International Glamping Business | May/June 2022

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Issue 31 May 2022

THE AGENDA AND DELEGATES

Slovenia STUNNING

MARTHA’S MAGICAL OUTDOOR DESIGN IDEAS

ABEILLE MAISON CROATIA’S LUXE GLAMPING

TENTED STRUCTURES ROUND-UP

INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION FOR GLAMPING OPERATORS Gl mping BUSINESS

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Welcome to

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Contents 05 Welcome to the May issue of International Glamping Business.

In this issue we have a preview of the Eco Resort Network event that will be held in Slovenia on the 1st and 2nd of June, taking a look at the agenda and the attendees who will be present.

Zlatko Pankov, owner of the Abeille Maison Glamping Resort, joins us to speak about his wonderful resort located in Croatia and Martha Fosberry returns to talk us through how to make the most of outdoor space. On top of this, Di Hammill Page runs us through what it takes to offer educational activities and courses at your site, and the pitfalls to avoid whilst doing it.

Our tented structures feature includes a collection from the best companies in the industry on why you should choose their products for your site and, as always, a round up of all the latest industry news.

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THE BUSY BEE OF ABEILLE MAISON BRAČ

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THE ECO RESORT NETWORK

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YALA EXCLUSIVE: A LUXURY TENT FOR NOW

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A GUIDE TO TENTED STRUCTURES

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BECOMING MORE THAN JUST ACCOMMODATION

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TIMELESS TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR OUTDOORS EXTRAORDINARY

International Glamping Business is published by: Upgrade Publishing. Registered address: 47 Oliver Close, London W4 3RL Publisher: Upgrade Publishing, Steph Curtis-Raleigh. e: steph@upgradepublishing.com Design: Dean Coulter, Design on Tap. www.designontap.co.uk www.glampingbusiness.com Instagram @thisisglamping Facebook @thisisglamping Other Events: The Glamping Show w: www.glampingshow.com e: dan.w@theglampingshow.com Glamping Show USA w: www.glampingshow.us e: david@glampingshow.us Eco Hotel Summit w: www.ecohotelsummit.com e: contact@ecohotelsummit.com © 2022 Upgrade Publishing Ltd. International Glamping Business is published 6 times a year.

No reproduction of any part of the magazine is permitted, nor storage in a retrieval system without prior consent of the publisher. No commercial exploitation is permitted. No warranty is implied in respect of any product or trader mentioned herewith.

Editor: Will Rusbridge Advertising Sales: Kathryn Kelly t: +44 (0) 7575 408580 e: kath@upgradepublishing.com Paula Worswick t: +44 (0) 7360 041486 e: paula@upgradepublishing.com Social Media Editor: Annabelle Hilton e: media@upgradepublishing.com

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NEWS TOMORROWLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL OPENS DUBAI DESERT LOCATION One of the world’s most well-known music festivals, Tomorrowland, is launching a new pop-up destination in the deserts of Dubai.

comfortable double bed, air-conditioning and a small hand basin. The Polaris tents will have shared showers and bathrooms.

Tera Solis will open in September of this year for it’s first season that will run through to July 2023. Centred around an oasis-like infinity pool where DJ’s will be playing day and night, Tera Solis will feature the poolside MESA where guests can enjoy a Mediterranean menu, infused with flavours from all over the world, with ingredients from dedicated local growers, farmers and producers. For an experience away from the action, SALA provides guests with exquisite shisha, curated by craftsmen, coupled with enticing cocktails and bites, while watching the sun set over Terra Solis.

The next option up is the Perseid lodge with incredibly eye-catching that seems perfectly matched to the surrounding desert landscape that will feature a double bed, airconditioning and an ensuite bathroom with toilet and shower.

Surrounding this central space will be the accommodation which comes in the form of glamping. The first option is one of the Polaris tents, spacious, luxurious and beautifully decorated bell tents with a

The most exclusive option available will be the Orion pool lodge. Located nearby to the resort pool, the Orion lodge features a private pool, private outdoor cabana and terrace fitted with high quality furniture in a dining setting, air-conditioning, king-size bed and ensuite bathroom with toilet and shower.

Bookings are now open for the Belgian music festival’s new Dubai desert destination, find out more at terrasolisdubai.com.

PLATINUM JUBILEE BOOKINGS Guesty, the leading Short Term Rental property management platform, finds in their latest data pull that UK STR reservation volume for the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend (2-5th June) is 124% higher than the same time period in 2021.

This clearly demonstrates that many Britons will be enjoying the Jubilee weekend by travelling domestically for another long weekend trip soon after the Easter break.

Early May Bank Holiday (Monday, May 2, 2022) Reservation volume for the UK’s Early May Bank Holiday (2nd May 2022) is -12% on 2021 (1st May 2021) and -22% on 2019 (6th May 2019).

While travel volume is down, prices continue to increase with average nightly rates for 2022 at £127/per night, +5% on 2021 pricing and +21% on 2019 pricing.

Spring Bank Holiday (Thursday, June 2, 2022) Reservation volume for the UK’s Spring Bank Holiday (2nd June 2022) is +76% on 2021 (31st May 2021) and +1% on 2019 (27th May 2019).

Average nightly rates are £220/per night, +15% on 2021 and +58% on 2019.

Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday (Thursday, 2nd June Sunday, 5th June 2022) Compared to the same date range of previous years, reservation volume during the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday is +124% compared to the same date in 2021 and +33% on 2019.

Average nightly rates countrywide are £202/per night, prices that are +10% on 2021 and +38% on 2019. A positive boost indeed for the local tourism sector & hospitality industry with Britons taking this opportunity to travel.

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NEWS EAT WELL AND DO GOOD Carbon Farmer’s groundbreaking new stove captures carbon while you cook.

Tawi, the outdoor stove from Carbon Farmers, has four specialised cooking surfaces and steals carbon out of the carbon cycle, which means you can eat well, knowing you’re doing good.

This simple and efficient woodburner runs on just a handful of dry twigs and is ready to cook almost as soon as it’s lit. Much quicker than a conventional barbecue, the compact and robust Tawi has a boiling plate, burner, warmer plate, and toasting grill - ideal for camping, glamping or al fresco cooking at home.

The flue of the Tawi Stove can be detached for easier transportation.

The Tawi is extremely versatile, with each cooking area offering a different average temperature, so you can fry, boil, steam, grill and even bake, wherever your adventures take you.

Created in partnership with ESSE Master Stove Maker since 1854, the unique design of the Tawi means it offsets its own carbon footprint. Instead of releasing clouds of woodsmoke into the air, it produces clean-burning wood gas, and biochar as a by-product. This biochar is

made up of solid carbon; carbon which the Tawi prevents from becoming polluting carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. As well as being a longterm carbon store, biochar can be used for a variety of useful purposes such as enriching your soil and eliminating household odours.

Graeme Boyd-Moss, product designer, says: “The original idea for the Tawi came about as a clean-burning means of cooking on our family smallholding in Kenya, which also gave us activated charcoal for water filters.

“Working with ESSE to bring the Tawi to life in the UK has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a fun and fantastically versatile cooking appliance in its own right, before you even consider its impact as an innovative carbon harvester.

“Developing this technology with ESSE now is very timely, considering that the UN Climate Report suggests we need to stop producing carbon dioxide and start ‘burying’ it.

“With energy costs continuing to rise, and the fact that the Tawi is so quick and easy to use, we genuinely opt to use it at every opportunity at home.”

ESSE Stoves Sales Director Mark Blewitt adds: “The Tawi sits well within the ESSE family and we’re proud to have partnered with CarbonFarmers on it. This outdoor cook stove combines multiple benefits without compromise: it will suit foodies and adventurous chefs equally as much as gardeners and environmentalists. All for just a handful of fallen twigs.

“In the current climate, we know carbon neutral cooking is good... but carbon negative is even better.”

Find out more at www.CarbonFarmers.World

ANTHROPODS LAUNCH THE CORPORATE ENTERTAINING POD (CEP) Taking the unique Anthropod tubular shape supported by extra-long steel legs, this newly designed pod has been created to provide a cool space for outdoor event venues where style, comfort and easy viewing are essential criteria.

Featuring a kitchenette, bar, indoor seating, washroom, heating and storage space. The Anthropod CEP features wide glazed entrance doors opening on to 5m x 3m viewing platform.

The 7metre long CEP features the same specially designed legs used on the Bleriot Plus Air model, and the base of the pod and viewing platform stands 1.5m high off the ground.

The Anthropod CEP is ideal for sporting events, shows and races where visitors expect great design and exclusive amenities. Prices for the model will depend on the interior specifications requested by customers, base prices will be announced later.

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NEWS WELSH GOVERNMENT SELF-CATERING TAX WILL DRIVE AWAY STAYCATIONERS Self-catering has always been one of Wales success stories. This sector has improved tenfold in the last decade, and now boasts some of the finest self-catering properties to be found anywhere in Britain.

contentious legislation concerning business rates that will make operating a genuine Welsh self-catering business untenable, especially for the smaller/medium sized operators in Wales.

There are approximately 8000 selfcatering properties in Wales, generating approximately £134 million every year for the Welsh economy and sustaining approximately 4700 jobs.

At present to be classed as a ‘business’ in Wales, genuine self-catering operators have to be open for holiday bookings for 140 days a year, and their properties must be let for 70 days a year.

Importantly for the rural economy, 14% of the 23,000 Welsh farms now have some form of tourism element, mainly self-catering. The Welsh government has encouraged this diversification into tourism and self-catering by offering grants to farmers.

The new proposals by the Welsh Government will change the number of days a self-catering ‘business’ must be open to 252 days a year (an 80% increase) and the property MUST then be let out for 182 days (an increase of 150%).

However, after Easter the Welsh Government will be proposing some highly

Wales Tourism Alliance (WTA) researchers found that when asked, only 16% of self-catering operators thought they could

work within this 182-day threshold. As a comparison, English self-catering operators have an occupancy threshold of 70 days to meet.

In parallel with these, changes councils in Wales will be given the power to charge and extra 100%, or 200%, or even 300% extra on self-catering businesses that fail to get their properties let for 182 days. i.e., They will no longer be classed as a business and will have to pay council tax instead.

When these rate changes come about Wales will not be able to compete with similar selfcatering operations in England/Scotland, as the only way they could fund the increase in their rates bill would be to put prices up at a time when families are facing the biggest cost of living crisis since the 1950s, with many families looking for competitive prices in order to have a holiday at all.

PETITION TO EXTEND THE CAMPING PERIOD ON FARMLAND IN THE UK A new UK Government & Parliament petition, created by Peter Broatch from https:// eweleaze.co.uk/ Eweleaze Farm campsite, is close to its goal of 10,000 signatures.

The petition is titled “Allow Camping on Farmland for 56 days a year under permitted development” and can be found here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/615270.

At the time of writing, the signatures stand at 5,474. 10,000 signatures are needed for the government to respond. At 100,000 signatures, the petition will be considered for debate in parliament. The deadline for this goal is 22nd October 2022.

During Covid, the government allowed the 28-day rule to extend to 56 days, however this expired in December 2021.

“We ask the Government to allow camping on agricultural land for 56 days instead of the current 28 days permitted. Camping is a great way to holiday in the UK. It is low cost, enables interaction with nature, and is very low carbon compared to other holiday types.”

“The present General Permitted Development Orders don’t even allow many campsites to open for the duration of the school summer holidays. A longer open period will allow many more people to enjoy holidaying in the UK, will increase the viability of temporary campsites, and should significantly reduce holiday carbon emissions.”

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STRENGTH AND QUALITY WITH THE HLF GROUP The HLF Group are specialist manufacturers and suppliers of Contract Standard Furniture for this sector. They have thousands of furniture options detailed within their brochures. A large proportion of their offering is for outdoor usage.

The HLF Group pride themselves on being an industry expert on all contract standard furniture. They hand select all items to ensure that they are aesthetically pleasing but also will withhold heavy usage. Most of their products go into units which are rented out.

As summer approaches, the HLF Group have just finalized their Outdoor Furniture brochure. Within this, you can see they have a large range of outdoor products from single chairs through to bespoke modular sofa options. They can offer wooden pub picnic benches, parasols,

rattan and more modern solid metal framed models.

Their furniture is suitable in homes and gardens, pubs & hotels and is perfect for lodge parks and holiday homes.

Their furniture is selected for strength, longevity, quality and value. The HLF Group either manufacture inhouse or source direct from manufacturers worldwide and work closely with them to ensure that both their ethical standards of production and their high environmental demands for sustainability are met.

If you would like to discuss any of your furniture requirements, a member of The HLF Group sales team can help assist with

COOLER THAN THE REST WITH MAKITA

what product may be appropriate for you and to suggest options that they have that fits all budgets.

The HLF Group have a large showroom in Newcastle where many of their products are on show. Customers can book in to meet with their interior designers and chose items with their assistance.

To find out more, visit www.thehlfgroup.com.

A road trip isn’t complete without a plentiful supply of snacks and thanks to Makita, keeping food and drinks cool or warm in any season is possible with its latest 18V Cordless Cooler & Warmer Box. This useful product is way more than a traditional cooler box as it can keep food and drinks either cool, warm or frozen and can be powered by three power source options: either with a Makita 18V LXT Li-Ion battery (two in parallel, or one), an in vehicle 12V/24V AC (cigarette socket), or with a 240V mains supply – making this an incredibly versatile unit for all journeys.

The solution can operate at two warming settings of 55° and 60°, and five cooling settings of -18°, -10°, 0°, 5° and 10°. The unit can run at its coldest setting of -18° for five hours and its warmest setting of 60° for around four hours. When set at 5°C (normal fridge temperature) the cooler will run for up to 17 hours with 2x 6.0Ah batteries.

The DCW180Z is designed with a large 20-litre capacity of storage space and as an example, it can hold approximately 30 cans, or 15 x 600ml water bottles. The solution also features a USB port, so mobile devices can be charged on the go and caster wheels to make transportation easy. It even features a bottle opener for a quick, cool refreshment.

For more information about Makita, please visit: www.makitauk.com

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Must-See

TRUDOMES LOCATIONS

TruDomes have travelled far and wide over the past few years, covering ground in the UK and beyond, creating unique glamping spaces off the beaten track. Just like TruDomes, their customers are always thinking outside the box and bringing new and exciting experiences and innovations to the Glamping industry. TruDomes love them for it, and they want to shout about the many must-see locations across the UK that the TruDomes family occupy. So, if you’ve not yet planned your dream staycation for Summer 2022, or maybe you’re looking for road trip inspiration… they challenge you to read on and not add one of these hidden gems to your bucket list!

Discover Dartmoor at Dartmoor Domes A bit of background – power couple James and Emma and their children together built and launched Dartmoor Domes during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. In their words “with adversity has come opportunity”, and these guys have proven that even in the toughest times the greatest achievements can be made. Just minutes from the breathtakingly beautiful Dartmoor National Park, Dartmoor Domes is located in a secluded woodland meadow, and truly combines luxury with nature.

Being eco-friendly is a huge thing for these guys; no machinery was used to build the site, and they have considered everything from the furniture to the amenities and beyond when bringing this unique Glampsite to life. They are the proud owners of four tastefully decorated domes… and the recent addition of wood fired hot tubs is certainly a selling point!

Fall in love with Somerset at Tractors and Cream Glamping Vicki and Bryan are the heart and soul of Tractors and Cream; they moved to Somerset with the goal of starting their own business, which eventually led them to Glamping! There is plenty to see and do in Somerset, with stunning scenery and fun activities for all of the family to enjoy. You can find three glamping domes here (with more coming soon)– all decorated with a different vibe, depending on your personal taste. They have also recently invested in an event dome so watch this space!

Experience the wonder of Wales at Cae Nant Glamping Nestled in the idyllic Welshpool countryside, you will find Cae Nant Glamping, a truly personal, luxury Glamping experience in the stunning backdrop of mid Wales. In the remote Welsh hills, with a view like this you could be fooled into thinking that you were a thousand miles from civilisation… but this lovely spot is just an hour drive from Shrewsbury, and the market town of Llanfyllin is just ten minutes down the road.

Cae Nant boasts fully equipped domes with hot tubs, BBQs and wood fired pizza, making this the ultimate Glamping holiday location.

Try a wellness retreat in Lincolnshire at Purusha Retreats We all know that self-care is important… you’ve got to nourish to flourish! Purusha Retreats have the whole self-care thing figured out – their wellness retreats bring everything from yoga classes, to mindfulness workshops, wreath making, craft workshops and much more. As well as offering many retreats of their own, if you have your own business, you can hire their stunning space and accommodation to host your own retreat or event. Relax, recharge, and enjoy the luxury setting in charming rural Lincolnshire.

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The Busy Bee of ABEILLE MAISON BRAČ

Zlatko Pankov is a busy man. It is fitting, therefore, that his amazing glamping resort in Brač, Croatia, should be named after the industrious bee. Abeille Maison is set back from the popular beach on the island resort and comprises of eight incredible tented suites, each with their own private pool.

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Each of these tents features a ‘bee’ name and can command as much as Euros 600 per night. The resort also boasts fine dining and mixology and is adults only. Despite its exquisite beauty, Zlatko himself believes that his next resort will be even finer. Ideally, he would have more space and privacy for his guests and plans for the perfect site are already far advanced.

As if this was not enough work for one man to manage, Zlatko designs and manufactures the tents he uses and will soon be making his tents and his dining and mixology concepts available for others to utilise in their own glamping resorts.

As for the industrious bee – Zlatko claims that he is drawn to it because the hive is a matriarchal society. “I admire women and the way they think,” he says. “I am convinced that if we had more female-led societies, such as Iceland, the world would be a more civilised place.” It was his daughter who chose the name for Abeille Maison – saying that the French would be an elegant touch.

In fact, Zlatko is Macedonian, as are many of his team and glamping is not his first career. For 30 years, he travelled the world as a stand designer and builder for exhibitions. His company excelled in creating fantastic structures in a matter of days in show halls around the world. Zlatko himself stayed in the finest hotels and was inspired by the best hospitality and surroundings.

When COVID struck and events were cancelled, he concentrated on his other dream – glamping.

“Glamping saved my business these past couple of years,” he admits. “I had a team of 50 to support and they had the skills to build the site and I was able to play around with it. I am a perfectionist, and this was a wonderful project.”

Incredibly, the main infrastructure of Abeille Maison was completed in just 55 days – it took his team 15 days build the tents – a background in meeting deadlines for events and creating high specification stands within budget proving to be extremely useful.

Zlatko chose Croatia for his site because he feels that it can command the kind of price per night for luxury camping those other countries such as Greece and Italy cannot. He also feels that although glamping is seemingly popular in Croatia – the quality of the offer is not often what he would consider to be high enough to warrant the name. “It’s popular in Croatia but it’s not real glamping. In 2020, the Croatian Government tried to put into law what glamping should be but it can still be everything from a farm stay to tents operated at a low level. I see it as a luxury offer – I classify luxury as everything you don’t really need and that costs a lot of money!” he adds with a laugh.

Therefore, he classifies Abeille Maison as Croatia’s first proper luxury glamping site. As for the individual swimming pools – this he sees as a necessity. “I previously had another site around five years ago with eight tents – two of the tents with a pool and the other six without a pool – the tents with pools were booked for 130 days a year, the other 6 were booked for just 40 days. I knew that it made business sense – most humans want to be by the water,” he says.

Zlatko first started to introduce his concept of glamping onto the market around 8 years ago, when he discovered that there was no product on the market that was suitable for his idea for the tented accommodation.

“We started to produce our own tents here in Macedonia, under the brand of My Glamping – we sought to upgrade the tents we saw in trade fairs and on

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the internet, using the top materials we could find. We wanted to make sure that they were very secure and stable, they can withstand winds of 185km and hour and 1.5m of snow – they are tents for summer and winter,” he says.

Zlatko has also developed a natural way to cool the tents, for which he is currently seeking a patent. “This is extremely important to beat the humidity we have in Croatia,” he says. The system involves layers of canvas which can trap the minutest breeze and effectively push the warm air out of the tent. It can lower temperatures by as much as 5 or 6 degrees and reduce humidity by 30 per cent – meaning that guests can reduce their usage of air conditioning, which is great for the environment.

The second challenge is finding the right location for the glamping sites. Zlatko devotes a lot of time and energy researching and communicating with the stakeholders, such as the local government and even Churches in the locations he favours for his sites. However, he has one fast rule – rent don’t buy. “At any time, someone can open a chicken farm or some other business next to yours and overnight it becomes impossible,” he says. “If you rent the land, you can simply move your tents and your business somewhere else. It is a much safer option and it’s good to keep things fresh and move anyway after seven or eight years.”

Beautiful Brač would appear to be the best possible location, with its Golden Horn beach and popular, quaint old town Bol. However, Zlatko is not completely satisfied. “In July and August the beach is very crowded, so we do get some noise. We have 5000m square for 8 tents but I would prefer around 12000m square,” he says. “But the position we occupy in the pine wood near the Golden Horn beach, is a very beautiful place for glamping, close enough to the famous beach and the highest mountain on the island, there are so many fantastic activities for our guests, biking, hiking, sightseeing and the sea,” he admits.

Whether it’s walking the secluded pathway to the old town or enjoying a floating breakfast in the pool before relaxing with a book on the sunbeds outside the tent, guests can do as little or as much as they like and enjoy as much privacy as they wish. Zlatko realises that it takes guests a while to unwind and find their adventurous spirit and this also is true of the cuisine he serves.

“People travel to experience wonderful food,” he says. “Our customers want something different; they want local food and ingredients cooked in a special way.

Have you ever tried mussels cooked in porto with dry figs and garlic? People love it!”

Much of the food is sourced locally and the salad comes from the organic garden on site, but there are also other delicacies such as Japanese wagyu beef which is brought onto the island. The logistics are not so complex, “Where we are, it’s exYugoslavia – there is a good infrastructure and we are only 50 minutes from Split – so bringing supplies and people here is no big drama,” says Zlatko.

Finding suitably trained staff is more of a challenge and leaving nothing to chance, Zlatko recruits many in Macedonia, where he trains them in his own restaurant. “We created the restaurant not only for training purposes but as employment for the staff out of season,” says Zlatko.

A restaurant, a tent manufacturing company, a trade fair company and two resorts to date – the first in Murter and the second on Brač and the third in progress in Istria – this would be more than enough for most people. But Zlatko is not most people. He has another project almost ready to go – on another Croatian island which is completely off-grid but he is feeling superstitious about it, as he is awaiting a final decision, so he won’t reveal too much. “I have the perfect project for this island,” he says wistfully, “I would just need to bring tents, water and of course, my bees!”

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WELCOME INTRO

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AGENDA 31st May: delegate arrival and welcome drinks reception

1 June 9.30am Introduction by organising team to the event and our partner – The Slovenian Tourist Board – plus our sponsor YALA Luxury Canvas Lodges 10.00am Live link interview with Sarah Dusek, Investor & Founder of Enygma Ventures, Co-founder Under Canvas.

Believer in the power of business to impact our world for good.

11.00am Coffee Break 11.30am Bill Bensley welcome (remote) 11.40am Louis Thompson of Nomadic Resorts and David Leventhal resort owner, on the inspiration behind and creation of Playa Viva’s new treehouse village 12.30pm Presentation in interior design trends for eco hotels by Kristina Zanic, Founder & CEO of Kristina Zanic Consultants, award-winning interior designer & design studio.

1.00pm Networking Lunch 2.00pm Conversation with Noelle Homsy, Co-Founder ENVI Lodges about the brand, the vision and the future.

2.30pm Panel Session - A blank canvas – how tented structures can be your inspiration including Wilfried Baeten Co-Owner RAY Tensile Design, Tom Butterfield, Sales and Business Development Manager, Eco Structures Australia, Sander Jacob, Product Manager Creative Structures and Robert Klun, Architect, Magnet Design.

3.15pm Coffee Break 3.45pm Garden Village Bled and other Slovenian glamping sites Maja Dimnik talks about how she helped to launch some iconic glamping resorts in her home country.

4.15-5.15pm My Investment Journey Sarah Dusek tells us about creating and selling Under Canvas, setting up her own investment fund Enygma Ventures and her latest project and what she has learned along the way.

Conversation with Mohamed Belkhodja, Director of Investments & Special Projects and others.

5.45pm Leave for Garden Village Bled Gather for a quick tour of this award-winning glamping/eco resort followed by drinks reception and dinner – sponsored by YALA. 10.00pm Return to Park Hotel

2 June 9.30am Welcome from Sonu Shivdasani Founder and CEO of Soneva (Guardian of the Culture); (Founder of Six Senses Resorts) – (remote) 9.35am What I learned the hard way panel session involving resort operators with up and running businesses covering those things that they might have done differently. With Karl Plunkett MD Eco Beach Resort and experiential accommodation consultant, Zlatko Pankov Founder Abeille Maison, Kerry Roy, Founder Cerchio del Desiderio.

10.30–11am Presentation by Maša Klemenčič Project manager, Research, Development, Innovation and EU Projects.

Coffee Break 11.30am Panel Session: Design Your Location to Maximise Your Income and Sustainability, Led by Todd Wynne-Parry, MD Horwath HTL, Jure Dolenc GLAMPro and Miha Kovačič, co-Founder Conventa.

12.30pm Wellness Marcin Dabrowski, SPA & Wellness Business Development consultant, on how we need to think differently about incorporating wellness into our resorts.

1.00 pm Networking Lunch 2.00pm Panel Session – Marketing and Branding. How to stand out in a crowded green marketplace, how to secure bookings online, who to partner with and how to use social media and influencers – led by Maja Dimnik, CEO World of Glamping, Brett Melzer, Co owner/ founder Gangtey Lodge Bhutan, Balloons over Bagan, Sarah Riley, Glamping And Eco-Resort Business Coach, @katarina_bencek – Influencer.

3.00pm – Coffee Break 3.15pm Projects in progress, Rachel Bowers on a new German Vineyard eco hotel plus Astrid Arlove of OBOĒ, Mauritius – a new urban eco hotel project.

4pm Final discussions – how can we be more sustainable now? A call to action and inspiration with ideas for everyone to take back with them. With Beks Ndlovu, Owner African Bushcamps (joining us live from Africa) In conversation with Marta Bormioli Gambardella of Journeys Namibia and others.

For those delegates remaining – we are organising an informal dinner.

Details correct at time of press.

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GLADYS CAMPHUIJSEN

LIZA WILLEMSEN

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, YALA LUXURY CANVAS LODGES

DESIGNER, RAY TENSILE DESIGN

IN-PERSON

IN-PERSON

WILFRIED BAETEN

BRETT MELZER

CO-OWNER RAY TENSILE DESIGN

CO OWNER/ FOUNDER GANGTEY LODGE BHUTAN, BALLOONS OVER BAGAN MYANMAR

IN-PERSON

DAVID LEVENTHAL CO-FOUNDER OF RR & OWNER OF PV REGENERATIVE RESORTS/PLAYA VIVA RESORT IN-PERSON

IN-PERSON

TODD WYNNEPARRY CEO & FOUNDER MONTARE HOSPITALITY IN-PERSON

LOUIS THOMPSON

KARL PLUNKETT

FOUNDER AND CEO

FOUNDER & CEO EXPERT IN DESIGN & MANUFACTURE ECO RESORTS

IN-PERSON

MARTIN HOHN FOUNDER & CEO ATMA.LIFE

IN-PERSON

IN-PERSON

KRISTINA ZANIC CEO KRISTINA ZANIC CONSULTANTS

IN-PERSON

VISIT WWW.ECORESORT.NETWORK TO FIND FULL PROFIES OF OUR DELEGATES 18 l

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J MENDES FOUNDER – NO FOOTPRINT CONSULTING

IN-PERSON

RACHEL BOWERS

MOHAMED BELKHODJA DIRECTOR INVESTMENTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS RAS AL KHAIMAH TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN-PERSON

JARO BERCE NEW PROJECT OWNER

NEW PROJECT OWNER

IN-PERSON

NOELLE HOMSY CO-FOUNDER ENVI LODGES

IN-PERSON

MAJA DIMNIK FOUNDER & CEO WORLD OF GLAMPING, EVENT ORGANISER ECO RESORT NETWORK IN-PERSON

IN-PERSON

STEPH CURTISRALEIGH EVENT ORGANIZER ECO RESORT NETWORK IN-PERSON

ROBERT KLUN ARCHITECT PRESIDENT AT MAGNET DESIGN D.O.O.

IN-PERSON

SARAH RILEY

KERRY ROY

FOUNDER INSPIRED COURSES

FOUNER, CERCHIO DEL DESIDERIO

IN-PERSON

IN-PERSON

VISIT WWW.ECORESORT.NETWORK TO FIND FULL PROFIES OF OUR DELEGATES

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1-2 JUNE 2022 BLED, SLOVENIA

ANDREJA M BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER KRISTINA ZANIC CONSULTANTS

IN-PERSON

SANDER JACOB PRODUCT MANAGER, CREATIVE STRUCTURES

IN-PERSON

LARS SCHÄFER GLAMPING ADVISOR OUTDOOR HOSPITALITY GROUP

IN-PERSON

MARTA BORMIOLI GAMBARDELLA JOURNEYS NAMIBIA

IN-PERSON

FOTIS DRAKOPOULOS

MARCIN DĄBROWSKI

FOUNDER AND OWNER OF COLORS HOTEL

SPA & WELLNESS CONSULTANT

IN-PERSON

IN-PERSON

JURE DOLENC

JON BRECELJ

CEO, GLAMPRO

CMO, GLAMPRO

IN-PERSON

IN-PERSON

KATARINA BENCEK

EDWARD BUSBY

INFLUENCER

CO FOUNDER, CROWN AND CANOPY

IN-PERSON

IN-PERSON

VISIT WWW.ECORESORT.NETWORK TO FIND FULL PROFIES OF OUR DELEGATES 20 l

www.glampingbusiness.com

1-2 JUNE 2022 BLED, SLOVENIA

ZLATKO PANKOV GENERAL MANAGER AND OWNER OF PANEKS

IN-PERSON

MARK CURTISRALEIGH THE SUNDAY TIMES

IN-PERSON

MIHA KOVAČIČ

KATHRIN KOVAČIČ

CO-FOUNDER CONVENTA

EXPERIENCE CREATOR, MICE EXPERT

IN-PERSON

IN-PERSON

TOM BUTTERFIELD

ASTRID ARLOVE

SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ECO STRUCTURES

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, OBOĒ LTD

IN-PERSON

MAŠA KLEMENČIČ PROJECT MANAGER, GREEN SCHEME OF SLOVENIAN TOURISM JOINING US AND PRESENTING ON JUNE 2 THE SLOVENIAN TOURIST BOARD ARE PARTNERS IN THE ECO RESORT NETWORK EVENT

ELIE CASAMITJANA FOUNDER IKIOM

ONLINE

IN-PERSON

JOÃO FREITAS DIRECTOR OF GROWTH & PARTNERSHIPS HOST

ONLINE

BILL BENSLEY CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT BENSLEY

ONLINE

VISIT WWW.ECORESORT.NETWORK TO FIND FULL PROFIES OF OUR DELEGATES

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1-2 JUNE 2022 BLED, SLOVENIA

LUCA FRANCO

BEKS NDLOVU

FOUNDER LUXURY FRONTIERS

FOUNDER & CEO, AFRICAN BUSH CAMPS

ONLINE

SONU SHIVDASANI

FOUNDER AND CEO, SONEVA (GUARDIAN OF THE CULTURE), FOUNDER, SIX SENSES RESORTS ONLINE

ONLINE

SARAH DUSEK INVESTOR & FOUNDER, ENYGMA VENTURES, CO-FOUNDER UNDER CANVAS

ONLINE

GARDEN VILLAGE BLED On June 1 – we will be taking our delegates to the awardwinning glamping resort Garden Village Bled for a tour and dinner.

This glamping site was ground-breaking when it opened and our co-organiser Maja Dimnik and delegates GLAMPro were involved in designing and launching it. At the time, the concept of experiential hospitality was little known. The site itself is unusual and set on different levels with a river running through it. Accommodation consists of treehouses, tents on platforms over the river and other tented structures near the bio pool and vegetable gardens. Playful touches abound and the restaurant by the pool with grass-topped tables and a stream that runs through it – will be the perfect setting for our dinner, hosted by our sponsor YALA

VISIT WWW.ECORESORT.NETWORK TO FIND FULL PROFIES OF OUR DELEGATES 22 l

www.glampingbusiness.com

YALA EXCLUSIVE A Luxury Tent for Now YALA luxury canvas lodges has created a new division focused on the high luxury end of the tented structures market. Steph Curtis-Raleigh caught up with the new Managing Director of this division, Marcel Veenhuizen, to find out more.

YALA is an established name in the tented structures sector and despite being renowned for the comfort and quality of its range, the company began to receive more enquiries for more expensive and exclusive models.

“Our own network of dealers and agents worldwide were reporting back that they were in conversation with developers and large corporates who were willing to buy for more exclusive resorts, which were looking for eye-catching tent structures,” says Marcel. “This is why we created a new range for this sector. And our inhouse design studio can help developers and resort owners with concept development, not only for the glamping tents but also for the venue structures.” An interesting side effect is that our customers see an increase in guests in all their tents, just because they have these high end glamping structures on their site.

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YALA’s Exclusive range includes four models from a two-person tent for hotels and similar resorts through to the six-person Supernova villa. All tents offer guests the luxury of a 5-star boutique hotel. “We spent a lot of time designing and engineering these models. We first developed them two years ago and then we learned from the first installations and went back and engineered them further and made them even more stable,” says Marcel.

“We build them on a metal frame as some customers want to put them in remote areas and so we needed a stronger frame and we wanted them to be able to withstand an even greater wind force. We are extremely proud of the result, a uniquely designed glamping tent that offers guests the ultimate holiday feeling.”

YALA currently has projects all over the world, “Mostly we work with local teams in whatever region we are installing the tents,” says Marcel. “We send over a YALA team

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with two supervisors to help build the tents as they are complex structures. Then we employ a local team of around 4-6 people to help.”

Maintenance of the Exclusive range is not a lot different than with the glamping tents from the other YALA ranges. “These tents are very low maintenance indeed,” says Marcel. “The only thing you need to do is to oil the zippers once a year!” Rain showers should keep the canvas clean as the quality of the innovative canvas that YALA uses doesn’t require much more looking after. “If there is a very heavy snowfall, we would just advise that operators check the load is not too heavy,” adds Marcel.

The incredible Supernova will take about two weeks to construct, depending on how level the terrain is. The preparation is mostly carried out by the site owner in advance of the team arriving to erect the lodges. The team requires that electricity and plumbing are

Clients often visit YALA at their showroom in the Netherlands, where they can see the full range of options and discuss the materials and the frame.

Marcel has identified a number of key trends from clients – above and beyond the desire for more high-end structures. “First of all, people want to reconnect with nature but in a luxurious and comfortable way.

Another interesting trend is the demand for winter glamping,” he says. “Glamping is becoming popular in the Nordic regions and we have a customer in Maine in the US who rents out our tents for 9 months of the year. It can be a really lovely experience to be in our tents in winter with a fire to keep you warm inside and blankets to snuggle up in. It’s perfectly possible. They have a 90 per cent occupancy rate so their guests obviously agree!”

“We are noticing that our customers’ guests are asking for more sustainability in their holidays. They may be going away for shorter stays but they want more luxury and they are willing to pay for it,” he adds. “We are also seeing more of a trend for multigenerational trips – grandparents, parents and children traveling together – we put this information into our designs.”

already brought to the site of the tent ahead of time.

As for the interior of the tent – this is up to the client. “We have got a really nice set of furniture that we can offer including bedding linen, chairs, sun loungers and more but if a client has specific wishes we discuss it with them,” says Marcel. “Sometimes they want to bring their own interior decorators and sometimes we deliver it for them, so it depends. Often with a hotel chain, they have their own furniture, so we advise them what suits and what fits.”

The tents are built in a modular way, so Marcel and the team encounter a lot of customisation questions. “The cooperation we have with the client and ourselves in order to deliver what they wish is one of the best things about these kinds of tents and the bespoke service we offer,” says Marcel.

YALA tries to be as sustainable as possible in every area. “We use sustainably sourced woods and we work with all of our suppliers to see how they can also reduce their carbon footprint,” says Marcel. “All of the PVC that we use is completely re-useable – the tents have a lifespan of 15 years and we can recollect the PVC to recycle. We often provide solar panels and we have introduced and we have developed insulation canvas to keep in more warmth; or to keep out the heat to avoid the necessity for air conditioners. There has been a lot of innovations in sustainability in canvas structures in recent years.”

What sets YALA’s Exclusive structures apart?

“What we have tried to develop here are modern glamping tents,” says Marcel. “There is a historic background in this industry of traditional African-style safari tents – we are taking this history and using today’s materials and especially our design expertise to create something that feels like now!”

Find out more about YALA and their unique range of canvas lodges: yalacanvaslodges.com

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A Guide to TENTED STRUCTURES When it comes to glamping accommodation, tented structures are among the most iconic available. Low set up costs mean a good return on investment, but it is also important to factor in maintenance costs and the kind of weather conditions that will be faced at your site.

With so many choices available, choosing the right tented structure accommodation for your site is easier said than done. International Glamping Business Social Media Editor Annie Hilton reached out to some suppliers to get you the information that you need.

options and various packages to suit everyone’s needs. Think of multiple color options and various setups for a 2 person to 5 person accommodation.

CREATIVE STRUCTURES crossoverlodge.com creativestructuresworldwide.com

How much maintenance do your products require?

Do you offer any follow-up services?

Easy to clean, low maintenance.

We offer documentation for the maintenance.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

Approximately 6-8 weeks, depending on the personal requests.

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

Since 2009 Creative Structures has been a global player in the production and distribution of tent structures, furniture and flooring within the hospitality, leisure and event industry.

It was a journey through Morocco that inspired managing director Bas Hoijtink. On the intense journey through the desert, he was stunned by a soothing luxury tent experience, which led to an investigation into the possibilities of developing his own construction into a residential accommodation. The result was the Crossover Lodge that elevates luxury camping to a hotel experience.

What type of structures do you create?

We designed the Crossover Lodge from a luxurious outdoor experience instead of a tent stay experience. The uniqueness lies in the spacious set up and the luxury. A unique and luxurious appearance in every scenery!

What are the main advantages of using tented structures for hospitality, in your opinion?

- The Crossover Lodge is easy to move to another location - Offers guests the ultimate outdoor experience without losing the luxury of your home What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

The Crossover Lodge is the first TÜV certified lodging structure. The tent even weathered storms of 145 km/h! Besides, the outer tent can be closed completely with sidewalls, which guarantees double insulation.

It has room for 5 people, a luxurious bathroom and a stylish kitchen. Due the height and clever modular system the lodge feels spacious. The large, covered terrace offers plenty of space to relax and enjoy time with family and friends.

Furthermore, it has a compact transport packaging (just 2 pallets needed to transport the structure + the inner and outer tent) and is easy to install. We offer many customizable

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

Our tent structure is a compact packaging. Just 2 pallets needed to transport the structure + the inner and outer tent.* * Basic configuration excl. the frame of the interior, the furnishing and decoration.

What geographical markets do you cover?

Over the years, Creative Structures has grown into an organization operating in more than 60 countries. Our Crossover Lodge fits every scenery in all weather conditions.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Yes, for larger purchases we could offer discounts.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

The frame of the structure has a lifetime of many years. The tent covers needs to be replaced after approximately 10 years.

Depending on location and use. We offer the standard warrantee (European Law) on factory and production faults.

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GLAMPING INNOVATIONS

glampinginnovations.co.uk What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

I started Glamping Innovations in February 2022. I had been working in the sector for several years supplying Canvas products to Holiday Parks, Glamping Sites, Activity companies and landowners.

After observing the trends in Glamping, I realized that there was a gap for more innovative, unique, designer led products and that was what inspired me to set up Glamping Innovations. Our ethos is all about Innovation, design and creating unique products to take the market to the next level.

What type of structures do you create?

We have a range of Canvas products which are completely different to the norm.

The Arcade is a very contemporary and futuristic unit which provides 65m2 of space with separate sleeping areas, a bathroom and very large living space. It has an outer roof made from 660gsm PVC and then an inner tent, so it is very well insulated inside. The structure is partly steel, partly wood so will withstand the most severe weather conditions.

The Panorama is available in three different sizes and has huge panoramic windows all around the tent to make the most of the views The internal frame is made from birch and gives a light an airy feel to the

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product. Due to the shape of the Panorama, it will withstand wind speeds of up to 168kms.

Our Safari Tents have the strongest frames on the market as we use 100ml poles not 80ml. We only use Tencate KA46 canvas, and we have added a few unique features to make sure that our design and quality is leading edge. We have 10 different sizes/ models ranging from units that sleep 2 people up to 8.

We have just launched the Crossover Lodge; this product is very high end.

Beautifully constructed with an external dome and internal tent which has huge windows and a beautiful interior. Sleeping up to 5 people the Crossover is very luxurious and offers something completely unique to the market.

Most of our products are available ex stock.

What are the main advantages of using tented structures for hospitality, in your opinion?

There is a lot of versatility to canvas structures, and we have tried to offer differentiation with all our products.

The Glamping experience is about getting back to being as close to nature as possible but having a luxury and a comfortable cosy space to enjoy the experience. We have also tried to create the wow factor with our structures so that guests will not forget the experience of choosing a Glamping Holiday.

www.glampingbusiness.com

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

The uniqueness of the products that we offer. In certain areas the market has become saturated. It is important more that ever now to make your site stand out and offer a unique experience and be creative about what you offer potential guests.

How much maintenance do your products require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Most of our products don’t need a lot of maintenance other than wear and tear.

We have tried to make sure that we offer robust and maintenance free units. For example, our Safari tents have a removable front panel so that if the area where the main entrance to the tent gets dirty (grubby fingerprints) or the zip breaks from constant use we can replace that panel easily and quickly. We can repair and replace any part of our units.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

Most of our units are available ex stock so delivery can be within a week.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

All of our products are transported to site and then built by one of our teams or the customer can construct the units. We provide instruction and back up support for anyone that would prefer to build themselves.

What geographical markets do you cover?

We distribute in the UK, Ireland and Italy currently.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Of course!!

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

Life span should be between 8 – 15 years depending on the product and how it has been treated.

We offer a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty on all of our units.

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AUTENTIC

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

At the moment, we maintain stocks of all tent models in various stock locations, meaning supply within 5-10 working days is possible. For large orders or if specific products are out of stock, delivery timings are upon request.

autentic.world

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

Autentic was founded in 2018, however our sister brands Alpino and Alpinter have decades of experience in tent design and production, focusing on tents for boy scouts and for various institutional and humanitarian applications. Even before Covid, camping and glamping were gaining in popularity. So, we combined our in-house expertise and designed a complete range of glamping tents with the best materials, to take our customer’s glamping experiences to the next level.

What type of structures do you create?

Autentic is dedicated to the design and production of glamping tents. We have a broad range of Bell Tents (going from our 2-person Little Bell to our majestic 322+ square foot Billy-Joe Double Bell) and a smaller set of Patrol Tents. All our tents are made from sturdy 100% cotton canvas and are available in a broad range of natureinspired colours.

What are the main advantages of using tented structures for hospitality, in your opinion?

Tents can be extremely versatile, from the most basic setup in which guests bring their own mattresses to a luxurious and completely furnished setup. But no matter the choice you make, using a tented structure always brings your guests a new experience close to nature.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

Autentic tents are made of sturdy 100% cotton canvas, which is exclusively developed, woven and dyed for us. From

our years of experience in tent design and development, we have evaluated and improved each aspect of the tent, especially focusing on the needs of glamping sites.

We offer solutions for reducing the needed ground surface, for temperature control by creating an air cushion system or by creating a much wider entrance so your guests can fully enjoy the nature around the tent.

How much maintenance do your products require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Autentic tents are treated for mold and water infiltration. We therefore only use European REACH approved chemicals, which are not harmful for nature or individuals. There is no additional treatment needed when using the tents, however we always advise to take into account some basic ‘maintenance’ guidelines.

1/ Our tents are 100% cotton. Cotton tents need to be ‘weathered’. This means that before the first use, we advise to wet the tent’s fabric before and allow it to dry.

Weathering will allow the cotton to bond and create a protective barrier against water.

2/ Although treated against mold, cotton tents don’t like to be packed when wet or humid. So before breaking down the tents, they need to be 100% dry.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

The tens are packed in a tent bag and in carton boxes and are supplied with a complete peg set and hammer, so they can be entirely assembled on site.

What geographical markets do you cover?

Autentic is a Belgian tent brand. At the moment, we have extensive reseller coverage across Europe and South-East Asia.

However, we are working to expand our dealer coverage in the Americas, Pacific and wider Asia as well.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Yes, we apply a standard discount policy with various levels. For custom productions, turnkey solutions or large orders, pricing is always upon requests and based on requirements and number of tents.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

The lifespan of a cotton tent product will always depend on the intensity of using the product and the care given during its life (for example drying before storing, tensioning of ropes, …). Because cotton is a natural product, it is normal for the fabric to develop its own character over time.

Depending on the climate and frequency of use colour fading is possible.

3/ A good setup and regular check if tensioning is still good, will help to avoid water infiltration. If there are questions with regards to maintenance or repairs, our dedicated sales and engineering teams are available to follow up with the clients. We also offer all spare parts separately.

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BCT OUTDOORS bctoutdoors.com

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

BCT Outdoors have been trading since 1896 supplying best of British hand made tents for the last 7 years for the glamping market. We have been supplying the scouts here for over 100 years.

What type of structures do you create?

We manufacture canvas tents, scouting tents, mess tents, marquees and a number of special glamping tents like the Yurt, bell tent and our full Nomadic range like the Nomadic bell tent. The Nomadic range have internal steel frames to support the canvas and can be secured in situ without guy ropes.

What are the main advantages of using tented structures for hospitality, in your opinion?

I believe this allows customers to choose a different experience each time they go away and being a little bit closer to nature. They are easier to move around and are more cost affective than semi or permanent structures.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

We manufacture here in the UK. Buy using all the best materials from around the world to offer the very best products we can. We are always innovating and evolving to bring bigger and better tents to the market whilst still producing some of the old classics like our mess tents. We often have letters in from around the world let us know that the tent they purchased from us 30 years ago, are still going strong!

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How much maintenance do your products require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Looking after a Canvas tent is very important and caring for it will mean it will last. We have a Wash /Treat and repair service available for our customers which is all carried out in our Factory in Bradford.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

The average wait time would be around 4/6 weeks dependent on the canvas material being available. Tencate material, which is considered the best there is, is sometimes on a 16-week delivery time scale so we have to manage our deliveries very closely. We sometimes have off the shelf items ready to go but most orders are made to order. The current Pandemic combined with other issues around the world have increased waiting times this year. We have been busy employing new team members post lockdown and are now back a full strength to supply the current huge demand.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

Our tents can be assembled anywhere. All our frames break down into manageable parts and come with bags. I will admit that some of them will need 2 people to carry. The Nomadic Yurt is so hardy, once put together, that a number of our customers have said they could leave this all year long without having to worry about it being damaged by high winds.

Because of its circular design the structure seems to be super stable and for years now we have a number of these dotted around the coast in situ in north Wales and Scotland with out any reported damage.

www.glampingbusiness.com

What geographical markets do you cover?

We are currently suppling the UK, Europe and as far away as Japan. The Glamping market is growing all the time and we are able to supply and support any glamping business with a range of tents.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

We do have a number of larger orders that go through like local authorities to large scale events like Glastonbury and Womad festivals who will order hundreds of units and we do negotiate at the sales point. It’s getting more difficult to be lean around price as everything needed to make the tents seems to be increasing weekly!

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

We offer a 2-year guarantee on all our products for manufacturing defects. Strong winds are not included I’m afraid.

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BOUTIQUE CAMPING boutiquecamping.com

What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

The first page of the Boutique Camping story unfolded back in the summer of 2010… After years of underwhelming, unsuccessful and frustrating camping trips, it took founders & committed festival goers, Ollie and Fiaz, one last tent disaster to come to a pivotal eureka moment… why camp basic when you could camp Boutique!?

Fast forward 12 eventful and adventurefuelled years and Boutique Camping, initially a one tent design distributor, has evolved into one of the world’s leading one-stop glamping e-shops, boasting a coveted collection of globally renowned exclusive tent designs, stoves and more!

What type of structures do you create?

As a team of modern day glampers who both seek and inspire pretty but practical adventures, we are most proud of the luxury patent-protected structures we’ve designed…

Available in 6 varying and ever versatile fabrics, coveted designs like ‘The Star Bell’, ‘The Luna Bell’ and the ‘Nova Air Dome’ (just to name a few!) have been inspired by traditional designs and through innovation and creativity have been drastically reinvented to fit today’s demands and expectations. From fully inflatable beams to ample headspace and mutli-door options, we have a tent for every camper and any occasion!

What are the main advantages of using tented structures for hospitality, in your opinion?

With glamping being an ever-growing hobby, attraction and talking point, it’s no surprise that any outdoor business or event showcasing such unique and ‘instagrammable’ structures is going to see a dramatic increase

in attraction, desire and overall wow factor gained from guests and visitors. Our tents are super portable and easy to pitch making them the perfect stress-free, no-fuss, all-thrills savvy shelter solution.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

Since launching Boutique Camping in 2010 we’ve watched the industry grow significantly, with lots of new businesses dabbling in stocking and selling tents. Our ultimate USP and why we’re proudly ranked as one of the UK’s leading camping boutiques all comes down to our innovative efforts when it comes to design and quality. From rainbow prints to tents that can attach to a campervan and everything in between, when you see a Boutique Camping tent, you’ll know it!

How much maintenance do your products require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

We always say… prevention is better than cure, and whilst there is no ‘one rule for all’ strategy, when it comes to maintenance we always push for TLC (tent loving and care) to be a priority for any tent owner looking for longevity. Our cotton and canvas fabrics have been treated with UV, water and rot repelling agents and depending on how often or the environments the structures are pitched in, this will keep your tents looking fab for months on end. When the time has come where your tent could do with a little spruce,, we sell a heap of trusted Nikwax products which include cleaning and reproofing agents, they are effective and easy to use… don’t believe us? Check out our easy-peasy demonstrations on Youtube!

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

Adventures should be spontaneous, so we pride ourselves on our same day dispatch

guarantee. That’s right, for no additional cost, our UK campers ordering before 1pm can have their glamping gear on their doorstep and ready to pitch the very next day! From Africa to Hawaii our tents and sought-after camping equipment can be shipped globally with the fastest courier options available.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

When designing our tent structures, ease, practicality and pitch time is a fundamental part of the process. Even our most impressive and largest emperor tents will take novice pitchers no longer than 30 minutes to erect….

Making them a hassle-free and cost-effective solution to heavier and more permanent structures which require transport and mass manhandling to erect and dismantle.

What geographical markets do you cover?

Everyone deserves to camp in true boutique style, so we’ve made it our priority to ensure no matter the location, we can make glamping goals a reality. As well as our main UK & EU e-shop, www.boutiquecamping.com we also have fully functioning, user-friendly USA and Australian websites which can be shopped in dollars. Our tent-spert customer service agents are able to create bespoke invoices for just about any location, simply email us your address and order and within 24 hours we’ll find you the cheapest, fastest and best suited solution!

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Our trade discount programme usually launches in September/October, but we are always looking to help support and build existing and new businesses of all sizes all throughout the year so get in touch and let’s talk all things boutique businesses! We have also just launched a new international franchise programme, so if you’re a non-UK business reading this who has interest in becoming a partner, distributor or franchisee stocking their very own boutique range…

Give us a shout!

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

A well looked after tent can last a lifetime… yes, a lifetime (and even beyond) but our 12-month warranty is there in the unlikely case of something bad happening to your tent… we got you!

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TENTED Structures What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

White Duck Outdoors has been in business for 5+ years. We started out as an outdoor lifestyle brand, on a mission to build products for the outdoors that are (1) durable and built to last, (2) sustainably manufactured and responsibly sourced, and (3) designed for the end-user, so they’re easy to use for people of all experience levels.

We became the leading supplier for glamping tents when glamping businesses began choosing White Duck for superior product quality and longevity of the glamping tents, combined with our emphasis on a seamless purchase experience, from offering unique-tothe-industry warranty policies to free shipping on orders of any value.

What type of structures do you create?

We manufacture and retail a complete range of glamping tents. This includes wall tents, bell tents and cabin camping tents, all of which are available in a variety of colours and sizes, so our glamping partners are able to find the perfect solution.

What are the main advantages of using tented structures for hospitality, in your opinion?

The primary advantage of using tented structures for hospitality is the low cost of entry and the high return on investment.

Tented structures are a relatively inexpensive investment, when compared with structures like domes, cabins or treehouses, so it’s comparatively easier for people to enter get a foot in the door of the industry with tented structures.

With the right staging and experience, it’s also possible to charge a similar price per night as

WHITE DUCK OUTDOORS whiteduckoutdoors.co.uk more elaborate structures. Tented structures are also easier to replace and upgrade regularly.

This low upfront investment combined with high, quick returns is what makes tented structures so well-suited for hospitality.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

Glamping tents from White Duck are made with 100% BCI cotton canvas, so the construction of the tents is the best in the industry.

All tents are treated with a PFC-free waterrepellent, mold-resistant and UV-resistant finish. This non-wax treatment provides superior protection to the tents, without interfering with the natural breathability of the cotton fabric.

Our glamping tents are packed with functionality; customers receive premium features like a stove jack, bug mesh, windows, reflective guy ropes and roof vents at no additional cost.

White Duck glamping tents are also responsibly manufactured. They’re made exclusively from BCI cotton.

How much maintenance do your products require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Our tents are fully treated at the time of manufacturing and often do not require further treatment. We offer repair kits in the case of minor damages, and we offer optional accidental damage protection at the time of purchase to keep customers fully protected in the event of accidental damages.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

3-5 business days in the US, 7-10 days globally.

Almost all of our products are in stock and available.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

They can be fully assembled on-site.

What geographical markets do you cover?

We ship globally.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Yes, we offer discounts for bulk purchases in tiers. The larger the purchase, the more significant the discount.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

All products come with our White Duck Warranty, our manufacturer’s warranty to cover defects in craftsmanship. We also offer accidental damage protection, which is unique to us in the tented structures space. This means customers can purchase additional protection to cover themselves in case of holes, broken zippers, tears and other types of daily wear and tear.

The lifespan of our products, with the right care and attention, can be 3-5 years. Our favourable pricing options, bulk discounts, free shipping and return policies make replacing or upgrading tents extremely easy, so even if something does go wrong, White Duck has your back.

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TENTED Structures

NOMADIC RESORTS nomadicresorts.com What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry?

I was working in the development department of Six Senses Resorts and Spas, and was asked to lead a tented camp task force – I was hooked!

How long have you been trading?

We have been operating since 2011.

What type of structures do you create?

We create bespoke tents, pods, treehouses and bamboo structures for the luxury hospitality industry, as well as our 4 standard tent products the Looper, Urchin, Seedpod and the Hive.

What are the main advantages of using tented structures for hospitality, in your opinion?

Many – prefabricated structures are typically more efficient, faster and cheaper than traditional builds.

Also market research clearly shows that guests are looking for alternative lodging

options rather than typical ‘box on the beach’ development.

What makes them stand out from your competitors/other manufacturers?

Difficult question but I think that we have focused on the highest market segment, with well-engineered, thermally efficient and sustainable products that meet international safety regulations, so we are able to work in the luxury or ultraluxury segments which more conventional products are unable to penetrate, as they do not meet the expectations of insurance companies.

How much maintenance do your products require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Very little as we use the highest quality architectural fabrics (as used on stadiums).

Typically we advise guests to wash the tents every 3 months with soapy water. We offer replacement membranes after ten year warranty comes to end (though the fabrics can last 10 or even 15 years longer than that).

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

It depends on models and volumes and the delivery location but typically 3 months.

Can your products be assembled on-site or do they require transportation?

They are assembled on site but need to be transported to the site….these are semipermanent structures that typically stay in the same place 15 -20 years or more.

What geographical markets do you cover?

We have projects all over the world.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

Yes but it depends what you term big – typically we have discount rates for more than 11 units.

How long is the lifespan of your products?

This depends a little on the required design life but typically our products last decades and we engineer them to a wind rating of 140kmh (though we do have 2 new products coming out that the first tents to be engineered to 270kmh wind speeds for cyclonic areas), Do you offer any warranties?

We offer a five, seven or ten year warranty depending on the fabric selection, a 10 year warranty on the steel and the bamboo flooring has a 25 year warranty. Our tents can be used as homes for permanent dwellings with insulation and lockable doors.

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TENTED Structures ratchets need to be checked more regularly, for example, after a heavy storm or snowfall. They need to be properly tensioned and fastened to keep the roof tight. Canvas is one of the most breathable fabrics for camping, but humidity can cause condensation. Open windows and doors now and then, and a slight breeze will do the trick. To answer your other question, we are here to advise, help and support clients throughout the process, including aftercare.

What is the average wait time from workshop to site?

The tents in stock can be delivered quickly, usually within 4-6 weeks. The design, delivery and installation time differ per project. It depends on the requested model, quantity, and conditions on-site. Keep in mind that every project is unique and requires its own approach

YALA yalacanvaslodges.com What inspired you to start a business for the glamping and camping industry? How long have you been trading?

Established thirteen years ago, we were one of the first manufacturers of safari tents and broke new ground long before glamping became the trend it is today. In recent years, YALA has completed nearly 8,000 projects, on more than 1,628 sites, in 53 countries. It’s not the canvas that inspires us; it’s about how we can help others achieve their goals and realise their dreams. We strive to add value to our clients: resorts, campsites, holiday and theme parks.

Helping our clients create the ultimate holiday experience for their guests is what motivates us.

What type of structures do you create?

We currently boast a selection of twelve multi-room glamping lodges, from classic models to exclusive high-end modular tent structures suitable for couples, families, and small groups. Our custom luxury safari tents come in different sizes, with one or two stories.

Within these designs, there are several options.

Whatever style or tent model you choose, our concept development department will ensure that your glamping accommodation stands out from the competition.

What are the main advantages of using tented structures for hospitality, in your opinion?

Tent structures allow for lower set-up and

maintenance costs, more versatility, and customisation than permanent structures.

For that reason, tent structures are an excellent entry point into the glamping world of hospitality. In addition, safari tents are collapsible and easier to transport, resulting in faster turnaround times and cost savings.

However, the most significant advantage is priceless: the proximity to nature combined with boutique-style luxury.

How does YALA stand out from its competitors/other manufacturers?

YALA has designed and manufactured various glamping structures for over twelve years. This has created a proven track record in structurally built quality canvas products. Our specialist in-house design team creates all the designs.

We are a solution-oriented company with a down-to-earth mentality. As true Dutch pioneers, thinking out of the box is our forte, which often results in unique solutions such as our infrared heating systems and insulated canvas. Both are perfect innovations to extend the season.

How much maintenance do your products require? Do you offer any follow-up services?

Our canvas is UV-proof as well as water- and dirt-resistant. Only the zippers and ratchets need a little attention. YKK: The world’s best zippers only need a little grease once a year to keep them running smooth as silk. The

Can your products be assembled on-site, or do they require transportation?

Our canvas lodges are prefabricated structures usually delivered and installed on-site by our experienced international installation teams.

It is also possible to install the tents with your own team using our detailed manuals.

Which geographical markets do you cover?

The world is our canvas. Our tents travel to destinations worldwide, from Europe to Asia and beyond. Our headquarters are based in the Netherlands. To ensure a global service, we have offices in Dubai, Rome, Singapore and Tennessee. We’ve built a strong global sales network consisting of 47 partners, ensuring there’s always an opportunity to discuss your ideas and bring them to life.

Would you offer discounts on larger purchases for bigger sites?

For those who fancy a glamping business? We will prepare a personalised and project-oriented quotation once we understand the client’s needs and wants. For more information, please contact our sales department: +31 (0)5 2762 0325.

How long is the lifespan of your products? Do you offer any warranties?

Our glamping structures are designed to be set up year-round. Some of our canvas lodges were built 12+ years ago and can last for many more years. It all depends on the location and the level of maintenance. We give a standard 24-month warranty on all our canvas lodges.

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In the next Issue n Shepherds Huts n Africa Focus

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Becoming More than JUST ACCOMMODATION

After an unexpected boost in popularity over the pandemic, glamping sites are becoming more common across the country meaning that it has never been more important to find ways to make your site stand out from the rest. International Glamping Business Editor Will Rusbridge caught up with Di Hammill Page, Founder of Wild Harvest, to find out how to elevate a glamping site beyond just being accommodation.

An influx of glamping sites set up throughout the pandemic along with the fact that the rules surrounding international holidays have now been relaxed has led to a situation where, “There is so much competition now in the glamping industry that you really need to move beyond just being accommodation and into offering ‘experiences’,” says Di, “Giving experiences means guests come away with some kind of transformation, having learned or achieved something, which will always yield more positivity and zest in their reviews than, for example, it had a nice bed.”

An ’About the Area’ section on a website is a great way to highlight the amazing things to do around a glamping site, but as Di points out, “A lot of sites refer their visitors to local attractions, that’s great but often after the stress of life getting to you, your guests are actually looking to chill out at your venue, so the more you can offer them in-house without drives and queues the more relaxed they will leave.”. And it’s clearly working for Wild Harvest as, “We are five-star reviewed on all platforms; we always aim to be reasonably priced then over deliver.”

the sites and resources for the activities, with a pretty systematic method. I believe embedding efficient process into any business is important. I also now have staff to help, but basically a good structure to your week, treat it like a working routine and have tick lists for every process that you have, so that anyone can pick it up and do it, not just you,” explains Di. While offering educational activities and courses does require a lot of time and effort, it will elevate your site to becoming more than just accommodation, allow you to attract more guests and make your site stand out.

Activity Ideas for your glamping site n Bike Hire n Guided Nature Walks n Crafts n Archery n Meditation n Yoga/pilates n Bird watching n Horse/donkey rides n Farm activities such as animal feeding n Painting/art classes

If this sounds like hard work, it’s because it is.

There is a huge amount of work that goes into offering educational activities and courses to guests that go far beyond showing up to teach the lesson, “We spend midweek prepping

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this using online check lists that I and my staff can have on their phones. Software such as Trello and Jotform and I have created glamping and activities specific checklists/ forms to suit our own needs. With everything from session plans, risk assessments, housekeeping tasks, accident and incident forms all accessible from staff’s mobile phones.”

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Check the Legalities The legalities of running a glamping site are a lot more complicated than many people realise, “I have seen some very scary stove installations, lots offering a ‘bottle of bubbly on arrival’ (but it’s free so I don’t need a licence is an inaccurate assumption, if they have paid to be there you can’t use alcohol as an ‘extra’),” says Di. So, when it comes to offering activities it’s no surprise there are laws here too, “One for example is that you can’t allow guests to book their activities at the same time as they book their glamping stay. You must ask them to book on 48 hours or more later otherwise you are classed as offering a package holiday and as such fall under a whole different set of legal requirements, such as you need a bonded account, be a member of a package tourism association such as ABTA etc. We have an

In terms of what you can offer at your site, there are a myriad of different options available and very few wrong answers. If your site is surrounded by beautiful countryside, then hiring bikes to guests or guided nature tours could be good options. If there is interesting wildlife in the area, then wildlife walks or birdwatching tours might be the way to go. It’s not all about your location, however. Are there any hobbies that you have that you think people might be interested in trying out? Archery, crafts, art/painting classes are always well received.

Wellness tourism is also a growing trend that is seeing increases in popularity year after year.

It is also something that goes hand in hand with the back to nature ethos of glamping.

Meditation classes, yoga classes or Pilates are all great ways to attract guests.

For 17 years now, Wild Harvest have offered nature-inspired activities sessions, “Willow weaving, making natural toiletries such as soap and bath bombs, candle making, wild food walks, archery and leatherwork. These are in the form of bite-sized, one-hour sessions and most of our groups take two. Thankfully

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the things we have always offered have remained popular and in fact have increased in popularity as folk are increasingly looking to connect with nature and up-skill.”

Di’s Top Tips

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Planning Ahead A great way to deal with the added workload that comes from offering activities for guests is to make life as easy as possible for yourself by planning ahead, “We have session plan and risk assessments, and resource lists printed and attached to the boxes for each activity. Each activities box has a first aid kit and hand sanitiser, and the boxes are checked and restocked each week according to its checklist. Where we have midweek bookings, we now have a buffer day as back-to-back ‘covid good to go’ turnarounds for multiple group glamping sites is too stressful in this current situation of a very low rural labour force. Last year I was doing 18-hour days, this year we have introduced buffer days!”

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Embracing Technology Di has also embraced technical solutions to aid in the process management, “We do

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online shop, where guests are referred to as part of an automated email sequence, where they can add on their activities, choose their date/time slot.”

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Payment in Advance While this is an extra hoop to jump through, it does have some positives for the glamping site owner, as Di explains, “We have always made the activities pre-bookable and payable in advance. This did not affect our business as genuine customers understand the need for this. We have to organise our tutors and buy materials, so payment and booking up-front is vital, we also know where we are financially then too.”

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Insurance and Disclaimers Another caution is that you will need extra, ‘activities specific’ insurance.

Furthermore, it’s not enough to be just insured. If you read the small print in your insurance, you will often see further actions you must take, “The insurance company will

sell you a policy, yes, but if there is a claim they will want to know: are you trained by the industry standard for that activity, if you offer food, are you actually registered with environmental health and keeping all the records, if there is an accident, did you have a risk assessment and can you demonstrate that you took precautions to reduce risk before the activity, did the accident get reported in the correct way/evidenced etc. So, insurance is NOT enough,” explains Di, “You have to do ALL the peripheral things that an insurance company also expects you to do, or they will not pay out. Finally, disclaimers don’t work; we have a legal duty of care to our customers and so we should. Don’t try to put signs up saying, ‘take part at own risk’. These do not negate your legal duty of care which can only be met by having risk assessments, safety precautions drawn up from the risk assessments, being fully trained to the industry standard in that ‘thing’, if appropriate, AND insured. Insurance alone is not enough, and disclaimers are mostly ineffective.”

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Spread the Word Once you have the activities planned and have taken steps to protect both your guests and yourself, it’s time to start spreading the word. Wild Harvest market their courses through, “Our website by using S.E.O, Instagram and Facebook plus listing with various other bigger specialist websites. If you come on board with us as a glamping site offering Wild Harvest activities, we have a course that teaches you all this: the branding, marketing and advertising sides to your glamping business.”

To find out more about Wild Harvest, you can find their website at www.wildharvest.org

About Di Hammill Page Before founding Wild Harvest, Di already had a background as a qualified adult education tutor having taught law and psychology. Leaving academia, to raise her three children off-grid in a remote dale, she set up Wild Harvest School. The topics Di taught, “came about organically from the life I was leading; I was already a qualified adult ed. tutor and started teaching the lifestyle I was living as an off-grid eco. mother. Though it is not necessary to be a qualified tutor to teach adults in a private education setting.”

Now, the Wild Harvest School operates from Wild Harvest Tipis in the rural outskirts of York where guests can enjoy a number of carefully curated activities and courses. On top of this, glamping site owners can become Wild Harvest franchisees gaining access to training courses that will allow them to hit the ground running offering activities and courses to their guests.

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Timeless Tips for Making your

OUTDOORS EXTRAORDINARY

We all know the old saying, “hands in the soil, good for the soul.” In a celebration of spring and all things bright and beautiful, this month’s feature explores how to make the most of your outdoor space. Ten fun and creative suggestions that can be scaled up or down to suit your situation and to help you shrug off the gloom and get your outdoor offerings up scratch, ready for a strong summer season. So dig deep, daydream and let your outdoor inspo flow!

ARE YOU READY? ZEN, LET US BEGIN! THE MAGIC OF A MEDITATION GARDEN:

Finding peace amongst the pressures and stresses of life has never been more important.

Guests flee cities and 9 to 5s, quite literally wanting to “escape to the country”. Creating a meditation garden is a fabulous addition to your site, giving guests the ultimate opportunity to reconnect and relax. The UK mental health charity Mind explains that meditation can help people become more self-

aware, feel calmer and less stressed, more able to choose how they respond to thoughts and feelings, cope with unhelpful thoughts and be kinder to yourself - what’s not to like?!

As the roots of mediation are largely embedded in Buddhism, a statue of Buddha could take centre stage in your mediation garden, an homage to the inner peace and balance found in this ancient practice. A gentle water feature could add a calming soundscape, (we love this Buddha and lotus flower water feature from whitestores.co.uk https://www.whitestores.co.uk/ alena-water-feature-light-grey.html , currently on sale for £169). Windchimes can be hung from the branches of trees. Creating a low level seating area with soft cushions and throws will help guests get comfy and ready to unwind; this may also offer some protection from the elements should there be poor weather conditions.

Why not plant some highly scented flowering shrubs to stir the senses and focus the mind?

Lilac, myrtle and orange blossom are great options and very easy to maintain. To finish, trees can be decorated with colourful Tibetan prayer flags that offer the timeless blessing: “May the rain fall at the proper time.

May the crops and livestock be bountiful.

May there be freedom from illness, famine, and war.

May all beings be well and happy.”

Amen to that! *Be sure to seek advice from your local authority, should you be considering permanent structures for your mediation space, as you may require planning permission.

TOP TIP: Try providing some books in your space to introduce your guests to the art of meditation and mindfulness. There is also a wealth of free mindfulness and meditation apps such as Calm & Headspace that you can signpost guests to, should they be seeking guidance.

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FIRESIDE FRIENDS - COMMUNAL FIRE PIT AREAS: The time of old tradition, of sitting fireside and beholding the night sky is as enticing today as it was thousands of years ago. Creating a safe and comfortable environment is paramount. Digging down at least 30cm then removing all turf and top soil will allow you to make a gravel base to place your fire pit on ideally centred within the seating area.

Alternately you can use stone slabs and create a patio to house your fireside haven. Why not get in touch with a local tree surgeon and commission some large tree rounds to form a natural seating area? For extra comfort you can offer guests a sheepskin to place on top of the wood rounds. For a fancier fireside seating solution, we love the “Harmen” garden chair from Rowen & Wren (www. rowenandwren.co.uk) https://www.

rowenandwren.co.uk/collections/allgarden/products/harmen-outdoor-chairbirch crafted from birch with textured rope fastenings. As for the main event, there are so many exciting fire pit options on the market! We will showcase a few of our favourite finds here but I encourage you to get Googling to find your perfect pit. The Woodee (www.thewoodee.com), have a huge range of duel purpose cook & fire pits – handmade in Herefordshire with stunning leaf silhouette design.

Suffolk based company Great Balls of Fire (www.greatballsoffire.net) have a unique range of orb fire pits that are works of art in their own right. The Indian Fire Bowl company (www.indianfirebowlcompany. co.uk) sell the traditional antique Kadai style open fire bowl – timeless and hardwearing.

READY, SET, GO! GIANT GAMES TO GET YOUR GUESTS GRINNING: There is something delightful about hearing the giggling of guests as they entertain themselves with a board game in the garden. Why not upscale the fun? Larger than life games have become a familiar favourite at wedding receptions and county pubs alike. How about making them a permanent feature in your outdoor space? If you are feeling handy, why not have a go at building some of your own; a simple tower stacking game can be fashioned from lengths of treated timber cut to the same size (you will need 52 pieces). Head over to Youtube to find a wealth of giant game building buddies. Be sure to always consult a professional if you’re in any doubt about how safe an idea may be to achieve. If pre-made is your preference, Masters Traditional Games (www.mastersofgames.com) have a good selection including giant chess sets, snakes and ladders and many more. If larger games are not a practical option for you, then store some family favourites for your guests to enjoy outdoors in a small shed or weatherproof storage box. These handmade croquet sets by Devon based Martin Symes Wheelright, are stunning and sustainably crafted to last a life time.

Range starts from £275 (www.martinsymes.co.uk).

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*With this great tip, comes great responsibility! Please seek advice from both your insurance company and an organisation such as the HSE – The Health & Safety Executive (www.hse.gov. uk) to ensure your fire pit offering meets the legal requirements and all necessary fire protection is provided.

CREATE A HERBY HAVEN – EDIBLE ADDITIONS TO YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS:

I think most of us can agree that there is nothing better than cooking with fresh ingredients; and you can’t get much fresher than providing a herb garden for guests to use while cooking on site. For some city dwelling Glampers, the closest they might have come to a herb garden may very well be a lonely potted basil from the supermarket on the kitchen windowsill. A herb garden can be a practical, easy and engaging addition. Size isn’t everything either! Like any of the ideas presented here, you can scale up or down your dream herb haven depending on what space you have in mind. Small raised beds from old railway sleepers are ideal, but herbs can be also be planted in pots. If space really is a premium why not try a wall-mounted marvel? There are plenty of plush planters on sale at Wayfair (www.wayfair.co.uk) – we love the their wall mounted Aaru 3 Piece Metal Wall Planter Set, for £30.99 https://www.wayfair.co.uk/Borough-Wharf--Aaru3-Piece-Metal-Wall-Planter-Set-V112269280-L349-K~FRUS1019. html?refid=GX433692087816-FRUS1019&device=c&ptid=90192 4075134&targetid=aud-388180976294:pla-901924075134&netwo rk=g&ireid=89940180&device=c&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpcOTBhCZARIsAEAYLuWilatwXaS3tsS4GUEOfMqsitbz9sMYVJy4ITNtQ5KZQwbrRg7hytUaAk_dEALw_wcB. The planter possibilities are truly endless! You can even create vertical planters from upcycling old palettes – Pinterest (www.pinterest.co.uk) has some great “How To” guides for this if you are feeling handy. You are not limited to herbs either; plant up some tomatoes in a pair of old wellies or a hanging basket for hungry campers to pluck. Try filling up an old wheelbarrow with compost & plant that up with edible flowers - nasturtiums are an excellent choice and taste wonderful in a wild salad. Vintage agricultural tins, tubs and even tractor tyres look fabulous brimming with blooms. Let’s get planting Glampers!

WORK IT OUT, OUTSIDE – CREATING AN OUTDOOR GYM OFFERING: From chilling out in the meditation garden, to chin ups! This fitness focused idea can be scaled up or down depending on your budget too. There are UK based companies who specialise in outdoor gym equipment, such as freshairfitness. co.uk, and most can advise you on design options for your space. However, if you are on a tight budget and are handy with the tools, a simple calisthenic (body weight) workout space can be achieved with a bit of DIY. Upright posts can be erected using 4-5 inch tantalised timbers whilst galvanised steel bars and fixings can be used to create a range of equipment perfect for pull ups, chin ups, tricep dips, press ups, squats and jumps. A good range of bars and fixings can be found at The Metal Store (www. themetalstore.co.uk).You can even explore the option of using existing trees (should they be large and strong enough) to hang work out equipment from.

Portable wooden gravity fitness rings can be purchased from Gravity Fitness (www.gravityfitness.co.uk). Don’t let the fun be compromised - it is essential to ensure you contact your public liability insurance company to make them aware of any outdoor activity equipment you provide for guest to use during their stay. You may also need to display a use disclaimer notice informing guests that equipment is used at their own risk.

NAKED IN NATURE – THE LIBERATING EXPERIENCE OF OUTDOOR WASHING: After all their hard work in the gym, your guests will need a wash! There has been a clear growth in the trend of outdoor bathing. The market is seeing more and more bold bath tubs and snazzy showering structures. There is something about the simple act of bathing outdoors that automatically connects you to nature itself on a primal level. The sound of birdsong as you take a long soak under an oak, the canopy of blazing green leaves above you as the warmth of a shower washes off your day’s adventures: perfection. Propane boilers are a great off-grid water heating option if mains water and power are not an option.

LITERARY LOVERS – OUTDOOR LIBRARIES AND THEIR LEGACY: “A library outside?” I hear you say... Just stay with me on this one. We all know that damp and paper are not the best of friends, so for this tip storage is all important as is location. Your literary offering can be a small shelf or cupboard with doors that is housed outside under a veranda or in a sheltered place like an honesty shop or gazebo. Consider extending the idea by creating a reading corner for guests to curl up and lose themselves in a great book. You can provide guests with a wealth of literature of your choice: perhaps some books on your local area and its history, walking guides and OS maps or books that inspire you or transport you. The legacy of this resource is that it keeps giving to each guest who participates by taking or leaving a book. Sharing a book recommendation is such a gift – imagine being able to offer that to each person who visits your space! This nifty tip also helps reduces waste and encourage guests to pay finished works of fiction forward, dodging the bin.

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CINEMATIC SIMPLICITY – POP-UP PICTURE SHOWS & HOW TO CREATE THEM: For some, the idea of an outdoor cinema experience might conjure outdated images of John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John hopping around in the back of a 1950’s convertible, but fear not – this idea calls for far less fuss and no one has to sing… unless they want to, of course! With the declining interest in broadcast TV, most guests will have a subscription to online streaming platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Although folks tend to go Glamping to get out of the office and put down their screens, an outdoor movie interlude might be just the ticket after a hard day’s hike. Imagine lounging beneath the bows of a tree with a starlit sky, candles and your favourite flick.

The simplicity of this idea is exquisite. Aside from a good quality USB projector, all you need to provide guests with is a large white sheet, some string and strong metal pegs.

USB projectors are becoming more and more impressive. The newly released Samsung Freestyle smart fully HD portable projector (available online at John Lewis for £999 - www.johnlewis.com) https://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-the-freestyle-hdr-full-hdsmart-portable-projector-550-lumens/p5995682?sku=240822976&s_ppc=2dx92700 070336121925&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpcOTBhCZARIsAEAYL uV-WdKxGc8TuoHdlOdR8T4LsfkUNHf9RqxIhXapiIT-dqg6rF4AQXEaAiE9EALw_ wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds seems to be stealing the show for indoor and outdoor use. The builtin 5w speaker and 180 degree rotation make it incredibly versatile. Many more makes and models are available online, so once again get Googling to find your picture perfect projector. *Please refer to the ICO Independent Cinema Office to ensure you have the correct licensing in place to enable guests to view media.

CUT FLOWER CREATIVITY – A BLOOMING BEAUTIFUL IDEA THAT WILL SAVE AND POSSIBLY EVEN MAKE YOU MONEY!

HONESTY IS A LOVELY POLICY For those of a green-fingered persuasion, this is a wonderful way to celebrate all that your site has to offer and let them share in a slice of it; quite literally if you are a good baker! You can house your homegrown & homemade treasures in a weatherproof shed or pergola in a communal area. An honesty cash box can be left or you can create a QR code for guests to scan and pay by card or in an app. Some companies take a small fee for taking payments in this way, so cash can be encouraged by making guests aware of your honesty shop prior to check-in.

Let your imagination go wild with what you can offer: fresh seasonal salad, homemade chutney & jam, soaps, seeds or even sausages! You can chop and change stock depending on what is available and when. It is also a lovely avenue to expand your skill set. Who knows; a homegrown hobby could flourish into a workshop offering for guests to experience – the possibilities for expansion are exciting because you are only limited by your imagination. *Check with local authority as producing and selling some homemade products may require a certified kitchen and relevant hygiene training. Don’t be daunted by this – it’s super easy and if you already provide breakfast or hamper options for your guests you may already have the licensing you need. Stocking or selling any alcohol also requires a license.

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Having a seasonal cut flower garden is such a bountiful resource for your business. Not only can you make a few bucks on blooms by selling them on site, but you can save a fortune by having free fresh flowers to decorate your spaces, avoiding expensive imported supermarket posies – better for you, better for the environment... it’s a win-win. Growing flowers will also encourage wildlife: lavender, roses, dahlias and corn flowers are excellent choices and can be planted in large rows. The butterflies and bees will certainly be thankful and, at the end of the summer, edible blooms like lavender can be dried for use in cooking or crafting. The book “The Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden” https://www.google. com/search?q=floret+farm+cut+flower+garden&rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB913GB913&sxsrf=ALiCzsbhnQ-VuJZzPMiQy1kMqq7uQW9UyQ%3A1651596904897&ei=aF5xYrKwNsaChbIP_Jee8Ag&gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TE_OMo_PMkwxYPSSTcvJL0otUUhLLMpVSC4FMnLyy1OLFNITi1JS8wBXxQ-e&oq=floret+farm+cut&gs_lcp=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&sclient=gws-wiz by Erin Benzakein is an invaluable resource when embarking on your floral odyssey.

Good Luck Glampers!