Glamping is more popular than ever, with safari-inspired tents and hot tubs that cost more than hotel rooms.
This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet.
Camping can be one of the cheapest ways to travel. Yet a relatively new style of camping is proliferating — by some metrics — and it’s glamping.
Glamping is a fusion of luxury and nature, where tents are filled with plush pillows, and some even have private bathrooms with heated, running water. Campgrounds typically are outfitted with fast Wi-Fi, and such camping activities as pitching a tent and starting a fire are already done for you. But the blend of outdoor glamor with hotel comfort commands prices more expensive than those of high-end hotels. It’s also a sharp contrast to what traditional campers spend.
U.S. national park visitors in 2021 spent, on average, $351 daily per group on traditional lodging outside the parks, such as hotels or bed-and-breakfast establishments. Parties who camped spent just $149, according to a Department of the Interior 2021 visitor spending report. That’s a 58% discount for visitors willing to exchange concrete for canvas. But canvas doesn’t always connote cost savings. That is, if you’re glamping.
For example, you might pay $650 per night after taxes and resort fees at Under Canvas Zion as part of a glamping trip to Utah’s Zion National Park this fall. Situated about 30 minutes from the park’s entrance, the resort’s accommodations include safari-inspired tents with beds, bathrooms, hot showers and wood-burning stoves. There’s no electricity, but guests can borrow USB battery packs to keep devices charged. The resort fee covers all-you-can-roast s’mores, live music and yoga classes.
That $650 covers the entry-level tent, which accommodates two adults via a king bed. The suite tent, which includes a queen sofa bed in addition to the king bed (thus better for families) can run nearly $850 per night on autumn weekends.
Under Canvas is among the biggest glamping operators. Another is AutoCamp, which offers canvas tents as well as other accommodations including Airstream trailers. A weekend stay at AutoCamp Zion this fall can cost about $570 per night after taxes and fees. A larger campsite with an Airstream and tent (large enough for six) can cost nearly $900 nightly. Yet such prices aren’t turning off travelers; glamping is exploding in popularity.
In 2022, an estimated 10.5 million households went glamping, up from an estimated 7.7 million households in 2020. That’s according to the 2023 North American Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report from Kampgrounds of America (KOA), which runs more than 500 campgrounds across the U.S. and Canada.
Published: July 19, 2023 at 5:01 a.m. ET by Sally French
