In these times of lockdown because of Covid-19 it may seem strange to think about making money from a glamping site, but eventually people will be allowed to come out, and travel, and then it is likely they will be hungry for pleasant holidays. Indeed at that time glamping sites will look especially attractive, appealing to people seeking “stay-cations”. It is likely as well that international travel may take longer to return to normality, so the appeal is even stronger for holidays in the UK. So let’s be positive and think about how long before you will be getting some money from your glamping business.
One Question - Two Answers
Short Term Until Money Starts to Flow
Behind this is the organisational question of exactly when you plan to open your site for business. Obviously there is preparatory work to be done before this. The site will need preparation, and building of infrastructure such as roads, pathways, toilets, showers and so on. Pods, (or yurts, tents whatever) will need to be purchased, delivered and constructed. Legal permits will need to be in place. Marketing plans will need to be put together, and a booking and payment system established.
Many of these processes will have flexible timing, so you need a detailed project plan, with a target opening date. Once you are sure this date can be met then you can start to accept bookings, and make money. It is dangerous, verging on criminal, to make money before you are sure of the date of completion. If you do that and the date slips you will have to refund the money or face serious consequences. On the positive side, once you are certain of the completion date, taking bookings and accepting payment is a powerful motivator to succeed.
Long Term Until the Site is Profitable
This is a more difficult question to precisely answer since there are many variables. There will be, possibly considerable, costs in getting the site ready and the units set up. This may entail long term finance deals which will continue as a cost. There will also be once-only costs of the construction, which need to be recouped before profit is possible. The business may be slow to get up to speed, especially if new systems and people are being initiated. Building an on-going reputation to help future business may have costs which will gradually diminish over earlier months. Experts in glamping site operation, like Glampitect, suggest it can be about two years before a site turns into profitability.
