Spotlight on Glamping Structures - Glamping Pods

ONE OF THE MANY THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT GLAMPING, IS THE VARIETY OF STRUCTURES YOU CAN STAY IN.

FROM YURTS, TO SAFARI TENTS, TO TREEHOUSES, TO GLASS IGLOOS…IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO RUN OUT OF OPTIONS.

THERE ARE OVER 20 DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRUCTURES THAT QUALIFY AS GLAMPING, WITH MORE BEING INVENTED EVERY YEAR. WHILE SOME STRUCTURES ARE DEBATABLE AS TO WHETHER THEY ARE TRULY GLAMPING OR NOT, THERE IS ONE STRUCTURE THAT LEAVES NO DOUBT AND THAT IS THE GLAMPING POD.

IN THIS ARTICLE, WE’LL LEARN ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE GLAMPING POD, AND FEATURE SOME AMAZING GLAMPTUARYS AROUND THE GLOBE THAT OFFER A STAY IN A STRUCTURE THAT WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR GLAMPERS.

*Location:* *Nature Vive Skylodge Adventure Suites* *- Ollantaytambo, Peru*

The practice of glamping has been happening (whether we knew it or not) since the first time homo sapiens took shelter in a cave. Eventually, humans began to erect shelters to support their nomadic lifestyle (enter the tipi). And today, we’re using the ingenuity of the past to reconnect with our ancestral programming (and nature) as we forge new paths in travel and hospitality experiences (enter glamping).

What’s really exciting is that as glamping continues to grow, with marketshare topping USD 3.15 billion in 2023, more Glamptuarys are being introduced with new glamping structures for us to enjoy.

And while it’s fun to enjoy glamping in tipis, yurts, and structures that have been around for thousands of years, you’d think that there would be a glamping structure that exists that was designed specifically for glampers.

And…there is. Allow me to introduce the glamping pod.

Often described as a “tent like structure built from wood”, glamping pods are believed to have come into existence in the early 2000’s. Like most glamping structures, the original design for the glamping pod is often credited to the U.K.

To me, the glamping pod looks very similar to another glamping structure called a cabin.

On the other hand, isn’t a safari tent just another play on a bell tent, and vice versa? And both the safari tent and the bell tent are evolutions that took inspiration from the tipi, right?

Plus, modern iterations of glamping pod designs in the last few years are using fabrics versus wood as their main construction material which pulls from the designs of bell and safari tents.

*Photo and design credit -* *Jumei Glamping*

Point being, while glamping pods may be inspired by past designs and other glamping structures, the name “glamping pod” is what works best in my opinion when compared to other glamping structures. It clearly defines the industry it’s used for, and maintains flexibility for endless iterations of what a “pod” might be.

This is perfect for an industry that is still just a baby when compared to the overall market share for global tourism, which topped USD 1.9 trillion in 2023. This means glamping currently accounts for .01% of all travel dollars spent in the world.

In other words…there is a LOT of room to grow and with a CAGR of 10% each year predicted for glamping through 2030, the sky is the limit.

And the “sky being the limit” approach is exactly what an organization took to heart when designing their glamping pod based Glamptuary in the Sharjah mountain range of the United Arab Emirates.

They plan to call it The Floating Retreat and in addition to the opportunity to sleep in a suspended glamping pod, the Glamptuary plans to offer an on-site full service spa, rock climbing tours, and best-in-class culinary experiences.

The time line for this Glamptuary is TBD. While that may be frustrating to the more adventurous glamping community in search of their next location…we promise we won’t leave you hanging.

We’ve picked out a few Glamptuarys that offer a stay in a beautiful glamping pod, with our first selection being a cliffside Glamptuary which should satisfy the most adventurous of glampers.