Slow tourism – coastal camping

Rural camping evaluationClient: Vale of Glamorgan Council

Perfect Pitch was a trial to assist landowners and farmers in the coastal region of the Vale of Glamorgan with the legal, practical and financial support to try out a campsite for low key sustainable camping on their land for a limited period of time. The trial presented an opportunity to see if this type of low impact tourism accommodation business was something that any of the participating landowners would like to embark on over the long term. It also helped to raise the profile of the Vale of Glamorgan as a camping destination.

Working for Creative Rural Communities, the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Rural Regeneration team we were commissioned to carry out an evaluation of the innovative slow tourism coastal camping Perfect Pitch Project. This included identifying if any additional overnight stays were generated to the Vale of Glamorgan, the benefits the landowners and farmers gained from the project, the impact on local businesses related to the tourism and wider hospitality sectors. This was alongside gathering feedback from guests on their experience.  There have been positive outcomes as a number the campsites are now successful businesses, one has diversified its offer to include Shepherds Huts and other camping businesses have developed as a result of the project. The project also helped to influence the development of the new Supplementary Planning Guidance in respect of tourism (with a focus on sustainable development, including travel).

How can we help?
If you have any questions about developing a new visitor accommodation business or reviewing options for an existing accommodation business or would like to discuss our work please don’t hesitate to call Richard Linington on 023 9248 1999 or email richard@pslplan.co.uk