Outstanding means “exceptional”, “remarkable” in English. But for the Dutch company specializing in the production of safari tents, “glamping” also means energy, passion, and experience. Outstanding’s goal is to take camping to the next level, satisfying the growing demand for safari tents and luxury glamping tents. They do this not only through products, but also by providing consultancy services, adopting a personalized approach, putting in a lot of enthusiasm and focusing on innovation. We talked about it with Remco van de Fliert, Sales Manager at Outstanding.
Camping Business – Can you introduce your company and its history? When was the company founded and what kind of products does it offer?
Remco van de Fliert – It was Erik van Donselaar who started importing safari tents from Pakistan. He did this a side from the scouting tents he imported from there and saw a chance called “glamping” coming up. This was back in 2009. Later, in 2014, Erik and Robin van Kooten met and Erik asked Robin to start a company in the glamping sector and do it differently. From that moment we’ve decided to develop our own structures and start with a more durable concept which had to last for 10 years. This is how Outstanding was founded.
Camping Business – In which regional markets does the company operate?
Remco van de Fliert – We mainly focus on Europe, America and Israel, although so far we have shipped tents to 53 countries and have carried out projects from Iran to Canada to Thailand – many great destinations!
Camping Business – What are your top 3 regional market?
Remco van de Fliert – Netherlands, France, and Spain.
Camping Business – What are the latest European trends in the sector?
Remco van de Fliert – We’ve noticed that the standard has changed from a 4-person accommodation to a 6-person accommodation, with more space and possibilities for comfort. Three years ago, we didn’t sell dishwashers in the tents and now we sell them in half of our tents shipped. Besides that, we increasingly try to offer our guests unique experiences and distinctive elements. We are responding to this by offering more and more options in terms of comfort. You can think about a dishwasher, which I mentioned above, a pellet stove, an hot tub and the development of our new Ranger Lodge which has a number of very innovative and unique features.
Camping Business – What are your best-selling products?
Remco van de Fliert – It varies a lot according to the wishes of the customer and target group. We have smaller tents for 2 people without a bathroom up to 14 people with a double bathroom. But the most popular are the models around 35 square meters of interior space equipped for 6 people including bathroom.
Camping Business – What advantages do you offer comparing to other companies in the same business?
Remco van de Fliert – We stand for quality in the broadest sense of this term and we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We guarantee our customers the delivery of products to their satisfaction. This includes managing expectations as well as resolving issues immediately and always keeping our word. In addition, we continue to develop to offer the most appealing tents range with a large variety and different sizes, so that there is a suitable tent and layout for everyone.
Camping Business – What kind of technical details and tech innovations do the products have?
Remco van de Fliert – Every year we try to learn and innovate. It is our aim to extend the service life and improve quality every year. Service life and quality are of course standard terms, but quality is woven into our DNA. If we receive suggestions from customers, our design department or our suppliers look on how we can improve the products: we always look at these possibilities.
Camping Business – What is your approach to sustainability?
Remco van de Fliert – Sustainability is an increasingly growing term. Glamping is closely linked to nature. We must be careful with this and that is why we think it is extremely important to play a pioneering role in the industry. Last year we had a study done into the footprint of one of our glamping tents. Although the results were positive compared to many other rental accommodations, we also received recommendations on how we can further reduce the footprint. We are now looking at the possibilities of how we can apply these suggestions and what the consequences are for our products and processes.
Camping Business – How do you manage post-sale interactions with clients?
Remco van de Fliert – We think personal contact is very important. We also try to maintain active and positive after-sales relationship with customers. For us it is important to create a partnership with the customers. These customers are also very important to hear about the changing wishes and needs of the camper. Based on this, we can also implement innovations and give adequate answers.
Camping Business – Do you also offer ready-to-adopt glamping projects for campsites?
Remco van de Fliert – We try to offer a suitable solution for every customer. We notice that customers increasingly want to be unburdened and prefer to have only one point of contact during the installation of turn-key delivered tents. We can take care from start to finish. From advice to construction and turn-key delivery.
Camping Business – How did last season go and what are the expectations for this 2022?
Remco van de Fliert – Last year was the most challenging in our history. The incredible growth of the business, coupled with a market where the availability of raw materials was irregular at best, made this season sometime challenging. Every day we have learned something new and taken many measures that today allow us to provide our customers with the best possible service. We are now able to better monitor the market, we have hired new staff and we have improved our inventory management. The Glamping tent proved to be a good quality and profitable product. In addition to the good results in recent years, we see projects growing in size. There are several of them already planned for next year and we will be carrying out our biggest project so far: 100 tents in one place.
Camping Business – Is glamping tourism for everyone or do you see any particular category more interested in it?
Remco van de Fliert – Most campsites and holiday parks are aimed at families. However, also due to the Corona, the target group is expanding. We also supply campsites for young people, hiker campsites for couples and mini-campsites aimed at the elderly. Glamping is still gaining popularity among all target groups.
Camping Business – Do you offer solutions for heating and cooling in the tents?
Remco van de Fliert – Yes, there are several options for heating and cooling the tents. Customers try to extend the season by placing for example a pellet stove, to make the tents even more profitable.
Camping Business – Is there something you want to add?
Remco van de Fliert – Yes, I would like to wish everyone a great and successful season with lots of satisfied guests!
More info: www.outstandingtent.com – remco@outstandingtent.com
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