Online bookings, digital payments, check-in, communication via smartphone. For many campsites, the digitalisation of the guest experience is now a reality. Yet one element has often remained stuck in an earlier phase: the campsite map. In most cases, it is still a PDF, perhaps perfectly designed and optimised for printing, but essentially static. Guests can look at it, but they cannot really explore it.
And yet, at a campsite, location is an integral part of the experience. A pitch is not simply a commercial category: it has a size, an access point, exposure to sun or shade, and a certain distance from facilities, the swimming pool or the sea. These are details that a traditional site plan can only represent to a limited extent.
When location becomes part of the product
It is one of the most obvious differences compared with hotels. In a hotel, a room normally belongs to a specific category, while its position within the property is often of secondary importance. At a campsite, by contrast, two pitches in the same category can offer very different experiences precisely because of their location.
This is where interactive maps come into play: not simply a digital version of an existing site plan, but a tool that allows guests to explore the campsite according to their own needs. Such a map can allow users to search for a specific unit or accommodation type, filter facilities, view dimensions and amenities, check distances and, where available, access photographs and 360° views.
At larger campsites, it can also become a wayfinding tool, providing directions to a particular area or facility. The benefit, in this case, is not only technological. It is above all informational: providing guests with information about the place at the moment they need it.
From the map to the booking
The next step is connecting the map to the booking system. The choice does not necessarily start from an abstract category – such as “standard pitch” – but from the specific location the guest is viewing. If that pitch is available for the selected dates, the map can become the starting point for the booking.
It is a model that already exists at some properties. The Čikat and Slatina campsites, for example, use an interactive map that allows users to enter their dates, check available units on the site plan and explore their choice in greater detail through photographs and 360° views before proceeding with the booking.
The approach is interesting because it reduces the gap between two stages that are often still separate: finding one’s way around the campsite and choosing where to stay.
A map that can become an interface
This is the concept behind CampsAbout, a platform developed in Croatia to turn the campsite site plan into a digital interface. The system is divided into modules that can be used separately: Core for the interactive map, Booking for booking directly from the map, and Reception to support the day-to-day management of units. Tools for integration with infrastructure and IoT systems are also available.
According to data provided by the company, the platform is currently used by more than 18 campsites and groups in Croatia, including Maistra, Aminess, Jadranka Grupa, Plava Laguna and Zaton, as well as properties such as Čikat, Maslinica and Straško. The project is now expanding into other European markets, including Italy, Germany and France.
The issue is not simply about replacing one map with another, but about considering whether a site plan should continue to be regarded as a document to consult or could become one of the tools through which guests discover, choose and experience a campsite. CampsAbout will present its platform at InOut | The Hospitality Community, taking place at Fiera di Rimini, Italy, from 14 to 16 October 2026 (Hall C5, stand 425), where visitors will be able to see the system in operation.
The States General of Italian Tourism will open tomorrow, October 28th in Chianciano Terme