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Campingninja: Our sustainable tourism goals

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21 June 2010 : Written by Rhian Evans and Geoff Vaughan
At Campingninja we are not just about enabling people to find the right campsite and book it; we are passionate about encouraging campers and campsites to reduce their carbon footprint whilst having a great experience. Whilst allowing any campsite to sign-up to our website (it's free), we are keen to promote those which are focussing on creating and running a sustainable business. We believe this is the way forward in our industry and want to encourage others to follow the lead of those who have this focus. We are supported by The Green Tourism Business Scheme as well as regional tourist boards who are keen to work and collaborate with us. We also have our own in-house environmental policy.

Encourage visitors to travel responsibly and to have less impact on the infrastructure and local environment whilst enjoying what the region has to offer.
By its very nature, camping has less environmental impact that other accommodation and there are numerous benefits associated with encouraging people to experience the great British outdoors. Campingninja will publish articles and "how to" sections to encourage campers to use their cars less and instead use public transport / walking / cycling to get about. E.g we are going to be linking up with Sustrans to provide cycle network information. Campingninja has very specific sections for campers to know how to get to each campsite via public transport as well as highlighting all the activities within walking distance. Campingninja will also be encouraging all campers to embark on car-free days using the local information provided.

Fill existing accommodation capacity, not create any more
Campingninja knows that although many campsites are usually almost full at peak times and bank holidays, there are many times during the year when they are not. Campingninja provides an online booking presence that no campsites currently enjoy. Visitors will be able to find availability and book with ease and the campsite will have their spare spaces filled. Campingninja is another way of campsites letting campers know they are there and that they have space. This also works very well for the late booking markets.

Boost the local economy - getting visitors to buy local products and use local services

Campingninja.com is designed so that:

a) we encourage campsites to let campers know if they have local produce available; if they provide any activities on site; and if they recommend any activities nearby, what the local pubs and restaurants are etc;

b)campers can actually filter their search to see if local produce etc is available to them thus encouraging campsites to provide and advertise this. Campingninja wants to encourage people to not load their car up at Tescos with all food and drink then drive all the way to stay at a campsite, using all the local resources and not contributing any more to the local economy - but for this to happen, campers need to know it is an option.


Encourage local businesses / campsites to be more sustainable

Campingninja will be promoting and highlighting those local businesses and campsites which do have great green credentials. We know that 60% of consumers will now choose the "greener" option if they are presented with that choice, and the percentage is likely to be higher where the camping community is concerned as by its very nature it is already a greener option. Therefore, those campsites that are making efforts to lower their carbon footprint are likely to get more bookings than those which don't, thus encouraging other campsites to up their green credentials. Campers will be able to filter their searches for campsites who are part of the Green Tourism Award Scheme and also those who have achieved a David Bellamy Award too. As well as this we will have sections for each campsite to go into a lot more detail about what their campsite offers in the way of green credentials.


Encourage visitors in the off peak season / extend the season – reduce the seasonality of demand

Campingninja will have extensive articles and content feeds from tourist boards and other organisations. We are very keen to highlight events and activities which don’t just run for 6 weeks in the Summer and also offer advice about how to go about, for example, winter camping (you just need the right kit). We believe that people need to be encouraged to come away even if it is raining (as this can happen any time of year); it is generally mild from March until the start of November.


Enable local businesses to highlight and promote their unique qualities

The Campingninja sophisticated search enables campsites to highlight what facilities they have (not just showers etc, but drying rooms for walkers and cyclists) and also what their campsite is best for – groups, families, bird watching, surfing, mountain biking; as well as awards and quality standards they have achieved. This will enable campers from those communities to find them. On their pages they also have unlimited space for photos and content plus the chance to post their own video. “At every step of travel research, consumers are turning to online videos to help them make decisions - while considering a trip 63% of consumers watch videos.” (Travel Daily News Jan 2010, study by Google and OTX 2009)


Ensure that campsites endorsed have undergone quality control

Campingninja is already working with Enjoy England, Visit Scotland and Visit Wales, The Green Tourism Business Scheme and The AA and have their permission to use and display their official quality ratings for campsites which have them. Campers will be able to search for campsites with these official quality ratings.





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