KOA’S TERRAMOR
GLAMPING RESORT OFF TO A FAST START DESPITE OPENING DURING A PANDEMIC BY MIKE GAST
W
hen Kampgrounds of America Inc. decided to build an exclusive glamping resort a few years ago near Bar Harbor, Maine, KOA leaders felt the company’s 60 years of experience in family camping would provide a distinct advantage. After all, with 520 campground locations across North America KOA has long been the world’s largest provider of traditional family camping. The company also claimed to be the largest provider of glamping experiences in the world, with thousands of glamping tents, teepees, Deluxe Cabins and other accommodations on their existing parks. Kampgrounds of America created a new brand for glamping called “Terramor” and set out to transform an existing KOA campground near the gates of Acadia National Park into an exclusive 64-tent showpiece glamping resort. They were all set to open in May 2020.
Then came COVID-19. “All of our plans went out the window that spring,” said Whitney Scott, chief operating officer for KOA’s Terramor operation, and KOA’s chief marketing officer. “We didn’t get to open as we had planned. It was difficult to hire staff, and guests were just not able to get there.” The pandemic’s effect on the global supply chain also left Terramor waiting for everything from sheets to lampshades. Staff raced to put on the finishing touches, and Terramor finally opened for business on August 1, 2020 with 64 stylish glamping tents (all but four with full bathrooms attached) as well as a newly constructed lodge that rivals anything you’d see at a top-end ski resort. “Overall, we ended the year with more than 77% occupancy, which is great considering where we started from,” Scott said. What KOA now has in Bar Harbor is a glamping experience that somewhat bridges the gap between a high-end version of traditional g l a m p i n g s h o w. u s | G l a m p i n g B u s i n e s s A m e r i c a s | 2 5
