The 6 Key Factors To Starting A Glamping Business In 2023

14 Apr

Here we have outlined the 6 key considerations that every aspiring glampsite owner should think about to guarantee a successful business.

The Feasibility Of Your Glampsite Plans

The most essential part in setting up a new glamping site is to conduct thorough research. Setting up and running a site takes a lot of time and commitment and you must ensure that this is what you really want to do. Consider whether you have the right skills (and personality) for running a site, what competitors do you have in the local and wider area, why do you want to do it, what structure is right for your business – will it be sole trader or partnership, will you VAT registered or not. We would recommend carrying out a feasibility study to help you with some of these decisions.

Glampsite Planning Permission

This has already been covered above, but you will need planning permission in order to realise your dreams. Timescales on planning approvals are generally getting longer and so it is important to start the planning process early in your journey. You can read more about this topic here.

Knowing Your Market

Researching the market is equally as important and you need to determine what is the likely demand for glamping in your area, are you located in a popular tourist draw, do you have unique selling points – something different to other accommodation providers in the area. Who is your target demographic – is it groups, families, dog friendly etc. Do you want to be open all year round or are you happy to be seasonal. This last factor will of course determine what accommodation type you should consider

Glamping Accommodation Type

Do you want to offer Yurts, Shepherds Huts, Glamping Pods or Lodges. Do you want to have ensuite facilities and what other features or facilities would your accommodation offer eg. hot tubs.

Your accommodation choice will, to some extent, be determined by your land situation. For example, how far will the site be from the location of the nearest services to the site, will you have access to mains drainage, do you have a water supply nearby or will you be relying on a borehole, where is your electricity supply and what access roads to the site do you have or will these need to be newly constructed. View our pod range and lodge range for ideas.

Once these basic build factors are covered, the next consideration is deciding on what you will offer within your accommodation, what is included and what is charged as an extra. Some items to consider include bedding, towels, firepit and firewood, hot tubs, outdoor seating etc.

What? Why? and How?

At this point it is useful to write down and formulate a plan – a little bit like the business plan we have already covered. You should detail WHAT you want to do, WHY you want to do it and HOW you are going to do it. The ‘How’ should include every aspect of setting up and managing a glamping site. Don’t underestimate timescales included in the developing the infrastructure of the site as groundworks and getting services to the site can take many months. Also don’t forget to factor in any potential lead times in getting your chosen accommodation manufactured and delivered to you.

Marketing Your Glamping Site

Once you have the site development well underway, it is time to turn your thoughts to how you are going to market your site. Most glamping sites now have a dedicated website and this is highly recommended as an essential marketing tool.

How are you going to take your bookings? Most guests now like to book holidays online and so a reputable booking system is essential for this. Again, research the market thoroughly as they all have different procedures, system requirements and commission levels.

In the digital age we live in and with a vast and increasingly heavy reliance on social media for communication, you should think about setting up your social media profiles and start populating these with content. This can begin long before the site is ready to open as many people will be interested in tracking your journey and you can build an excitement right up to the point of opening and beyond.

Getting other local businesses on side is also very worthwhile – never underestimate the power of word of mouth and cross promotion opportunities between local businesses brings numerous benefits.

Now You’re Open.

Congratulations! Your site is finally ready to accept guests and so it is now time to consider your meet and greet procedure, what pre-arrival information will you send, what will be your complaints handling procedure since sadly, despite all your very best efforts things can sometimes go wrong.

Above all this should be an exceptionally rewarding time for you and hopefully lots of fun. You will meet some wonderful guests and many site owners have met lifelong friends who were once previous guests. So take stock and enjoy many years of the fruits of your labour.

Learn More about Wigwam

The Wigwam brand consists of two separate but overlapping businesses - Wigwam Cabins and Wigwam Holidays.

Wigwam Holidays operates as a franchise, booking system and website. It is one of the top glamping businesses in the UK, consisting of over 80 UK locations and welcomed over 100k guests last year. Wigwam Holidays offers a tried and tested franchise model to its franchisees, and “great holidays in the great outdoors” to its guests.

Wigwam Cabins is a manufacturer of high quality wooden cabins. It’s the business that invented the ‘glamping pod’ over 30 years ago. Today, from its workshop in Perth, Wigwam Cabins focuses on building a range of glamping pods and timber lodges. Fear not, you do not need to be a part of Wigwam Holidays to buy products from Wigwam Cabins.