Glamping

A glamping "village" with semi-permanent yurts, gravel paths and a hot tub.

Glamping is a portmanteau of glamour and camping and describes a style of camping with amenities and, in some cases, resort-style services not usually associated with "traditional" camping. Glamping has become particularly popular with 21st century tourists seeking the luxuries of hotel accommodation alongside the escapism and adventure recreation of camping.^[1][2][3][4]

History

Glamping has its roots are in the early 1900s European and American safaris in Africa. Wealthy travellers accustomed to comfort and luxury did not want to sacrifice either, and their campsites and pampered wilderness lifestyles reflected it.

Glamping is its modern equivalent, combining both yesterday's amenities and today's technology. Also called boutique camping, luxury camping, posh camping, or comfy camping, today's glamping features such structures as yurts, tipis, pods, bell tents, safari tents, tent cabins, and tree houses.^[5] Glampsites range in price from as little as $50 per night to thousands of dollars per night, depending on amenities, which can include fresh bed linens, en suite washrooms, food service, and private verandas.

Concept

Glamping can exist on its own or encroach on traditional forms. In mid-2014, the City Manager of Black Rock City, Nevada described Burning Man, an annual event at nearby Black Rock Desert, as having "jumped the shark," when the 2014 event — which had been previously noted for core values of radical self-expression and self-reliance — featured incongruously posh VIP lounges, cell phone towers, and private jets.^[6]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to glamping.

• Ecotourism

References