After five years of administrative disputes, Huttopia, a Lyon-based company specializing in outdoor campsites, has received final approval to develop a new site in La Barthe-de-Neste, France.
The project will take place on 27 hectares of private land located near the Pic du Midi, Capvern-les-Bains, and Saint-Lary. The site includes six hectares of Lake Lopez, which is currently not accessible to the public.
Michel Durrieu, Huttopia’s managing director, identified the land as suitable for the company’s post-COVID concept of “facilitating access to privileged natural spaces for a family, urban clientele accustomed to comfort by offering light, reversible and environmentally friendly accommodation.”
Huttopia has signed a 50-year lease on the property to establish the campsite.
The development required an impact study, a public inquiry, and a compensation proposal, and the municipality of La Barthe-de-Neste issued a development permit in June 2022. The permit was subsequently challenged by the association France Nature Environnement Hautes-Pyrénées.
On October 9, 2025, the administrative court of Pau rejected the association’s request, ordering them to pay 1,500 euros to the municipality and 5,000 euros to Huttopia for legal costs.
“Our project provided for an investment of 4 to 6 million euros with 15 to 25 direct jobs and 70 indirect jobs. These five years are a financial loss both for the region and for our company,” Durrieu told La Vie Économique.
The project plans to develop 150 pitches across the 27 hectares, compared with the typical 40 pitches per hectare at traditional campsites. Huttopia designs its tents and wooden chalets to minimize environmental impact and to be reversible.
Durrieu notes that since 2020, the company has launched 100 additional campsites, requiring adjustments to the investment plan. The site is not expected to open before 2028.
Huttopia emphasizes integrating the campsite into the local tourism ecosystem, encouraging visitors to explore nearby attractions, restaurants, and cultural sites.
“Our customers stay four to seven days, and we encourage them to discover the richness of the territory. This site is at the heart of a tourist destination that has historically been lacking in capacity on which we can offer tourism accessible to both a local clientele and a foreign clientele who come in the summer. It will also be a magnificent place for seminars,” Durrieu said.
For business owners in the outdoor hospitality sector, this project illustrates the complexities of long-term planning for campsite development, including regulatory hurdles, environmental challenges, and aligning investment timelines with operational growth. The case also highlights the potential economic and employment impact of large-scale campsite projects in emerging tourist destinations.