Outdoor holiday bookings across Europe saw notable shifts in 2025 as travelers opted for shorter, more flexible, and more cost-conscious stays, according to new data released in The Great Outdoors Holiday Report by Pitchup.com.
The company described 2025 as defined by “shorter, closer, later,” supported by rising demand for affordable domestic trips and stable interest in outdoor accommodations.
The average stay declined by 4% to 2.3 days, with 38% of bookings lasting just one night. Pitchup.com attributes this pattern to persistent cost-of-living pressures and the desire to visit multiple destinations within limited leisure time.
Domestic bookings increased 3%, reflecting both time constraints and interest in environmentally conscious travel. Booking lead times also shortened, falling 8% year over year to 27.2 days, while 10% of guests booked on the same day as arrival.
Pitchup.com reports that nearly 80% of transactions now occur via mobile, facilitating spontaneous trips.
These trends contributed to the platform’s strongest performance to date. Pitchup.com reached 1 million annual bookings on September 9, 2025, a 21% increase over 2024 and 50% more than in 2021.
Its busiest day occurred on August 12, when it received 585,000 website visits and processed one booking every two seconds, totaling 24,000 holidaymakers in a single day.
Destination trends showed increased interest in budget-conscious travel across Europe. Hungary saw booking value rise 117% year over year, becoming the company’s 12th most-booked destination.
Portugal increased 63%, supported by demand for self-drive options amid reported tourism tensions in Spain and airline challenges within Portugal. City-adjacent locations near Venice, Paris, and Amsterdam also performed well due to their lower accommodation costs compared to urban stays.
Traveler preferences continued to diversify. Campervans accounted for 32% of all bookings, narrowing the gap with traditional tent camping at 35%. Roof-tent bookings surpassed trailer-tents within months of the introduction of a new category.
Solo travel increased 39%, and glamping segments expanded across multiple formats. Ready-tents grew 45%, treehouses rose 44%, and pods—still the most-booked glamping type—climbed 15%.
Pitch preferences highlighted sustained interest in rural experiences. Two of the five most-booked sites were working farms, while searches for hot tubs surpassed 300,000. Food quality also gained importance, with a 9% increase in reviews mentioning meals and 12,400 guests citing food as part of their post-stay feedback.
Pubs offering pitches reported that guest spending on food and beverages often exceeded pitch fees several times over, providing important support for hospitality businesses.
Looking ahead to 2026, Dan Yates, founder and managing director of Pitchup.com, said he expects sustained demand driven by affordability concerns.
“With little prospect of the cost-of-living crisis disappearing any time soon, value for money will continue to be a key driver in the travel market, so those with tents and caravans will be relying on them even more than before,” he said.
Yates noted rising winter bookings for campervan stays near ski destinations and increasing interest in sites positioned near major cities.
Yates also cited sustainability as a growing influence: “With sustainability moving ever-further up the agenda, there’s another strong reason to favour overland travel over flying.”
He added that road trips and responsible travel are contributing to the popularity of farm-based accommodations. He identified northern Italy—specifically Emilia-Romagna, where bookings are up 57%—as a possible standout destination for 2026.
Operationally, Yates said more parks are adopting booking systems and channel managers, and that Pitchup.com intends to expand its integrations.
“Outdoor breaks are great for a digital detox and getting up close to nature, but the sector isn’t impervious to technology,” he said. He also noted increased investment by operators in guest experiences, stating, “Sites themselves are also continuing to up their game… from facials to cocktail classes.”
For outdoor hospitality operators, the report indicates growing interest in flexible, short-notice travel, diversified accommodation types, expanded food and beverage offerings, and amenities that elevate the guest experience.
The data suggests that properties emphasizing convenience, value, and experiential add-ons may be best positioned to capture the evolving outdoor travel market in 2026.
Featured image by Pitchup.com