CampStead

What CampStead does

CampStead is a privately held, Belfast-based online booking marketplace founded in 2006 that aggregates camping, glamping, caravan, and self-catered holiday accommodations across the United Kingdom and Ireland. The platform lists over 20,000 individual rental and pitch options across approximately 195 partner campsites, covering accommodation categories that range from traditional serviced touring pitches with electric hookups to glamping pods, shepherd huts, yurts, geodomes, safari tents, lodges, cabins, and caravan holiday homes. Geographic coverage spans England (119 sites), Northern Ireland (15), Wales (24), Scotland (32), and Ireland (5), with destination pages organised down to county, national park, and area of outstanding natural beauty granularity.

The platform is built as a consumer-facing web application with search and filter functionality, real-time availability calendars, integrated maps via the Google Maps Static API, and a verified guest review layer powered by Feefo under the merchant identifier 'campstead-ltd'. Property owners manage listings through the CampManager back-end system. The user experience emphasises '100% secure instant booking' and a 'no booking fees' proposition where consumers pay the same price as booking direct with the campsite, distinguishing the platform from aggregators that levy consumer-facing booking charges.

Commercially, CampStead operates a marketplace commission revenue model, charging campsite owners a fee or percentage on bookings transacted through the platform rather than monetising consumer-side transactions. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the campstead.com website and supported by organic social channels on Facebook, X, and Instagram. The company is bootstrapped, employs 1-10 people, and shows no disclosed venture or private equity backing, parent entity, or acquisition history. It serves family travellers, couples, groups, glamping enthusiasts, and traditional campers as a long-tail consumer base with no named enterprise accounts.

Name

CampStead

Legal name

CampStead

Website

https://campstead.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CampStead operates a UK and Ireland online booking marketplace aggregating approximately 195 partner campsites and 20,000+ camping, glamping, caravan, and self-catered accommodation options, earning commission from campsite owners while charging consumers no booking fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Accommodation Marketplace

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (72121)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Traditional Campgrounds (Tent & Mixed-Use) (THAMAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cabin & Cottage Campgrounds (THAMAJAD), Eco/Nature-Based Campgrounds (Sustainable/Off-Grid) (THAMAJAK), Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)

Keywords

• Camping booking platform
• Glamping accommodation marketplace
• Holiday park directory
• Caravan rental search
• Outdoor accommodation booking

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Commission: CampStead earns revenue by charging campsite and accommodation owners a commission or listing fee for bookings made through the platform. The platform emphasizes 'No booking fees - Same price as booking direct' indicating they do not charge consumers additional fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CampStead is an online marketplace that aggregates camping, glamping, caravanning and self-catered holiday accommodations from independent campsite owners across the UK and Ireland. The platform lets consumers search, compare and book over 20,000 rental and pitch options through a web-based booking engine with no booking fees charged to guests, earning revenue via commission or listing fees from accommodation providers.

Product overview

CampStead operates as a booking marketplace for outdoor accommodations across the UK and Ireland, offering over 20,000 rental and pitch options from approximately 195 partner campsites. The platform aggregates multiple accommodation types including glamping (pods, shepherd huts, yurts, geodomes, safari tents), traditional camping pitches, caravan holiday homes, and luxury lodges and cabins. Users can search by destination, accommodation type, and features, with secure instant booking and no booking fees. The product portfolio centers on the core booking platform integrated with destination search, accommodation listings, and user review functionality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CampStead Booking Platform Core online marketplace where consumers search, compare, and book camping, glamping, caravan holiday homes, lodges and cabin accommodations across approximately 195 partner campsites. Features secure instant booking, availability calendars, search and filter tools, and verified guest reviews.
• Glamping Accommodation Listings

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ rentals and pitches available
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FeefosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFeefo provides the review platform powering CampStead's verified guest review system. The Feefo logo and link are displayed on the website with the tagline 'See what our customers say about us' linking to Feefo reviews for campstead-ltd.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hipcamp: Online marketplace for camping, glamping, RV stays, and unique outdoor accommodations, primarily in the US. Comparable marketplace model and category, though operating in a different geography than CampStead.
• Cool Camping: UK-specialist platform curating cool, unique, and boutique camping/glamping sites. Comparable on niche positioning toward distinctive outdoor accommodations and UK/Ireland inventory focus.
• Glamping Hub: Global marketplace dedicated to glamping and unique outdoor accommodations. Comparable on category focus (premium outdoor stays), supplier-aggregator model, and direct booking funnel.
• Pitchup.com: UK-based online booking platform for campsites, glamping, and holiday parks across Europe. Directly comparable to CampStead on category (camping/glamping), geography (UK-centric), and business model (marketplace commission on campsite bookings).
• Canopy & Stars: UK-based booking platform specializing in glamping, treehouses, cabins, and unusual places to stay. Comparable on glamping-led inventory curation and UK traveler audience.
• Campsites.co.uk: UK-focused campsite search and booking platform covering tents, caravans, and glamping. Direct competitor on inventory aggregation, geographic coverage, and direct-to-consumer booking flow.
• UKCampsite.co.uk: Long-running UK camping directory and booking site listing campsites, caravan parks, and glamping sites. Similar niche focus, supplier-aggregator model, and consumer search/booking experience to CampStead.

Broad incumbents

• Airbnb: Global vacation rental platform with an expanding inventory of glamping and unique stays. Adjacent competitor for the same camping/unique-stay demand, though Airbnb's core inventory skews to traditional home rentals.
• Booking.com: Global online travel agency with significant inventory of campsites, holiday parks, and unique stays. Competes with CampStead for the same traveler booking occasions despite vastly broader portfolio and brand reach.

Regional players

• Holiday Park Scene / UK Holiday Parks: UK-focused holiday park directory and information portal. Adjacent comparison for UK holiday-park traveler demand, though more directory-oriented than transactional like CampStead.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CampStead
• Facebookfacebook.com/CampStead
• Instagraminstagram.com/campstead/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/campstead

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CampStead