INFORMATION FOR LANDOWNERS
When you start a glamping accommodation business, you have two options. You can choose to set up and market yourself independently via a variety of channels - or you can apply to join the Canopy Camping Escapes collection.
When you join us, you're listed on our website exclusively, becoming one of our hand-picked, quality-assured glamping providers around the country.
You may have something existing on your property that suits the glamping accommodation genre. Or you may want to start something from scratch. Whatever the case, we work with you to help you develop a final product that will appeal to the market.
Once you’re up and running, we take care of proactive marketing, bookings and enquiries. (Refresh yourself on the broader benefits of joining Canopy Camping Escapes on our Become a Canopy Host page.)
For every booking you get, we earn a percentage commission - you take the rest. Creating ongoing occupancy for you is our responsibility - and our core business. Because for us to do well, you need to do better.
Below are some of the questions you may have about joining Canopy Camping Escapes. Read these carefully and then email us to discuss your ideas and questions with us further.
COST AND CONDITIONS
Once you're up and running, the total booking accommodation amount that the guest pays for their stay is divided between you and Canopy Camping as an 80/20 split. Canopy Camping retain 20% as our service fee, and you receive your portion, 80%, as your income.
For hosts with more than one Canopy Camping escape, the income split is 85/15. You receive 85% of the total booking accommodation amount paid, and Canopy Camping retain 15% as our service fee.
Note, for any extras you may provide such as food or activities, you receive the full 100%. Most other booking platforms take a commission or charge a fee on these.
When deciding whether to join Canopy Camping Escapes or whether to market your accommodation across multiple platforms, it's important to note that bookings via any source will have a cost associated. Bookings that come from any accommodation listing website and all inbound travel operators have a charge. Some of the large global booking platforms, like Airbnb, appear to have a low host percentage commission, however, they also have a 'service fee' charged directly to the guest, which, in effect, increases the commission percentage you pay considerably. Our income split model is more transparent and very reasonable in the industry for the considerable benefits we offer.
The only other cost to join is our 'Getting Started Pack' one-off charge.
Our 'Getting Started Pack' includes a number of critical elements and resources you'll need before you start operating. This includes professional photography, Health and Safety guidance and support, and a Camp Badge sign for the gate to your property.
We heavily subsidise the cost of these resources. You pay a one-off charge of $950+ GST which you'll be invoiced soon after you get going with us.
No. When you join Canopy Camping Escapes we market your property exclusively. This means that we alone list and promote your glamping accommodation and you cannot take paid bookings from any other source.
This keeps our collection exclusive, and exclusivity drives demand for both our glamping accommodation and our Gift Vouchers (read about why our Gift Vouchers are beneficial below).
With over 1.5 million+ individual sessions on our website each year, 100,000+ Facebook followers, and 80,000+ Instagram - the exposure you'll get through us to our highly targeted audience is sufficient to drive all your occupancy.
We have many escapes around New Zealand achieving 70 - 90% occupancy and a growing number achieving 95-100% occupancy - so we know that our platform can deliver as a standalone form of promotion.
All the glamping accommodation in our collection must meet our Canopy Standards.
Everyone in our collection benefits when the standards across the board are high. A positive experience at one escape generates referrals and an intention to trial other escapes.
Our guests love what we do, and book with us over and over again because they trust the experience that we provide.
We work closely with all our hosts during the set-up phase to make sure their escape will meet the Canopy standards and appeal to our target market. Where possible, a member of our team will visit once you're ready for guests. We also send a quick survey to every guest to ask them about their experience. This survey monitors guest experience and ensures any minor issues are swiftly identified and addressed. This helps us to ensure standards remain high and provides valuable feedback to you as the host.
No. You are welcome to close out your accommodation during periods you don't want bookings. For example, some of our properties close for six weeks over lambing. You will need to close these periods out in your calendar in advance.
SETTING UP
You may have a spot on your property that you think is peaceful and quiet. Or you may have a river or stream, a section of native bush or maybe just a spot where the views are large and beautiful.
Part of the attraction of glamping is to be surrounded by nature - with a sense of being removed from civilisation. This doesn’t mean that your glamping accommodation needs to be in the back of beyond. It just needs to feel like that.
Having said that, glamping can also work beautifully as boutique accommodation in an olive grove, or vineyard - really anywhere with a bit of atmosphere and charm.
We’ll be happy to help you establish whether your property is right for glamping - and won’t recommend glamping as an option for you if we don’t think your property will appeal to glampers.
If you’re a landowner already offering holiday accommodation and/or tourist activities on your property, you’ll find that a glamping accommodation - as well as providing an income in its own right - will enhance and complement your current offering. Let us know what your individual circumstances are, and we’ll talk about how this could be managed.
Whether you're starting from scratch or amending existing accommodation, we assist you to develop your glamping accommodation so that it appeals to the glamping market.
We provide advice and support at each critical stage of development:
- The initial design (this can be as simple as a pencil sketch)
- Assistance with decisions on key materials to use in your build - flooring, cladding, landscaping etc
- Assistance with final decor decisions - furnishing decisions, colour schemes and 'overall look'
We know what photographs well and resonates with the market. Our input at these critical stages can save expensive mistakes - and will ensure that occupancy for your accommodation meets its full potential.
Ideally. It’s feasible to ‘outsource’ aspects of managing your accommodation (eg. catering or cleaning), but role of hosting is critical and is best done by someone who cares about the success of the business - that’s probably you!
Having said this, we do have some places (mostly huts) that host 'from a distance' and this can be managed with careful planning and trustworthy assistance from a property manager and cleaners etc.
Whether you need resource or building consent will depend on your district plan and local council rules and regulations. We recommend talking through your plans with a planner at your local council to see what you'd be required to apply for.
We partner with an independent Tourism Health and Safety Adviser to help you develop a Health and Safety Plan for your property. This makes it easy for you to confidently host guests safely, and meet your obligations under the Health and Safety Act.
THE NUMBERS
This largely depends on your property, your budget and your own ability and desire to provide labour where required. To give you a rough idea, if you're starting from scratch, setting up your glamping accommodation could range from anywhere from $75,000 for a smaller, simpler set up, using your own labour, to $250,000+ for a larger, more elaborate build.
Bear in mind, that the more you put into your accommodation to make it deluxe and appealing, the higher the demand will be and the more people will be prepared to spend to stay there.
Revenue can come from both accommodation, and extras you choose to offer, such as meals, activities and other added value services. Canopy commission only applies to the accommodation charge - additional revenue is all yours.
Accommodation revenue is based on two factors - your occupancy level and your nightly rates. We have very strong occupancy levels with average occupancy in 2022 of over 70%. Our highest-performing escape had an occupancy of 98%, with plenty of others achieving between 80% - 90%.
The nightly rate for your accommodation will depend on your property, location, and how deluxe your particular set-up is. Our pricing currently ranges from about $250 up to $500 per night (with variances for summer and winter).
MARKETING
Joining Canopy will give you the benefit of an established brand, with an existing presence in the marketplace. So rather than working hard and spending a lot to create your own brand awareness over time, becoming part of Canopy Camping Escapes means you’ll get an immediate profile within a small and exclusive collection.
Our job is to drive business to you through our well-known brand, public relations, marketing activities - and an excellent customer service experience. Our styling advice and photography services will ensure your accommodation is presented to appeal to the target market.
Being part of Canopy Camping Escapes will mean you won't have to worry about marketing your own business. You won’t have the uncertainty, confusion, or risk when it comes to deciding where best to spend your marketing money.
Our marketing strategy is to drive awareness of the glamping holiday category, to promote Canopy Camping Escapes as the leading name in glamping accommodation, and to drive direct online bookings via online marketing.
We do this via media related reviews in magazines and newspapers, social marketing through Facebook and Instagram, Google search engine marketing, specialised online directory advertising and brand advertising in targeted publications.
Our website had over 2,000,000 sessions last year, with new and repeat visits.
Our Facebook page has over 120,000 followers and a highly engaged and responsive audience. Facebook is an excellent tool for filling last-minute availability and launching new glamping accommodation in our collection with a bang.
Our Instagram following is strong and growing rapidly with over 100,000 followers as of May 2025.
We also have strong connections with a number of travel journalists, high-profile media figures, and social media influencers. Accommodation reviews in the media are an excellent tool for generating interest and bookings.
GIFT VOUCHERS
Our electronic Gift Vouchers can be purchased for any amount, and used as full or part payment for a booking at any of our Canopy Camping Escapes glamping sites.
Our Gift Vouchers can be ordered and received instantly online making them a very popular gift.
Our Gift Vouchers are extremely popular as gifts and lately, they have become a very popular prize option for brands running competitions.
Our Gift Vouchers are beneficial because they are in effect, pre-sales for our escapes. We're not limited by availability with our Gift Vouchers sales, which makes them very useful for driving shoulder season and off-peak demand.