January bookings up 90%, France bounces back, seaside seekers swerve to Wales and hot tubs bubble up.
Two summers of staycations have certainly cemented Britons love of the great outdoors, which is why the camping and glamping experts at coolcamping.com are sharing some interesting trends as their bookings in January sore by 90% compared to last year, as well as tips on where to book now as we look forward to 2022 adventures.
Key stats:
- Increased choice – Cool Camping is featuring 44% more sites compared to this time last year
- Overall bookings are up nearly 90% this month compared to 2021 levels
- France bounces back – bookings to Cool Camping’s French collection are more than five times greater than this time last year, and already taken more bookings in France than during the first 3 months of 2021.
In particular, more people are searching for dog-friendly holidays, up 118% (for Wales in particular, dog-friendly searches up 251%).
Pembrokeshire and the Llyn Peninsula see a significant market growth as seaside seekers swerve busy Cornwall. While Cornwall bookings are up by around 17% this year, Pembrokeshire is already up 139%, while the Llyn Peninsula is up 286%
- Searches for hot tub glamping this year are up 218% on last year and some 408% on pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
"With our UK bookings up by nearly 90% already the key is not to leave it too late to book your trip as our website traffic suggests that camping and glamping popularity remain at an all time high for main holidays as well as short breaks,” commented James Warner Smith, editor at coolcamping.com.
“Whilst the appetite for camping and glamping has grown, so has the Cool Camping inventory as we are offering almost 50% more choice this year with the website now featuring over 750 bookable camping and glamping locations with almost 19,000 units in total*,” Warner Smith added.
Over 100 of these sites are in France with Cool Camping’s bookings for France on the rebound with a fivefold increase in bookings compared to this time last year, and already more bookings in France than during the first 3 months of 2021.
“While the surge in French bookings perhaps isn’t a great surprise, our early UK bookings are suggesting some interesting swerves and swells. We’re noticing more people search for dog-friendly holidays, up 118%, and, for Wales in particular, dog-friendly searches are up 251%.
In fact, Wales is attracting a record high in bookings, with Pembrokeshire and the Llyn Peninsula the star performers as seaside seekers swerve busy Cornwall. While Cornwall bookings are up by around 17%, Pembrokeshire is up a full 139% and the Llyn Peninsula has seen an increase of 286% as it becomes known as a real hub for independent campsites, including popular spots like trailblazer Bert’s Kitchen Garden,” he continued.
And when it comes to glamping there is a trend for adding even more luxury, with searches for hot tubs this year up 218% on last year and a staggering 408% on pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The popular pods and pitches to book ahead
The Lake District remains the most popular National Park, followed by Snowdonia and the Yorkshire Dales and pods in the Lake District are all booking very quickly. Recent additions include Damson View Glamping, Ewe Love Camping Pods, Kentmere Farm Pods and, further north in the Pennines, Hayton Hideaways, which offers luxury pod glamping between the Lake District and Hadrian’s Wall (currently celebrating its 1900th anniversary with a year long festival of events).
For camping and glamping, Mount Pleasant Eco Park in Cornwall is a key location to book ahead for summer holiday dates, while Dale Farm, with one of the best locations in the Peak District, is often full months in advance, along with Devon’s Ocean Pitch by the beach in Croyde, which is already full for some summer weekends.
Welsh Coastal Gems
On the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales is the especially magical Bert's Kitchen Garden and sister site Bert’s at Bryn Ifan, brand new Brook Cottage Shepherd's Huts (handcrafted shepherd huts with lake and mountain views), and NightSky Glamping (tented glamping with hot tubs within walking distance of two sandy beaches), all of which require early booking to guarantee a space.
Brand New for 2022
- Near the pretty town of Llandeilo on the edge of the Brecon Beacons is Llansawel Agored, Carmarthenshire for off grid, wildish camping with campfires and just 8 pitches.
- Oxwick, Gloucestershire in a bell tent on a Cotswolds farm and part of a re-wilding project.
- Head to the coast for newly opened Forest Edge, Devon for a spacious camping meadow in East Devon AONB near Sidmouth.
New for France
- The Good Life, Loire Valley offering lakeside glamping and Brit owners.
- Le Ranch Camping, Limousin for both camping and glamping with hot tubs and dogs allowed.
*coolcamping.com features over 758 sites across the UK and has a choice of 103 in France, too, which feature almost 19,000 units in total – a unit being a pitch, cabin, treehouse, safari tent or hut.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
