First Camp: four campsites offering a close-up look at the Scandinavian open-air model

Sweden is one of the European markets where camping is most deeply integrated into the tourism system. Travelling by caravan, motorhome or tent is an established way of exploring the country, and campsites are often located in places that allow visitors to combine their stay with a visit to a city, a lake or a natural area.

This is where First Camp comes in: in recent years, the company has developed an increasingly extensive network of sites in Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries, and is now expanding into German-speaking markets, with the ambitious goal of becoming one of the world’s largest camping chains. Today, the company operates 92 accommodation sites across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

Camping Business recently travelled through part of Sweden by motorhome, staying at four First Camp sites: Sibbarp in Malmö, Lilleby near Gothenburg, Siljansbadets in Rättvik and Gränna, on Lake Vättern. Four campsites in very different settings, giving us the opportunity to look not only at the characteristics of the individual sites, but also at some of the common elements in the way the service is organised.

Four very different destinations

In Malmö, for example, Sibbarp is a high-quality, well-organised site, particularly interesting for its location: the city centre is easily accessible by bicycle or bus, while the pitches also offer views of the Øresund Bridge. Near Gothenburg, Lilleby is set in a coastal environment in Torslanda, north-west of the city, and provides a base for exploring Gothenburg and its archipelago.

In Rättvik, the relationship with the surrounding area is different again. Siljansbadets is located directly on Lake Siljan, just a few minutes’ walk from the town’s long and famous pier, making the campsite an integral part of the destination. Gränna represents another interpretation of the model, in an area closely associated with Lake Vättern and the popular tourist town.

The settings are different, but the way hospitality is organised displays several common elements.

A highly standardised arrival experience

One of the first things we noticed was the way arrivals are handled. The apparent aim is to keep to a minimum the procedures that would normally take time during check-in. Guests who have booked can collect the cards required to access their pitch and the communal facilities on arrival, use them throughout their stay and return them when they leave.

It is a simple procedure, but particularly effective for those arriving in a recreational vehicle after several hours on the road. There is no need to turn arrival into a lengthy process: you enter the site, find your pitch and start your stay. The same principle applies on departure. Returning the cards does not necessarily involve waiting for a lengthy procedure at reception. At a large campsite, particularly during busy periods, this can have a tangible impact on the guest’s perception of the service.

The network is also recognisable in the details

Standardisation also extends to less obvious aspects. One example is the Wi-Fi connection: the password used at the First Camp sites we visited is the same. For a guest moving between several campsites during a trip, this is a small convenience, but also an element that helps make the network recognisable. There is no need to learn a new procedure or ask reception for the credentials again at every site.

Individually, such details may seem insignificant. But after observing them across four different sites, a clear organisational choice emerges: the customer experience is designed at network level, rather than being left entirely to individual campsites.

This does not mean that the campsites are identical. Quite the opposite: the differences between the four destinations are obvious. At Rättvik, the campsite’s appeal is closely linked to Lake Siljan; in Malmö, its location makes it possible to combine camping with a city visit; near Gothenburg, Lilleby is strongly connected to its coastal setting; while at Gränna, the relationship with Lake Vättern and one of the area’s best-known tourist destinations is an important part of the experience.

The destination therefore remains crucial. What is standardised is above all the way in which the guest is looked after throughout their stay.

A connection that begins before arrival

Standardisation within the First Camp model is not limited to the experience at the campsite itself. An important part of the system is the booking platform.

The First Camp websites are available in six languages and, according to figures provided by the company, represent the largest booking channel for camping in Northern Europe. This is significant because it shows that the network is not simply about managing campsites, but also about managing the relationship with customers before their stay.

The value of the network therefore emerges even before arrival: customers do not necessarily need to know an individual campsite, but can rely on a recognisable system to find the site best suited to their destination.

A relationship with the customer that continues after departure

Another interesting element is the relationship with guests after their stay. Communication does not end at check-out: First Camp also uses email contact to offer guests deals and discounts for future stays and to collect feedback on their experience.

A customer who has stayed at one site is therefore not regarded simply as a guest to be attracted back to that same campsite, but can become a customer of the entire network.

This approach is particularly well suited to touring. Travellers crossing Sweden can use several sites within the same network during a single trip, without necessarily having a fixed destination. The value of the network in this case lies precisely in the ability to find a familiar service experience elsewhere.

First Camp’s loyalty programme adds another element. It has recently reached 300,000 members, who can earn points and use them towards future stays. According to the company, First Camp is also one of only five camping chains in the world to operate a points-based loyalty programme.

This is another piece of the puzzle that helps explain the business logic behind the network’s growth: the relationship with the guest does not end with an individual booking, but is built over time and across the entire network.

Growing without making every campsite the same

The growth of a campsite network inevitably raises a management question: how do you maintain a consistent level of service when sites are numerous and located in very different territories? From what we observed, the answer lies largely in the standardisation of procedures.

This does not mean making the campsites uniform. The sites retain their own characteristics, scale and settings, and this diversity is itself an important part of the value of the offer. Rather, it means ensuring that some of the key moments in the customer relationship – booking, arrival, access, connectivity, departure and follow-up communication – follow a common logic. This approach can be particularly effective in international tourism, where guests may not be familiar with the individual site and often arrive after travelling hundreds of kilometres.

The balance, as First Camp explained to us, is precisely about capturing the benefits of belonging to a large network without erasing the identity and uniqueness of individual campsites. And the four sites we visited provide a practical illustration of how this principle can be applied across very different destinations.