Rural Business Diversification Ideas - Tourism Accommodation

We all know that glamping is a trend that has taken off among the rural community, but when it comes to tourist accommodation there are plenty of alternative and slightly quirky routes you could consider. Here are some ideas to get you thinking.



Traditional accommodation

  • Bed and breakfast
  • Converted holiday cottages
  • Touring caravans and camping
  • Lodges and log cabins
  • Hostels

Unusual and quirky

  • Underground houses
  • Hobbit houses
  • Fairy houses
  • Quirky conversions e.g. horsebox / aeroplane
  • Pop up hotels
  • Beach huts
  • Jungle huts
  • Hammocks
  • Canal boats
  • Converted shipping containers
  • Gypsy caravans

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CASE STUDY - Barnutopia: Glamping inspired by global travel

An idyllic spot on the English Welsh border is now home to the glamping, camping and event business 'Barnutopia', after Steve and Katrina Boydon took on the took on the full-time project in 2015.

Having worked abroad for 20 years, and most recently lived in the USA working and raising their family of four, the couple decided to return to their roots and set-up a glamping site, seeking a change of pace from corporate America.

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CASE STUDY - Petruth Paddocks and their free-range camping

The purchase of 28 acres by Jules and Sandra Sayer in 2002 now sees over 16,000 campers visit Petruth Paddocks each year.

Located at the foot of the Mendip Hills in north Somerset, the ‘free-range,’ family-run campsite Jules and his team have created provides the perfect opportunity to get away from the daily ‘hamster-wheel’ that can be life, thanks to the team’s informal, laid-back approach.

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Rustic or 'back to nature' ideas?

  • Wild camping
  • Rustic cabins
  • Pods
  • Bell tents
  • Tipi's & yurts
  • Safari tents
  • Campervans
  • Bow top caravans


High End Glamping

  • Shepherds Huts
  • Log cabins
  • Treehouses
  • Geo-domes
  • Folding pod homes
  • Eco-pods
  • Designer domes
  • Themed glamping units
  • Floating units
  • Units on stilts


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