How to start a campsite in the UK
Starting a campsite can be a rewarding way to use land for a profitable hospitality business that taps into the UK’s growing appetite for outdoor stays. Interest in camping and glamping boomed in the UK during the pandemic and affordable, nature-based escapes continue to be a popular way to holiday. If you love the outdoor lifestyle and/or have land that you think would be perfect for a camping or glamping site, it’s an exciting industry to join. However, before you fling open the farm gates to passing trade, it’s important to know the ropes of how to start a campsite in the UK. Regulations, planning permission, infrastructure, and marketing all play a vital role in long-term success.
This guide walks you through the essential steps of how to set up a campsite from scratch, whether you’re planning a small tents-only campsite or looking into how to start a glamping site in the UK. It also touches on the realities of how to run a campsite business, helping you build something sustainable, compliant and appealing to today’s campers and glampers.
Understanding the camping and glamping market in the UK
Before breaking ground, it’s crucial to understand the market you’re entering. The UK camping and glamping sector has grown fairly steadily over the last decade driven by a number of factors. A growing awareness of the need for sustainable holidays is one factor, the rising cost of other accommodation is another. A desire to get away from screens for a digital detox is yet one more reason that people choose camping, especially for family holidays. There seems to be a renewed appreciation for the outdoors that has encouraged more people to try camping and glamping in recent years. To cater to all tastes, campsites now seek to appeal to a wide range of guests, from budget-conscious tent campers to couples and families seeking boutique glamping experiences.
Deciding where your campsite will sit within this market is one of the first strategic choices you’ll need to make. A basic campsite with minimal facilities will have very different costs, pricing and expectations to a high-end glamping site. Your location, competition, target audience, available land and own personal taste will all influence this decision.
Choosing land and location for your campsite
Location is one of the most important factors when learning how to start a campsite in the UK. If you are looking to buy land for the purpose of starting your business or are an existing landowner wondering if you have a good site to start a campsite on, think about the size, shape and lie of the land. You’ll also want to think about views from the site and proximity to attractions such as beaches, national parks, walking routes or popular historic villages and towns. And, at the same time, you’ll need to consider practicalities like road access, drainage and utilities.
Ideally, your land should be relatively flat, well-drained, sheltered and large enough to allow spacing between pitches. Poor drainage can quickly lead to waterlogged ground and unhappy guests and an exposed site can bring problems in windy or stormy weather. Difficult access can lead to your guests being stressed before they arrive and can result in poor reviews and might, ultimately, deter bookings. It’s also essential to research neighbouring land use as nearby farms, roads, train tracks or industrial sites may affect noise levels and guest experience.
You’re unlikely to find somewhere that ticks all the boxes (being scenic, close to a tourist attraction, flat, sheltered, well drained, peaceful and well connected) but you should consider all these things and weigh up the positives against the negatives when deciding where to start your campsite.
How to set up a campsite with the right planning permission
One of the biggest hurdles when figuring out how to set up a campsite is navigating planning permission and licensing requirements. Different rules apply in different parts of the UK but in England, land can be used for camping for up to 60 days per year without planning permission, provided no permanent structures are erected. Anything with permanent structures, or that is operational for more than 60 days, will usually require full planning consent from the local authority. This freedom is allowed under ‘permitted development rights’ and comes with a few caveats, such as a limit of 50 pitches.
It’s worth noting that until 2023, the limit under permitted development rights was 28 days so you may occasionally read or hear about ‘28-day campsites’ or ‘the 28-day rule’ but if you are England, you can rest assured that 60 days of camping are now allowed, as described in this amendment to the Town and Country Planning Order 2023. At the time of writing the 28-day rule still applies in Wales but the idea of upping it to 60 days is under consultation so it could change at any time. The rules are slightly different again in Scotland and Northern Ireland so make sure you research which permission you need for the area you want to set a campsite in.
If you’re exploring how to start a glamping site in the UK, planning rules are often stricter, as glamping units are typically considered permanent or semi-permanent structures. Bell tents or temporary tipis and yurts may come under the same regulations as a campsite – but more permanent structures like shepherd huts, cabins and domes are likely to require planning permissions. You may need to address environmental impact, traffic concerns and visual appearance as part of your application.
Do you need a campsite licence?
In addition to planning, prospective campsite owners need to think about licensing. In England and Wales, you require a licence to run a campsite — but only if it is operational for more than 60 days (or more than 42 days in a row) in a year. Thankfully, this fits in quite nicely with the updated 60-day permitted development discussed above so it is possible to run a temporary, pop-up or summer-only campsite without planning permission or a licence.
There is also an opportunity to run a campsite or tents-only glamping site without a licence or planning permission for a longer period if you are a member of what is known as an exempted organisation. These are clubs, like The Camping and Caravan Club, which operate for members only. They will require your site to meet certain standards, a bit like a licence, but might be quicker and easier to join and might have the advantage of offering advice and help with marketing too.
If you do require a licence for the type of site you want to run, you will need to apply through your local licensing authority, usually the district or borough council. Early conversations with the planning and licensing departments will give you a steer as to what they will expect from your campsite and can save time, money and frustration later. You should expect the licensing authority to want to know about health and safety, fire regulations, facilities and insurance. They will require your site to reach certain standards so may impose restrictions or changes.
Designing your campsite
Planning permission and licensing requirements may play a part in the design and layout of your site but even if you don’t require these, careful design will still shape how enjoyable and efficient your campsite is. A well-planned layout balances guest comfort with operational practicality. Pitch spacing, access routes, parking areas and communal spaces all need to work together.
Facilities are another key consideration. Even basic campsites are expected to provide clean toilets and drinking water. Somewhere to wash dishes is probably next most important on the list. Bins and waste disposal should be factored in and showers are important too, especially if you want to encourage longer stays. Glampers will expect more. You might want to think about private bathrooms, electricity and heating. While it’s tempting to add lots of features, it’s also important to balance investment costs with realistic pricing and occupancy levels.
Infrastructure and utilities
Infrastructure is often the most expensive part of setting up a campsite. Water supply, sewage, electricity and waste management must all meet regulatory standards. For rural sites, this may involve a fair bit of groundwork to install septic tanks and water treatment systems; to get electricity connected or to bring in renewable energy solutions.
Internet connectivity is also becoming increasingly important, even for guests seemingly seeking an off-grid experience. Many campsite owners now offer Wi-Fi in communal areas or market their limited connectivity as an off-grid experience or a digital detox. Either way, what campers can expect from the site (WiFi, mobile signal, somewhere to charge phones – or none of the above) should be clearly communicated.
Building a campsite business plan
Understanding how to run a campsite business means thinking beyond the physical site. No matter how big or small the campsite you want to set up is, a detailed business plan helps you assess costs, forecast income and secure funding if needed. It should definitely be one of the first things you do and will help you with all of the other aspects of setting up a campsite. It should include set-up expenses, ongoing maintenance, staffing, insurance, marketing and contingency funds.
Pricing strategy is particularly important. Campsites often experience strong seasonality, with peak demand during school holidays and summer months. Many successful operators use flexible pricing, minimum stay requirements or off-season incentives to maximise revenue throughout the year.
Marketing and attracting guests
Even the best campsite won’t succeed without visibility. You need to make sure people know you exist — and to reach the right people too. That’s the basis of marketing. To that end, a professional website, clear photography and easy online booking are now pretty much essential. Search engine optimisation (SEO) plays a key role in getting people to your website. It will help potential guests find it when they are searching the internet looking for a camping or glamping site for their next holiday or weekend away.
Social media can help do that too, acting as signposting for your website and offering a chance for you to keep people up-to-date with what’s happening on your site in an easier and more informal way. Online travel platforms and campsite directories can also drive bookings, particularly in the early days of your business. And finally, once you’ve opened, you’ll find guest reviews are one of the most valuable marketing assets for any camping or glamping business. To encourage them, make sure you deliver a great experience and encourage people to leave reviews online.
How to take online bookings
Once potential customers have found your website, they will want to be able to check availability, book and pay easily. The best way to do this is to enable online booking by using a booking system, like Bedful. This will allow you to embed or display an availability calendar on your website. Guests can then choose and book pitches or accommodation and easily and securely pay for their stay thanks to the system’s integration with secure payment processor, Stripe. It’s what we’ve all come to expect from booking accommodation and gives guests the power and responsibility for their own booking.
If you were to choose to take bookings another way, you will either need to advertise a telephone number, email address or social media point of contact for potential customers to use. They will then have to enquire about availability and you will have to manually check your diary or spreadsheet and get back to them with the price for the stay and offer them a way to pay. After they have paid, you will need to record all their details and contact them with a confirmation. It can be a lot of back-and-forth. Using a booking system cuts all this out and streamlines the process for both sides.
Managing day-to-day operations
With Bedful and other booking systems, campsite owners and managers can log in to see all their bookings in one place without having to input any details themselves. Payments are taken and confirmation emails are generated automatically — and there’s more. Bedful is more than just a booking engine, it’s a property management system (PMS) which gives you more tools to help manage your business. It’s a good idea to use this from the start, rather than having the hassle of switching from manual bookings to online bookings further down the line.
You’ll soon find that running a campsite is a hands-on business, especially during peak season so having a good management system in place to begin with is a great idea. Your list of daily tasks may include guest check-ins, cleaning facilities, managing bookings, maintaining grounds and responding to enquiries. If you are running a small site, you may be managing it yourself or within your family. If it’s a larger concern, you may have a whole team of staff. Either way, clear processes and realistic workloads are essential to avoid burnout — especially as camping is also a 24-hour-a-day operation.
Investing in campsite management software, like Bedful, makes it easier to share information. It streamlines bookings, payments and communication, making it easier to run your operation professionally.
Key things to consider before you start
If you’re serious about learning how to start a campsite in the UK, it’s worth exploring each of the following areas in more depth:
- Planning permission and permitted development rules
- Campsite licensing and exemptions
- Health, safety and campsite insurance
- The business of running a campsite
- Marketing a campsite for the first time
- How to choose the best booking software for your campsite
- Glamping extras and add-ons to boost campsite revenue
Each of these topics can significantly affect the success of your camping or glamping venture. While we’ve put together a handy list of resources and tips for new campsite owners to help you get started, they all warrant dedicated research and may require professional advice.