The first indication of glamping becoming popular came in 2007. Suddenly people, mostly in the U.K. and in Ireland, started googling “glamping.” Vacations were changing, money was getting tight, and foreign travel was getting harder.
Is Glamping a Fad?
Travelers needed a new form of vacation, and with little camping experience, they turned to a new form of holiday boarding. Enter glamorous camping, coined officially in 2016 as glamping.
However, this isn’t the first time luxury camping has been popular. In the 16th century, glamping experiences were set up for Kings and royalty. The Ottoman empire was known for its opulent tents during military campaigns.
So it is safe to say that glamping has been around for quite a while, and it doesn’t appear to be going out of style soon.
Where is Glamping Currently Popular?
All across the globe, vacation destinations provide extravagant outdoor accommodations. Travelers all across the world are seeking out nature but in an elegant way. For instance, campers spent 15 million dollars in Britain on glamping and camping.
The Philippines offers beachfront glamping in brilliant canvas yurts. Mountain hideaways, hosting luxury tents high up in the trees. Tennessee has a treehouse glamping experience with a swinging bed and zipline in the United States.
A-frame cabins in Venezuela, surrounded by rock gardens, offer access to horseback riding, spelunking, and cozy nights near the bonfire. Glamping is popular all across the world, with all sorts of breathtaking views and experiences.
Is the Glamping Hype Going Away?
With the current and recent climate around the world, glamping is as enchanting as ever. We have reached a point where the world is opening, and travel is becoming more and more accessible.
One would think that the hype behind glamping is dying down. However, market trends beg to differ. Many glamping operations have seen their strongest quarters in 2022. Analysts only see the market growing from here.
They anticipate the revenue growth to be in the billions of dollars by 2030. Glamping seems to be going strong and only trending upward.
Why did People Stop Having an Interest in Glamping?
In the early days of 2020 as folks were looking outside for their entertainment. And glamping turned out to be just the ticket. However, the huge uptick in glamping and the restrictions on indoor activities put a strain on more traditional hospitality venues.
Some hospitality professionals didn’t foresee glamping lasting too long. They envisioned the bubble popping eventually, and travelers were allowed to make their way back indoors. Two years later, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Between the Ottoman Empire and more recent glamping history, one could say that there was a lull in the popularity of glamping.
As mentioned earlier, the interest in glamping has only increased since its definition was set. The sky seems to be the limit when it comes to people’s interest in the luxuries of glamping.
Is Glamping Overpriced?
Anything can be overpriced if one tries hard enough. Also, definitions of overpriced can vary from person to person. Someone’s comfortably priced glamping experience may be another’s chump change.
On the other hand, many glamping opportunities can be quite cost-effective. For instance, in Maine, USA, glamping options start at $79 a night, with all the amenities one would be looking for in a luxury camping experience.
For the more economically gifted glamper, Canada offers a wilderness glamping experience that runs a whopping $3900 a night. However, there is a popular alternative to budget or costly, and that is DIY glamping.
Purchase a nice large tent, add a nice memory foam mattress, some twinkle lights, and a glass of grape juice next to the campfire, and bam, DIY glamping on a budget.
Is Glamping More Popular Than Camping?
To each their own. For most, the thought of glamping versus camping comes down to accessibility. When choosing glamping, generally, all the amenities are provided for you. Unless of course one chooses the DIY route.
In camping, there is much setup time, a lot of lugging equipment around, and more physical labor. Whereas in the glamping world, all the hard work is established. It’s essentially a hotel living out in the wilderness, in the middle of the forest, desert, or on a mountain top.
There are some diehard camping and backpacking enthusiasts. If asked, they would be quite adamant that camping is more popular than glamping.
However, the same could be said for glamping aficionados as well. It would be safe to say that if 100 outdoor enthusiasts were polled, it would be an even split in preference between glamping and camping.
Final Thoughts on Whether Glamping is a Fad
In the end, it all comes down to one’s proclivity towards one or the other. The popularity of glamping appears to be on the rise and doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon.
Glamping seems like a magical experience full of luxury mixed with the slow quietness of the wide-open wilderness.