Many people flock to camping or glamping because they want to spend time in nature, but how close to nature do they really want to get?
In the past few years, the glamping trend has helped to dispel many myths of the camping experience. One of which is that the toilets will be awful. Much investment has been made to debunk that assumption and many campsite owners who have not upgraded their facilities have been left behind, because people no longer have to brave rotting, dirty or dysfunctional toilets in order to embrace the glamping experience.
Both campsite owners and event organisers cannot afford to underestimate the importance of their facilities. It can be one of the leading reasons campers decide to return, or not return, to your site or event. There are many mistakes that campsite owners make with facilities, but here are a few of the leading reasons why campers might be put off by your showers and toilets:
Glamping facilities distance from the pitch
Whilst many campers enjoy walking out in nature, they won’t want to be walking for too long when nature calls. Especially if it’s at night or in bad weather. Of course, it is easier if you are building a campsite to properly plan where to place your facilities. If you’ve inherited a site or your site has grown, this is where campers might be faced with the issue of having to trek to the toilet.
Having more facilities is the obvious solution but of course, there is the cost to consider. Whilst it’s easy to assume that the few times a day your guests will have to visit the facilities will not make much impact, it will place a reasonable dent in their time if each trip takes 20 minutes or more, as opposed to five minutes. It’s important to remember that most people glamping or attending festivals are doing so as an escape from the daily grind, so it’s essential their enjoyment time is maximised. Turning toilet trips into a pilgrimage will not go unnoticed. Your guests will feel that their precious holiday time has been stolen from them.
So, rather than ask what it would cost to install more facilities, perhaps ask what it might cost not to?
In our experience, many glamping sites expand and, in that first year, claim that a longer journey to facilities did not bother campers. Yet, it's the following year when rebookings fail to materialise, that the real impact becomes apparent.
Glamping Toilet Cleanliness
Is there a tougher toilet to keep clean than one placed in the middle of the countryside? Frequented by people of all ages, many of who have been stomping through muddy terrain, possibly drinking alcohol and perhaps eating food cooked outdoors? Let’s not go into any more detail. Safe to say, we know it’s not easy to keep glamping site toilets clean.
Aside from regular checks, the choice of materials your facilities are built form can be a major factor in how difficult or easy they are to keep hygienic. There's a reason we don’t usually carpet a bathroom and there's a reason we make our kitchen surfaces easy to wipe.
Our advice to glamping site owners when they seek a supplier for campsite toilet and shower facilities is to work with those who work exclusively with campsites. Who understand how important it is to make administering to these facilities as quick and easy as possible for you and your staff. Don’t be won over by design, let sense lead the way. And yet…
Glamping Shower And Toilet Design Matters
Picture it from your guest’s point of view. You’re escaping out into the wild to be amongst nature. You have a cotton bell tent that bridges luxury with a natural aesthetic. You’ve got the campfire going and you’re leaving real life behind. Then you head to the facilities and are met with toilets that look a lot like those in your work office building. They just don’t go with the experience you’ve been promised. It’s a small thing but it’s disrupted your retreat.
If you’re going to have a successful campsite and attract the guests you most want then your facilities are going to be part of their experience. There’s no reason why, with sites having to now really compete with one another for their reputations, you should fall short in any area.
Toilets may seem irrelevant, practical only. Yet, when The Ivy restaurant opened in Brighton the thing people seemed to talk about even more than the quality of the food or service, was the toilets. Ok, so you don’t need yours to compete with theirs, but it does show that the smallest details make an impact.
As seasoned campers and suppliers to the glamping sector, we cannot stress enough how much the campsite facilities count. Don’t let the hard work you’ve put into your site be let down by toilets and shower blocks that do not mould into the environment you have gifted your campers with.
An investment in quality facilities will make upkeep easier and keep those campers coming back.
Are you a campsite owner or an event organiser seeking affordable, practical solutions to your toilet and shower facility needs? We design, build and instal quality shower and toilet facilities. Furthermore, we can design bespoke facilities to fit in with the aesthetics and requirements of your site. Please get in touch to find out more and see examples of our glamping and campsite facilities.
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