The Great Resort Flood Is Coming - Are You Ready?

This is the 50th edition of The Glamping Insider, so I’m celebrating with a spicy take.

This industry is about to get a lot more crowded, and you need to be prepared. 

The Incoming Flood

The world of glamping, boutique resorts, unique stays — whatever you want to call it — is booming.

People across North America are creating their dream lives by opening these resorts, and they’re making silly money while they’re at it.

This is a good thing. As the industry grows, raising capital becomes easier, and exits become more viable. 

A side effect has been the quiet creation of a whole new ecosystem. One where people are teaching others how to get into this business.

And it’s going to cause a flood of new resorts like you wouldn’t believe.

The New Ecosystem

Pioneers are becoming teachers.

Operators who have built successful resorts are now coaching, consulting and franchising.

Bolt Farm Treehouse is the best independent glamping business in the US. The founders, Seth and Tori Bolt, are the most elite operators I know. They have an insane amount of knowledge to share, and it was accumulated by putting in the hard yards for years on end.

They’re now sharing that knowledge through paid masterminds. Several times a year, aspiring operators travel to Bolt Farm and receive personal tuition from Seth and Tori on how to build resorts like theirs.

Alongside paid courses, there are private communities for aspiring operators. I’m part of Isaac French’s excellent Experiential Hospitality Community, for example.

Then there are the podcasts and Youtube channels helping new operators, like Zach Busekrus’ Behind the Stays.

People even tell me this newsletter encourages them on their journey.

Point being, there’s an ecosystem of “How to do this” resources that didn’t exist 5 years ago. Not only are more people hearing about how great our business is, it’s now much easier to get started.

This is normal. It’s a sign of the industry maturing.

But it should come with a warning label for everything thinking of entering the niche.

There are two dangers you should be aware of:

1) More resorts will hit the market

This isn’t rocket science.

More people are shouting about their success in this space (myself included). That attracts interest from prospective operators.

Those prospects are now being taught how to do it by the experts who have done it all before. That converts interest into real resorts.

As this educational ecosystem grows, the rate of new entrants will accelerate exponentially.

You must be better to stand out from the crowd.

2) That standards will rise

More competition isn’t a huge problem if the standard of the competition remains the same.

But with the new educational ecosystem, that just won’t happen.

15 years ago, Sarah Dusek started Under Canvas with a dream of bringing an African-style safari experience to the US.

She had nobody to help her. Nobody to look to for inspiration. Which is why the first location was a total failure.

Fast forward to the present day. A new operator can pay $5k for a masterclass from Seth and Tori Bolt (a fraction of the cost of building a resort). All the tricks of the trade; all the mistakes to avoid; everything.

Or they can dive into all the free resources. This newsletter, podcasts, Youtube videos, etc.

The new entrants are entering with more knowledge and sophistication than even the best operators of 5 years ago.

Then imagine what the new entrants will be like in 5 years, or 10 years’ time. The levels will have risen again.

So What Can I Do?

This dispatch isn’t meant to be negative. There’s still a ton of money to be made in this industry. I’ve banked my business on that fact.

I just want to give an honest picture of what’s coming over the next few years.

Don’t enter this game if you’re not willing to be great. The era of putting a few domes in a field and hoping for the best is coming to an end.

Rise to the challenge, and you’ll be okay. Half-arse it, and you won’t.

I’m excited for what the market is going to throw up in the future. And I’m relishing the challenge of ensuring each Posh Outdoors location is better than the last.

Are you up for the challenge too?

P.S. I can’t quite believe this is the 50th edition of The Glamping Insider. If you’ve found value in my ramblings, please consider sharing the newsletter with a friend using the link below. It would mean a great deal.