Would the “great outdoors” be even greater if you took the rough out of “roughing it”?
According to a new Bing Travel article from The Wall Street Journal, demand is rising for “glamping,” or glamorous camping. Think tents with heaters and electricity, hot showers, gourmet meals cooked for you and maybe a nice king-size bed.
It’s a relatively new sector of the travel industry, but one that’s gaining steam with both vacationers and travel companies. As the article points out, reasonably priced trips that are also eco-friendly have great public appeal; at the same time, overseas travel is down, but camping reservations and sales of outdoor equipment are up. Meanwhile, glamping sites are potentially much less expensive to establish and maintain than traditional hotels and resorts, making them attractive to travel companies.
A number of providers are jumping in, creating glamping accommodations at all levels of luxury. They include Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in British Columbia and Paws Up in Montana, which cater to an upscale crowd; Hilltop Lodge in western New York; El Capitan Canyon in California; and Sinya at Lone Man Creek in Texas. You can find more at Go Glamping, a site that has been promoting “luxury camping holidays” since the beginning of 2009.
Do you think the glamping trend will catch on, and would you be more likely to try it than regular camping? If you’ve gone glamping, what are your favorite locations? Share your thoughts with fellow travelers in the comments section.
Glamping has been on the rise for a couple of years, but has yet to really take off. I think glamorous camping is a big opportunity for the industry, especially in the Canadian outdoors.
I think that "Glamping" stupid and wrong. I think camping and backpacing are great in themselves. If you really have to have heat stove in your tent, a bed, and gourmet meals, why don't you just stay in a hotel and give up the facade. Maybe, you should consider actually roughing it. It might build some sorely need character. Wimp....
Paul Raich
I have been a camper all my life and I sure hope this does not catch on. Campsites are usually filled with down-to-earth, friendly family people. I have seen these cabins being built in all the camping "resorts" and we are hoping it does not attract any "undesirables", i.e., snobby city people like the ones you would see in a movie like "Ruthless People", "Sex and the City" or "legally blonde". Stay in your hotels please and leave the woods and the campgrounds to us "poor, pittiful" close-knit, family-oriented folks!
I think anything that gets more people outdoors is a good thing. Too many families spend time glued to a TV screen or playing video games--not to mention surfing the web. The article pointed out there are various degrees of glamping. For those of us who like to "rough it" a heated tent would be something I would consider. It makes camping better and opens up opportunities for a new group of people to give it a try. Glamping sounds great. I'm going to try to find one of those heated tents now!!
Let's re-discover NY State... It's beautiful all year long. Even the extensive snowmobile trails offer winter glamping. And Canada is another winter wonderland just waiting for us over the border. Outdoor activies exist in every region of NYS from our mountians to our water ways and our gorges. It's a state for all seasons. Camping, glamping, vacations, whatever you call it that brings people outdoors, encourages family and respect for nature and each other, and generates revenue has got to be a win all the way around. Lets make it affordable for all or price tier packages. Make it easy for people who don't camp yet are willing to step out of their comfort zone a little. They will be back and they will bring their friends. Die hard camping and naturalists should embrace this as educating and spreading a purer form of wealth. Good health is wealth that money can't buy.
I think it's ridiculous. If you want all the amenities, go to a hotel or stay home.
And then of course they will bring up the "green" factor. It's ironic.
If you don't put all this stuff into the woods or wherever, then you don't have to worry about it, right?
I've camped out- and it BIT as a vacation. I'd rather be stranded in an aiport for a week. Once you want to get away (far enough) into the wilds to escape the hordes of shrieking children and all-terrain vehicles, you'll need a small army of Sherpa to bring in your supplies and food. Or you'll do without them. Oh, Joy!
Which is great; if you're 5- I'm sure it's "fun" and different. It's such a cheap 'family' vacation; just take the kids and the trailer (or tent) and pile up at the RV park or campground... like 500 other families. Why would I ever DO that; I hate kids (yeah, that makes me instantly popular, I know)and the noise ruins MY nature, in more ways than one.
Not for me. I prefer hot water, someone else cooking my meals and doing the dishes, rugs instead of dirt, and all of the little perks that come with having an army of Sherpa- all set in the beautiful outdoors- with nary a child in sight. What's wrong with being comfortable, or having a 'real glass' of wine?
I'm aiming to enjoy nature, not uselessly pretend to "test" myself against Her. AND. Unless you're wearing skin and sleeping in a pile of leaves, you're not "roughing it" either, so stop kidding yourself; you've just found an acceptable level of misery & discomfort you can tolerate. Good for you. You're still a wimp- only now you're a sanctimonious one.
Glamping is not new. I'm in my early 50s and recall a trip we took to the Black Hills when I was 17. We had a privately rented, fold out camper that had an ice box, table (which folded into beds), but no stove or sink. We stayed one night at a commercial campground that had water, sewer, and electrical hook-ups, each for a fee. They also had a recroom with TV and nightly movies (free) and showers, which you paid to use. Otherwise there were outdoor privies. I think the showers were the reason we stayed there. We usually stayed at undeveloped county or state parks, but cooped up in a car, even with the windows open, there was a distinced odor.
Our neighbors at this place had a large, divided tent and a smaller one. They had actually infringed on our rented lot to set these up. We are not talking pup tents here. I recall hearing what I assume to be the mother yelling at a kid, "Get out of the living room and into the kitchen with that cake!" I had to laugh, as I had roughed it with friends, and even the fold down was "Glamping" to me.
I think my husband and i would try Glamping.It is a great
idea for lots of people. There should be all levels of
comfort and prices so many familys could make use of
Glamping.
I own a campground and this idea will not work. Cant develop nd charge enough for major corporations to get involved
Thank you but no thank you! I spent the first years of my life carrying water, splitting firewood, outdoor privies , no electricity or running water. Give me a motel room. I have built all the character I need to last the rest ofmy life.
Glamping is very appealing as a person does not have to worry about hauling their own trailer to a campsite and setting up. Camping to some, is more work than it is worth. A glamper only needs to get to the destination by car. We have a trailer and it is so much work to move into it and move out @ the end of the "vacation" - not to mention the stress of hauling it around w/ impatient or wreckless drivers.
Most camp grounds will have trailers and cabins set up just for glampers (city slickers). This is not a new trend and has been going on for quite some time. If a campground didn't provide these amenities, they would not be in business. Not everyone wants to buy an RV or drive it to and from. Cars are easier and less expensive to fuel.
Camping with amenities may take off, but I hope the term "Glamping" does not. It's ridiculous
"Glamping" would only work because people don't intend to carry these ammenities themselves, which means they would always be located near a road.
Based on the description, I'm not sure I understand the point of "glamping" or if it makes any sense. Therefore, in the US, I'm sure it's going to be a big, if short-lived, hit!!!
