The particular situation, influenced by the corona pandemic, has led to the rediscovery of staying outside the traditional tourist circuits as a new form of vacation in the name of safety and proximity. This is the picture that emerges from the data from Pitchup.com, an instant booking platform specialized in stays in campsites and tourist villages. Founded in 2009 in England, today it is present and active in over 67 countries with more than 5,000 partner facilities and 25 million annual visits.
The overview at a European level offers confirmation of the trend of a sector that has already been growing for years – that relating to stays at camping and glamping – which seems to be confirmed as one of the preferred solutions at the time of the pandemic. This is also demonstrated by the reservations for 2021, which on Pitchup.com mark an increase of 39% compared to 2020 and reflect the interest of tourists for outdoor holidays.
“The popularity of outdoor vacations has exploded last year, with a booking every 3 seconds on Pitchup.com and 6,500 bookings in a single day. In contrast, the large online travel agencies of hotels and apartments have seen a decline of about 50%,” says Daniel Yates CEO of Pitchup.com. “From now on it seems that summer 2021 will again be dominated by the en plen air experience. Since the start of the new year, nearly 40,000 people have already booked their holidays through Pitchup.com, with a significant increase at the end of January.”
Focus on Europe: glamping, but traditional
According to data from Pitchup.com, the country that has maintained a high number of overnight stays in outdoor facilities at European level is the United Kingdom where, despite a decline in the winter months, monthly bookings have always been present, also thanks to greater freedoms left to the citizens. In the summer of 2020, thanks also to a temporary decrease in restrictions, there was a resumption of stays both in Italy and in Germany and Spain. August is also confirmed in 2020 as the preferred holiday period, especially in Italy and in Germany, with 50% of annual bookings in this month.
Throughout Europe, as regards of the type of accommodation, both in camping and in glamping, the preferred solutions have been very basic. There is therefore space for pitches equipped for those who already have motorhomes or caravans, which have depopulated in France, where as many as 70 percent of tourists have preferred this type of overnight stay, while in Italy the pitches equipped for tents have also been popular. Compared to other years, the preference for the type of accommodation chosen has shifted from “unconventional” accommodation, such as gypsy caravans, geodesic domes, tepees or bungalows, to overnight stays in tents, motorhomes or personal caravans (therefore only in equipped spaces) sanitized day by day for safety reasons.
In Italy, proximity tourism wins
On the podium of the regions that recorded the highest number of bookings in outdoor structures are Tuscany, Veneto and Lombardy. Proximity tourism has won, with trekking and nature trails that have been a relief valve immediately after the first health crisis and have made it possible to discover wonderful places close to home, where the lucky ones have granted themselves holidays or short nights in contexts outdoor. Bookings in all regions of the Bel Paese show, in fact, an average of two or three nights per stay. Only in Sardinia has it reached four. As for costs, the cheapest region for the outdoors is Puglia, with an average price per night of 26 euros, while the most expensive is Lombardy where it goes to an average of 76 euros. For all the others they range from 40 to 60 euros.
The new normal of 2021
Analysis of bookings since the last lockdown shows that the most popular months to go on vacation are April, May, July and August, with only 1 percent difference between April and August. It seems people are ready to travel as soon as the rules allow, and the fact that many properties offer flexible changes makes booking early.
Due to travel restrictions, many travelers prefer to stay close to home rather than go abroad. It is no coincidence that 95% of bookings made on Pitchup.com in the last 12 months were for destinations within their own country.
One of the trends expected for 2021 is rural accommodation, which brings together all those structures that allow guests to get in touch with the territory and local production. These offer not only a stay, but a 360-degree bucolic experience that also leads to the discovery of food and wine tourism and the typical traditions of the place, with routes suitable for young and old. Finally, with regard to environmental impact and sustainability, it must be pointed out that this sector wins the comparison with that of traditional housing.
Spain expects a season at the height of 2019, with over 75% occupancy rate