How small campsites win online: what Pitchup and Campspace show
Can a farm with a handful of tent pitches host guests from all over Europe? The stories of Pitchup and Campspace show how small campsites become visible online.
Teknovan Editorial Team ·
In the camping world, big sites were always easy to see: they had signs, websites, brochures. Small campsites grew by word of mouth. Five tent pitches behind a farm, three caravan plots at the edge of a vineyard. To find them you either had to know the area or get lucky. Two European start-ups, Pitchup.com and Campspace, changed that balance.
Pitchup.com: an online shop window for campsites
Founded in the UK in 2009, Pitchup.com started out as a platform that let campsites, glamping sites and holiday parks take bookings online. At the time, many campsites still took bookings only by phone and email.
Today the platform says it lists more than 5,500 sites in over 60 countries across Europe, the Americas and other continents, and it has made the Financial Times list of Europe's fastest-growing companies (FT1000). The secret of Pitchup's success is simple: a booking system that needs no technical knowledge on the campsite's side, and for campers a search experience with photos, reviews and instant confirmation.
Lesson: If a guest can't find a campsite, for them it doesn't exist. Being visible online and taking instant bookings is the cheapest marketing a small business has.
Campspace: the rise of micro camping
Campspace, founded in the Netherlands, focused on something different: micro campsites. Quiet spots close to nature on farms, in gardens and at the edge of woods, limited to a few guests. The hosts include farmers, retirees, teachers and families.
Campspace now lists small-scale campsites in more than 30 countries. In 2022 it raised 3 million euros and took over Pop-Up Camps from Germany. The platform's growth shows just how many guests want to get away from crowded holiday villages and find some quiet.
Lesson: Being small isn't a drawback, it's a product. "Only five pitches" can be the strongest sales line there is for the right guest.
What small campsites gain online
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Bookings by phone and message | Online booking 24/7 |
| Regulars who know the area | Guests from across the country and the world |
| Unclear prices and availability | Clear prices, up-to-date calendar |
| Reviews by word of mouth | Visible reviews that build trust |
| Empty pitches out of season | Midweek and off-season offers |
Five steps for small campsites
- Describe yourself properly. How many pitches, what size of vehicle fits, is there electricity, are dogs welcome? Clear information cuts out pointless phone calls.
- Update your photos. Photos taken in daylight that show the pitches, toilets and showers build trust.
- Open your calendar. Making availability visible removes the "have you got space?" question.
- Take a deposit. Bookings with a deposit mean fewer no-shows.
- Sell the fact that you're not crowded. Quiet, shade and nature are a small campsite's strongest cards against the big ones.
None of this is specific to one country. Small campsites in Türkiye, where many still work by phone and WhatsApp, face exactly the same choices as a farm site in Wales or Brittany.
With teknovan.io
teknovan.io was designed for small and mid-sized campsites. Put your pitches on a map, open your calendar, and let guests find you on teknovan.com.tr, choose their pitch and pay the deposit. Messages from WhatsApp and Instagram land in the same dashboard. Start for free on teknovan.io.
Sources
- Pitchup.com, Built In London
- From pods to treehouses: glamping is all the rage, Euronews
- Camp Anywhere With Campspace, Pop-Up City
- All about Campspace hosts
- Campspace, CB Insights
Image credits
Photos illustrate the region; they are not photos of the campsites themselves.
- Tavşanburnu Tabiat Parkı: Guurkancelik, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
