As a way to disconnect from the invariable routine, camping has been rising in recent years. Especially private camping sites draw more attention from individuals or enterprises as they can give more comfort and privacy.
If you would like to create perfect camping experience for your clients, you’re coming to the right place as we’ll give you tips with everything from selecting a campsite to providing multiple camping services.
Differences Between Public & Private Camping Sites
Generally, there are two types of campsites: public & private camping sites. If you are new to camping, the first question to ask is probably what are the differences between the two. To clarify it is the first step for you to attract your clients through your professionalism. Here are some differences between private campsites and public.
Management Models and Funding Sources
Owned by the government or public institutions, public campsites are very affordable or even free, providing an opportunity to enjoy scenery with lovely strangers. As for the funding, it is mainly from public budget.
Private camping sites, privately owned by individuals, households or corporations, create a special camping experience for people through added amenities and exclusive scenery. They are often funded by investors or campsite owners.
Service Flexibility and Customer Experience
Besides, the services of private camping sites are more flexible than those of public campgrounds. For example, campers who choose public camping share basic public facilities like public restrooms or showers, while private campsites can cater to customers’ needs, providing them with a more unique camping experience through personalized services.
Themed campsites, ecological campsites or luxurious campsites are available if you choose private campgrounds. They can create more diverse customer experience.
Restrictions on Use and Freedom to Operate
Public campsites also show differences in hours of use and operation from private campsites. Usually, public campgrounds are open in a specific period and regulated by the government or public institutions.
However, you can make a more flexible plan for their private camping without limited hours of use or public rules. In other words, private camping sites with a lot of freedom to operate can meet various needs of the market.
When Can a Private Campsite Be Built?
To be a qualified private campsite provider, you need to firstly ensure access to available land resources like parks, lakes, beaches and tourist attractions. A good beginning is half done. In effect, campground locations decide the overall camping experience.
Besides, you’d better have the ability to create differentiated and personalized camping experiences. The more camping services you design, the more you can satisfy your customers.
It is also essential to acquiring sustainable development of your private campsite business by refined operating skills. For example, you need to know how to set up long-term goals, make budget plans or promote your brand. These are some key factors to consider before starting the business of private campsites.
Preliminary Preparation: Site Selection, Market Research and Planning
If you are ready to start your own business of private camping sites, let’s get started.
- Site Selection
It makes all the difference in how much your customers enjoy the camping adventure to choose the right private camp site. You can evaluate the transportation, natural resources and nearby facilities of a site.
In line with the campers’ preferences, you can recommend some save remote or secluded areas with ultimate privacy, such as national parks, backcountry, sites that are surrounded by natural barriers like trees, bushes, and terrain, or sites where there’s a stream or lake.
- Market Research
A good grasp of private campsite industry is helpful to chase the market trend. You can turn to websites, camping apps, and forums which offer valuable insights and reviews in these two aspects to conduct market analysis.
You can also gather data through online surveys, local interviews and community questionnaires to get the potential customers’ demands and figure out the market potential in the near future.
- Planning
A comprehensive business plan is vital for any company. Your business plan for private camp sites can include a summary of your business ideas. Startup and operational costs, marketing strategies, campground amenities and unique offerings can be detailed in the plan.
You can also make some suggestions on campsite locations and list out the provided functions of your campsites, like, for natural seclusion, parent-child activity, or outdoor adventure.
Legal Compliance
When planning a camping trip for your customers, it’s necessary to consider legal compliance. You’d better check the local government website for campground relevant permits and licenses.
- Land Use Permits
To develop a successful company for private campsites, you’re advised to get a clear understanding of land use regulations. Different localities may have their own regulations on the site suitability, access to amenities, and distance from residential areas. There are also various land use restrictions on camping facilities.
- Business Operating Licenses
Campsite operators need to obtain permits for the construction, occupancy, and operation of campsites. Permitting requirements are different due to the type of campsite and local regulations. Generally, the campground permit process involves filling out applications, meeting guidelines, and adhering to specific timelines.
- Health and Safety Certifications
It’s crucial to follow guidelines for fire safety, first aid facilities, and emergency communication systems. Adequate waste disposal and sanitation facilities are also required. Specifically, you need to ensure your facilities are accessible to disabled people.
- Environmental Permits
Efforts should be made to reduce the impact of camping activities on the environment, including managing waste, conserving water, preserving wildlife, and renewing natural resources. The longevity and sustainability of the campsite depend on your environmentally friendly measures.
Construction of Facilities
Providing convenience is the first priority for private camping sites. If you want to make your campers feel convenient and comfortable, it’s better to provide diverse and high-quality facilities and amenities as much as possible.
- Basic Necessities
In the private campsites you provide, electric, portable water, parking lots, full RV hookups, clean glamping bathroom, toilets, showers, and laundry facilities are key to daily activities.
Some campers like to have on-site food at the campsite, so you can see some creative ways to offer food from food trucks to full restaurants, or even provide private kitchens. Besides, equipping high-speed Wi-Fi can boost customers’ camping experience.
- Accommodation Facilities
You can provide suitable accommodation based on basis of your customers’ favorite camping locations. Both basic tent pitches and luxurious glamping are favorable choices for customers. You can enjoy great convenience with full furniture sets, toilets, and bathrooms in Glitzcamp dome tents.
Besides, you can also offer a glamping site for those luxurious camping lovers. Glitzcamp stretch tents with spacious space can shelter campers in the reception area, barbecue zone, and entertainment area.
- Recreational Facilities
You can choose to provide access to nearby swimming pools and recommend some hiking trails. Some campers prefer to barbecue when camping, so you can offer barbecue pits, grills, food, and relevant facilities.
How to Attract First Customers?
After improving the facilities of your private camping sites, you need to attract first customers through promotion. It is necessary to expand effective online promotion, such as promoting your services on social media and creating short videos. You can also focus on your existing network, targeted outreach and conduct value-driven marketing.
Besides, cooperating with travel agencies, schools or enterprises is a good way to explore your potential customers. For example, some companies are looking for special team-building activities and you can recommend private camping to them. Initial discounts or promotions are also vital to attracting first customers.
If you want to level up your service, you can offer customers a chance to stay at private camp sites for 30 minutes or so, trying all the amenities and services before they make the decision.
Starting Your Business with Glitzcamp!
A good business partner is half the success. Glitzcamp, a glamping tent manufacturer, is highly recommended as it has been focusing on providing one-stop camping solutions since 2016.
Aiming at offering campers an immersive natural experience, Glitzcamp has developed such comprehensive services as site selection consulting, campsite designing and product supplying.
It has also created a wide range of high-quality tents including luxury tents, dome tents and other types. Notably, all the tents and facilities it offers are characterized by modular design, which shows their great flexibility of installation.
Glitzcamp can also provide project planning, which can save a lot of time for you. You can reference to some glamping planning cases. If you are new to glamping, you can get some tips on Glitzcamp which teaches you how to start a glamping business.
In 2020, Glitzcamp made a success in planning and designing a project of beachside glamping named Glamp Ocean Iseshima. It adopted a 10*7m Lamella Dome tent according to the number of campers.
To let them enjoy stunning ocean views and escape from the daily life, Glitzcamp broke the norm and chose the dome tent with a large bay window and a comfortable space. Besides, it also offered comprehensive solutions such as holding many activities like beach barbecues, surfing, and bonfire nights in order to increase campers’ fun.
Due to the combination of the dome tent, beautiful views, fun activities and good services, the guests felt very satisfied and shared lots of their fun moments on socia media. From this case, we can see Glitzcamp’s excellent ability to make one-stop solutions for camping.
Conclusion
In conclusion, building private camping sites is a challenging but worthwhile thing.
If you’re prepared to run your startup, remember, good skills in conducting market research, making business planning and selecting sites for customers help you make a great difference. Meanwhile, legal compliance should be paid equal attention. Also, you’d better provide high-quality facilities and increase promotion online and offline, getting first customers attracted.
Last but not least, working with an experienced business partner is a nice choice to boost your business. Glitzcamp, a leading glamping tent manufacturer, is a reliable partner for the camping business as it has focused on this field for 9 years. If you need any help, please feel free to contact us.