You are thinking of starting a glamping site, so naturally one of your first questions is – how does financing a glamping business work? There are two separate phases – the initial set up of the site, and then the ongoing running of it as a successful business. The latter is a matter of good business judgment, and the careful balance between essential running costs and appropriate pricing to keep customers coming. We won’t cover that here but will look at the former – setting up costs.
Sources of Finance
A number of different channels exist for help with financing the establishment of a glamping site
- Your own bank Either personally, or in your business, you will have an existing relationship with a bank, so it is a natural first point in the hunt for finance.
- Another bank You don’t have to stick just with your own bank.
- Specialist Property Finance Providers There are specialist companies out there offering finance for property purchase.
- Secured loans To get one of these you need an asset you can use as security for the loan, such as a house, or land.
- Unsecured loans Loans which do not require a security.
- Grants Central or local government grants. You can find out more information about how to find and apply for grants at the government’s business finance support tool, or your Local Enterprise Partnership.
- Business start-up loans Government provided loans designed to encourage new businesses.

The good news is that once you have the finance arranged, and the site set up, glamping sites can be expected to start providing a return on investment quickly.