Vacanze col Cuore pushes to Italy and Holland and is ready to open Lago Idro Glamping Village

The Vacanze col Cuore Group, founded by Loek Van De Loo, expands both in Italy and in the Netherlands by opening the new Lago Idro Glamping Village in Anfo (Brescia) – for which new hires will also be expected – and by acquiring the historic camping “de Papillon” in Denekamp. The number of resorts owned by the Italian-Dutch holding therefore rises to eight, aiming for a growth of 50 percent. In fact, still in the province of Brescia, it owns the Weekend Glamping Resort, the Park Residence Il Gabbiano, the Vacanze Glamping Boutique and the Sivinos Camping Boutique. The Orlando in Chianti Glamping Resort in Cavriglia (Arezzo) and the Vallicella Glamping Resort in Scarlino (Grosseto) are also owned by the Group.

Loek Van De Loo is the “father of glamping”. In fact, he is considered by the entire European open-air tourism sector as the one who, first, has spread and encouraged the growth and change in the glamping key of the outdoor holiday. This especially in Italy, where he helped to create a model much appreciated by vacationers from across the border. Last year, confirming his pivotal role, ADAC – the German touring club that has around 21 million members – first included him in the industry Hall of Fame.

“We have brought a trend to Italy, glamping, which has acquired very specific characteristics thanks to the culture of beauty that has always existed here. So, from Northern Europe, we went south”, comments Loek Van De Loo, who is Dutch by birth but Italian by adoption for forty years. “Today we are preparing to go the other way with a less usual glamping model for Northern Europeans: more attention to detail, more attentive to design, more refined and luxurious, in a certain sense closer to the glamping model I have grown on Lake Garda and in Tuscany, which the Dutch have shown to appreciate a lot in recent years, staying in our Italian resorts”.

Two important projects

Despite the well known critical issues of 2020, Gruppo Vacanze col Cuore has pressed on the accelerator of development and in 2021 it completed two important projects, started in previous years.

The first is the opening of the new Lago Idro Glamping Boutique in Anfo. On the shores of the lake surrounded by the mountains of the Valle Sabbia, where a traditional type of camping was once active, Vacanze col Cuore has created an attractive glamping center for sports enthusiasts. The opening, unless otherwise specified due to corona, will run from May 20^th to September 26^th 2021.

The second project concerns a historical landmark for the Dutch, German and Belgian tourist: the camping de Papillon in Denekamp in Twente, on the border between the Netherlands and Germany. This becomes the Papillon Country Resort, the first “Made in Italy” glamping site in the Netherlands, effectively marking the opposite of what the Group has done so far in Italy. Denekamp is a naturalistic and landscape paradise that the property of Vacanze col Cuore has enriched, again in a glamping key, with a restyling in line with the Group’s five-star offer. The entire management of the spaces is environmentally sustainable, thanks to water management and reuse and energy saving systems, which make the Papillon Country Resort an “eco-camping” in all respects. Moreover, for the guaranteed level, it is recognized by ANWB, ADAC SuperPlatz and Leading Campings. Unless otherwise specified in the anti-Covid legislation, a prolonged opening is planned which will run from the beginning of April to October 30^th 2021.

Growing, even as employees

The Vacanze col cuore Group recorded a turnover of about €9 million (2019 figure for the Italian holding) with six resorts and villages active in Italy. With these two new openings, growth forecasts stand at around €13.5 million – equal to an increase of 50 percent – which should compensate for the losses of the short summer 2020 season.

In a few weeks the Group will open some positions, especially seasonal ones, for Lago Idro Glamping Resort in Anfo. The figures sought will be mainly destined for the entertainment services of families and children, in the catering and reception areas and for the daily cleaning and sanitation of the accommodation. Within the Group, employees always have the opportunity to grow and gain new experiences.