The Rise of Glamping: Luxury Camping in the United States (2024)

The U.S. hospitality industry has a growing sector, a relatively new trend, Glamping.

Glamping, short for Glamorous Camping, is a camping experience with traditional lodging services but modern amenities. It offers a premium vacation experience within luxurious accommodations in natural settings. The trend of Glamping has gained popularity in the United States, especially among travelers who want to enjoy the country’s great outdoors but with luxury, comfort, and convenience.

Glamping, an experience of sleeping comfortably under the stars, is all set to see immense growth in the United States. While many countries have offered this type of camping experience for a few decades, the rise in the U.S. in the past few years has made it a known trend. The concept of Glamping in the United States has been fueled since 2001, when El Capitan Canyon in Santa Barbara, California, marked its establishment. It was then followed by Resort at Paws Up in Greenough, Montana. Both of these were U.S.’s record properties that brought the Glamping culture to life. However, today after over 2 decades, unique lodging facilities and experiences have fueled the Glamping culture all across the United States.

The concept of Glamorous Camping in the United States today has evolved in both remote and semi-urban areas. Service providers are offering experienced in different settings, including luxury tents, tree houses, cabins, recreational vehicles (R.V.s), yurts, and more. The layouts are perhaps numerous, from single tent rooms to multi-bedroom cabins to small homes.

The most common reason for the rise of Glamping (Glamorous Camping) in the U.S. is perhaps the attention towards sustainable and eco-friendly traveling. Unlike other tourism trends, Glamping sites in the U.S. (a majority of them) focus on minimizing the impact on the environment. These sites run using eco-friendly building materials and renewable energy sources. Focusing on eco-friendly tourism, the setup of Glamping allows tourists to connect with nature and disconnect from technology. This has resulted in impacting beneficial on one’s emotional and mental health. Glamping sites are majorly settled on popular outdoor landmarks, including National and State Parks, Coastal stretches, and even in the hilliest settings.

Glamping Industry Data in the United States 2020-2030

The United States of America is one of the biggest Glamping markets in the world.

From 2014 to 2019, the number of travelers who participated in Glamping tourism grew rapidly by 72%. Camping, however, together experienced a growth of only 20% during this phase. The global market in 2019 was valued at $2.1 billion.

In 2021, the global market size for Glamping was valued at $2.35 billion. Some researchers claim that from 2022 to 2030, it Global Glamping Market will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9%. Everything from irresistible holiday packages to inclines towards sustainable tourism, social media trends, and the uniqueness of Glamping experiences are known to contribute to the same. Also, travelers today are more willing to pay for luxury travel than ever before, and that will be what boast the tradition of Glamping.

Glamping is Introducing A New Philosophy To Tourism

Glamping hasn’t really changed but has introduced a new philosophy in the tourism industry. Glamping offers a unique and innovative way to experience the outdoors, emphasizing comfort, luxury, and sustainability.

Unlike Glamping, traditional Camping is all about roughing in the wilderness with bare minimum supplies. Camping is an experience on its own, and it is nowhere to go, but it cannot either stop Glamping from adding a new philosophy to travel and tourism.

Glamping is all about a personalized and experiential tourism approach. Most Glamping sites today offer a range of immersive experiences. While getting into the world of Glamping, tourists can involve in activities like hiking, water sports, stargazing, and wildlife watching. Glamping encourages people to engage in the surroundings and connect with nature.

Who is the Target Audience of Glamping?

The target audience of Glamping is most commonly the youth. Travelers of age from 18 to 28 are more drawn towards experiences like Camping, tenting, and Glamping more likely. In addition, travelers who seek a unique and luxurious outdoor experience with comfort too, like the approach of Glamping.

Here are some sections of the target audience that are more inclined toward Glamping:

Adventure seekers who want to experience the outdoors with comfort, recreation, and a touch of uniqueness. Glamping with recreational opportunities like hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, canoeing, and kayaking makes up for an active and luxurious vacation. Similarly, the section that Glamping has attracted majorly is Nature lovers. Travelers find connecting with nature more luxurious, comfortable, and immersive with the Glamping experience.

Likewise, luxury travelers enjoy Glamping for its high-end, exclusive, and personalized way of Camping. The sense of luxury, comfort, privacy, and uniqueness appeals to luxury travelers the most. Couples too find Glamping a romantic and intimate way to spend a vacation and explore the outdoors.

Which Part of the United States Has the Best opportunities for the Glamping Business?

Even though the entire United States offers great Glamping business opportunities, some areas stand for immense growth. For instance, United States’ Pacific Northwest region has high possibilities for the rise of glamping culture. Especially areas like Washington and Oregon, with their stunning natural beauty, are there to boast Glamorous Camping in the coming years. This section of the U.S. also boasts a very strong, sustainable, and eco-friendly tourism culture that makes it ideal for Glamping.

Likewise, another popular Glamping business destination in the United States is California. The diversity of landscapes ranging from desert and forests to rugged coastline, opens up numerous Glamping business possibilities here. This region can offer unique Glamping options in the form of yurts and luxury tents blending seamlessly with the environment around. It is an excellent location for tourism entrepreneurs who are planning to build their empire in a Glamorous camping business.

Similarly, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, particularly the Southwest region of the United States, boast some excellent Glamping business opportunities. The breathtaking desert landscapes here, especially areas like Monument Valley and Grand Canyon, make for some adventurous and premium Glamping locations. Or States including New England, New York, and Pennsylvania, the Northwest United States is also a promising location for entrepreneurs who are looking to get into the Glamping business. The scenic forests, beautiful coastline, and small-town vibe here boast opportunities for Glamorous Camping.

Best Glamping Experiences in the United States

The United States boasts a range of exciting Glamping locations, but here are a few that counts as best amongst the lot.

• Under Canvas – Moab is a unique Glamping business nestled near Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park in Utah. The location offers a luxury camping experience with recreational opportunities like hot-air ballooning, biking, hiking, and more. However, what tops them all is the Glamping setting with mesmerizing views of the desert landscape.
• Treebones Resort in California’s Big Sur is where travelers can enjoy their Glamping stay in Yurts. The Stunning Big Sur and opportunities like whale watching, hiking, and stargazing add up to the experience.
• Another popular Glamping experience in California boasts at AutoCamp – Russian River. The sleek Airstream trailers and luxury tents nestled inside the redwood forest are divine, and staying here feels otherworldly. Activities like wine tasting, kayaking, and hiking are present nearby.
• Colorado’s, Collective Retreats – Vail is where travelers can enjoy a Glamping experience in the lap of the Rocky Mountains. Especially the winter Glamping opportunity with hiking, skiing, and snowboarding is a memorable experience on its own.
• Montana’s The Resort at Paws Up is perhaps the best Glamping site in the U.S. This huge resort space boasts Glamping adventure in the form of treehouses, cabins, tents, and more. For a luxurious and premier Glamping experience, look no further. Entertainment opportunities are truly endless within the resort’s spread.

All in all, the rise of Glamping, aka Glamorous Camping in the United States, has uplifted the travel and tourism scenes. This shift in the way of Camping and vacationing has increased the number of individuals who are today approaching outdoor travel.

Glamping emphasizes comfort and luxury, and a large section of travelers are more inclined towards this experience. The industry is rapidly growing and is likely to gain more popularity in the present decade. The traditional way of Glamping is known for growing new and innovative yet staying meaningful in the coming years.