Glamping – The New Trend in Travel

Glamping, glamour camping is taking the travel trade by storm. While Destination I Dos and Babymoons are carving out their own niche, Glamping too is taking a big piece of the pie.

This recent travel trend is for any one who’s willing to pay a premium for high class and high adventure, no spouses or babies required, just a single minded attitude and appetite for adventure and for the finer things in life

Rock climbing, river kayaking, archery, remote beach surfing and wilderness gourmet cooking lessons, paired with cocktail making and wine tasting are the new activities glamour campers are enjoying this season at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, in Victoria BC, a remote, refined and remarkable destination known for its soft touch on the environment, without compromising service for the discriminating traveler. 

And it is this type of experience the NEO (short for New Economic Order) traveler is willing to pay a premium for, according to Ross Honeywill, an international consumer behaviorist. 

Recent research has identified over 59 million NEOs in the US and 6 million in Canada, who are looking for bespoke tourism experiences that are remote, authentic, natural, have a distinctive story behind them and allow for active engagement.  Research has also shown that if the experience is right, these premium consumers will spend more, more frequently and stay longer than the traditional consumer who is more concerned about guarantees and sourcing out deals while on vacation. 

Today, glamour camping continues to be a vacation of choice for travelers looking to get back to nature in comfort and authentic style. And for those looking to cross off some ‘to dos’ on the champagne ‘bucket list’ while there, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort has an extensive menu of a la carte glamping activities.

With packages starting at CDN$4,750 per person, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort’s outpost at Bedwell River in the Clayoquot Sound biosphere near Tofino, British Columbia was inspired by the 19th century great camps and offers remote and untamed wilderness.

Quickly gaining a reputation as the world’s premiere destination for glamour camping, the resort includes white canvas deluxe tents that offer visitors a taste of how the fortunate spent their summers ‘roughing it’ one hundred years ago. The tents are set on raised platforms to protect the flora and fauna below, and are set in the heart of the Canadian rainforest.

Fireplaces, four-poster beds with down duvets, antique furniture and rugs complete the accommodation, with private composting toilets, which appeals to NEO’s concern for sustainability. 

In addition to the active outdoor past times waiting to be discovered at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, river and ocean kayaking, rock climbing, fresh and salt water fishing, archery, sporting clay and target shooting, whale watching and animal viewing, and first nations interpretive hikes there are a variety of once-in-a-lifetime options to maximize the wilderness experience.
These experiences also provides the NEO traveler with the memories or “signposts of a life well lived” they are looking for”, says Honeywill.
 
Here’s a chance for glampers to catch a wave in the untouched waters of Clayoquot Sound that are crystal clear and pristine enough to make a grown surfer cry. Virgin wave seekers will be dropped off with a guide in a zodiac for a euphoric day of breaking in the waves. 
 
Serenity seekers can explore the Bedwell ocean and river waterways on single or double kayaks, while those looking to experience a new style of kayak can hop into a jet propelled Mokai- a motorized kayak- and explore areas unattainable by a standard kayak. www.mokai.com

A late season snow melt means that the river kayaking has been better than ever this year, offering unbelievable thrills for those seeking more of an adrenaline rush over the more sedate ocean kayaking. 
 
The climbing wall is not only ready to teach “glampers” the ropes, with four routes geared towards beginner to advanced climbers, but once scaled it provides a spectacular view of the Bedwell River Sound. 
 
Clayoquot Sound is home to an abundance of black bears, three species of whales, including orca, humpback and grey, as well as sea lions, seals, puffins, and many biosphere-specific species of birds. Hop aboard a 12-person zodiac for a thrilling zip across the sound and get the camera ready.  
 
New to Clayoquot, glampers can see if they can hit the target at the archery and skeet shooting courses set up in the meadow behind the resort with expert instruction, a safe environment, and state-of-the-art equipment.
 
Indoor spas are so bourgeois. Clayoquot Wilderness Resort’s Healing Grounds offer treatments – from the men’s morning groom to treatments using local seaweed. Glampers can begin the day with a pampering morning ritual, which uses local and natural products to prepare skin for an active day ahead or, after a long, hard day of activities, aching glampers can relax for a spa treatment in a great white tent on the river’s edge with only the sound of the water lapping the shore and their blissfully happy thoughts as distractions. 
 
Renowned Chef Tim May will provide private instructions in the showcase open kitchen of the luxury log cookhouse sharing his secrets for finding and preparing local fare from land and sea. For glamour campers looking to capture their wilderness experience in a cocktail glass, lessons can be arranged on how to mix a martini using locally distilled organic gin, or custom create a cocktail, glamour camping style.

Whether arriving by sea or floatplane, guests know the moment they step into the welcoming horse drawn wagon that awaits them to take them to the resort, they are now in “glamping” territory.

Clayoquot Wilderness Resort also prides itself on being committed to the triple bottom line of sustainability and continually strives to remain in the top echelon of sustainable properties in the world. As part of a guest’s visit to the resort, a percentage of package rates will go to the non-profit British Columbia Wilderness Tourism Association to assist in environmental stewardship activities, which ensure ongoing viability through the protection of the wilderness tourism land base. As well funds will support the resort’s Environmental Legacy Program, which includes habitat restoration, First Nations programs, and wildlife studies in Clayoquot Sound.

Rates and Season: The 2008 season began May 15, 2008 and will run until early October, weather depending. An all-inclusive resort, three, four and seven night packages include Vancouver/Tofino return floatplane, horse-drawn wagon shuttle, accommodations, all gourmet meals, snacks, alcohol, unguided activities and guided activities. Three, four and seven night packages start at CDN $4,750 per person, based on double occupancy. For more information, contact Clayoquot Wilderness Resort at 1-888-333-5405    

By Karen Loftus