings. An AirBnB study suggests that the current popularity of staycations won’t be fleeting, with 62% of travellers considering taking a holiday within driving distance.
Cost of Living
The cost of living crisis is clearly something we need to consider in the UK at the moment. It is having an impact on almost all aspects of peoples lives. Electricity costs are up along with just about everything else due to inflation.
This will drive 2 things forward; staycations and sustainable sites. History has shown us that people go on holiday even in times of economic problems (2008 was proof). The just tend to go on cheaper holidays.
Comparative to flights, a hotel for a week and eating out every night, glamping is cheaper! We envisage a lot of people that would have previously travelled abroad going glamping in the UK instead.
People are also more likely to travel at cheaper times of year (like shoulder months or winter). Again this is a positive for a glamping site owner. The summer will always be busy but having people wanting to come
in the winter is a big plus! In fact, there's maybe never been a better time to start a glamping business.
Glamping For Remote Workers
Prediction: Remote working is in for 2023. Remote workers will opt for mini ‘working holidays’ at the glamping sites that create an environment suitable for their needs.
2020 was the year responsible for many terrible things, but one positive claim it can make is that it transformed people’s perceptions of the workplace. At first, employers had no choice but to accept their staff working remotely, but studies suggest that both sides are now comfortable with this arrangement.
Here are some stats on the changing attitudes towards remote work:
- 57% of employers are now offering more flexible working schedules
- 70% of employers plan to continue remote working
- 80% of full time workers expect to work from home at least 3 times a week
The decentralisation of the workplace is likely to lead to workers enjoying greater flexibility when it comes to travel. No longer will they shy away from taking breaks during the workweek for fear of falling behind. While typing away at their laptop, they can swap the dreary office cubicle for a view of the sunrise. Cringeworthy ‘office banter’ can be replaced by the soothing sound of birdsong. In 2023, the individual takes back control.
Take Calum, our Co-Founder, as an example. He’s been working in Dubai since November 2020. There’s been no drop in performance. In fact, taking a step away from the day-to-day running of Glampitect has allowed him to be more creative in his ideas about growing our business.
The astute glamping site owners will capitalise on this by targeting remote workers looking for a change of scenery, offering a super-fast broadband connection and providing a relaxing working environment (and coffee). You don’t necessarily have to dedicate your whole site to digital nomads (though it might be an idea), but you can make it clear that they’re very welcome.
Accessible Glamping & Sustainability In 2023
Accessibility in Glamping
Accessibility in glamping refers to the ease with which people with additional needs can access, use and enjoy glamping accommodation. Making glamping more accessible can benefit anyone, ranging from wheelchair users, to people with autism, to parents with pushchairs. Not only is catering for these people the right thing to do ethically, it can also benefit your business financially, as it opens you up to a whole new market and boosts guest loyalty.
It really doesn’t take much to make your accommodation more accessible. Modifications can start from simply making your doorways wider, which is easy if you’re using a pod/hut/yurt manufacturer that can offer bespoke options. David Brown runs Hoe Grange Holidays, a Derbyshire glamping site that specialises in providing an accessible experience, and he recently gave some advice at The Virtual Glamping Show on improving glamping accessibility.
There’s no excuse to be excluding anybody in 2020-22. 2023 will be no different.
Sustainability in Glamping
We've already touched on this, but not for a bit more. Environmentalism took a bit of a back seat in 2020-21, but it will be back on centre stage in 2023 and beyond. It goes without saying that increasing the sustainability of the glamping sector is an ideal to aspire to. We think this will be one of the biggest shifts in the glamping industry this year. Customers want sustainability and it now makes financial sense for operators.
As it stands, businesses and consumers are just too price sensitive.
On the business side, our Co-Founder, Calum, says this: “In the past it was a nice thing that people like the idea of, but then they look at the costs and practicalities and quickly retract. Everyone wants to be environmentally friendly until they see how much it costs. This has completely shifted for 2023 and I believe we will see a massive change in the amount of sustainable glamping sites this year."
On the consumer side, our experience tells us that there are now a lot more consumers that are willing to pay a premium to stay in sustainable accommodation. There was previously a small niche who were willing to pay much more, and people like this will be covered by Featured Trend #3, but, it is now coming to the general population and this is of course our target market. A focus on sustainability in 2023 will see a lot more customers come to you.
We strongly believe that sustainability will go from strength to strength over 2023 and beyond. Now is the time to beat the competition and get ahead of the inevitable curve.
Glamping Site Specialisation In 2023
Prediction: The most successful sites in 2023 will be the ones that target narrower audiences.
Our final Featured Trend of 2023 is a recognition of the fact that the industry is maturing. The ‘Gold Rush’ is coming to an end. We won’t reach saturation in 2023, but we will start to see the separation of the spectacular from the generic. Being able to distinguish your glamping site from the crowd will be hugely important in 2023 for two reasons: (1) it will allow you to charge more per night; (2) it will prepare you for when we reach market saturation point in a few years’ time.
So, how can you separate yourself from your competitors in 2023? One way is by specialising your site. This is where you narrow your target market to a particular crowd with defined interests. It might seem counterintuitive to focus on a smaller set of people, but it actually makes far more business sense than trying to appeal to everyone. By focusing on a specific niche, you’ll be able to speak to them more directly in your marketing;they’ll be more enthusiastic about staying at your site; and they’ll be willing to pay a higher nightly rate.
You could even argue that calling your glamping plot a ‘site’ is too reductive. Jason Devenish, Director at Enchanted Creations, argues that “operators must move away from the campsite mindset and embrace the idea of creating a visitor destination!”. If you can create such experiences for your target market, you’ll be comfortably ahead of the rest.
So, which markets could your site be specialising for? Here are some suggestions.
The opportunities are endless. If you can target the right sort of niche, the value of your glamping site will rise exponentially, and you’ll have separated yourself from the pack. We’ll see more and more people doing this in 2023 - will you be one of them?
What Now?
Book a free consultation with one of our in-house experts. Once you've told us about your glamping plans, we'll guide you through the process of starting your glamping business, one step at a time.
We have only taken some of the highlights from our Glamping Industry Forecast 2023. For the full forecast, download for free below: