The benefits of glamping for your mental and physical wellbeing are being talked about more and more – all that fresh air, communing around a campfire and sleeping out under the stars have been proven to reduce blood pressure, boost creativity and dramatically improve the quality of your sleep.
But what about the benefits to the glamping site owner? How and why should you maximise upon this outdoor wellness revolution?
Sheena Corry, owner and co-founder of The Forge will be speaking at The Glamping Show this September and here she shares some of her insight on the greener side of your outdoor tourism business …
An opportunity to partner with other local businesses
Depending on your demographic and how you encourage your guests to relax and reconnect, you may decide to go down the retreat route for your business. With this comes lots of opportunities to bring in other like-minded businesses and people to help you craft a unique wellness experience.
For example, local food suppliers may be happy to not only provide lots of lovely, organic produce, but they may also be keen to run a workshop to show people how to get the most of their amazing food. Local craftspeople may be interested in running spoon carving or pottery master classes which give your guests the rare opportunity to work with their hands, in itself a form of mindfulness, and also take home a handcrafted memento of their trip.
As well as creating a more enriched experience for your guests which they will treasure and remember (and tell all their friends about) it’s also a great opportunity to nurture local networks and who knows when and how the favours may be reciprocated?!
Reduce the impact on your site – and the planet
Incorporating wellness into a glamping stay is also a great opportunity to help educate your guests about the impact that they are having on the environment. Without needing to preach the climate change message at everyone who walks through your gate, you can very gently help people to live more in sync with nature during their stay, with the hope that they will take what they have learned back with them afterwards.
Providing some activities such as mindfulness, bushcraft or camp cooking also encourages people to use what they have around them to be entertained during their stay, rather than having to resort to bringing in lots of plastic toys and single-use games. It also reduces the amount of ready meals and plastic-wrapped junk food that people consume, which in turn helps them to feel healthier and more balanced.
Even if you are not a fully off-grid site, there are lots or little things that you can do which promote wellness while also reducing the environmental impact. For example using solar fairy lights to help people unwind, supplying real glass water glasses to encourage ample hydration and providing reusable walking maps to inspire your guests to get out for a walk. And given the next generation’s passion and commitment to saving the planet, incorporating these themes into your marketing and business strategy will help to future proof your business too!
And finally… Incorporating elements of wellness into your glamping business needn’t be a daunting prospect. It doesn’t always involve complicated programs of events or installing a field full of hot tubs.
In some respects, the simpler the better.
Using what you have around you and weaving this into something that people don’t experience every day can be enough for people to reap physical and mental health benefits. Remember that although for you being outside and seeing the views and your tents may now be run of the mill, for every new guest that walks through your gate it is moment of excitement and discovery and it doesn’t take much to turn ‘just another glamping holiday’ into a truly life-changing experience!
Sheena Corry is the owner and co-founder of The Forge, a glamping and bushcraft business based in North Wales. As well as the usual luxury camping facilities, The Forge encourages guests to engage in a wide range of bushcraft activities, ranging from lighting their own campfires to wild food foraging and star gazing, all with the aim of helping guests step off from the modern world and find a deeper level of relaxation and wellbeing.
Sheena will be leading a seminar on The Wellness Revolution: Glamping, mental health and disconnection at The Glamping Show on Saturday 21st September. The Glamping Show runs from 19th – 21st September at NAEC Stoneleigh and tickets are free, book yours at www.theglampingshow.com.
