Emerging strategies and solutions. Current and future Open-air accommodation, between the needs of guests, industry and the environment.

Within the framework of SIA Hospitality Design that took place from 12 to 14 October in Rimini, in conjunction with TTG and SUN, the most important national fairs dedicated to b2b tourism, FAITA – Federcamping participated with an exhibition space called the green labyrinth, which we have already talked about, and proposed numerous in-depth discussion events, including an important moment of reflection for the sector, entitled “Emerging Strategies and Solutions. Current and future Open-air accommodation, among the needs of guests, industry and the environment“, organised by Crippaconcept and moderated by Maurizio di Maggio.

In this talk, we wanted to reflect on the camping experience that absolutely must keep up with the times, and in particular with all the innovations, the external and internal agents that contaminate and modify it with increasingly broader issues to be addressed. Precisely for this purpose, the guests on stage, leading figures in the open air sector in various areas, from research to strategic management, shared significant new ideas. These industrialists, academics and researchers, who excel in their distinctive areas of research and expertise, with their brilliant and curious minds, answered the most common questions about the future of open-air tourism, inspiring the large audience of stakeholders.

The conference was opened by Valentina Fioravanti, Human Company Marketing Manager who, through the results of the Outdoor Tourism Observatory, presented the reference scenario in which open air finds itself.

According to the data of the new edition of the Study on Outdoor Tourism that we carried out in partnership with Enit-National Agency of Tourism and Istituto Piepoli, – said Fioravanti- in addition to the desire to travel, last summer confirmed the trend that is now consolidated among Italians in favour of  local and open-air tourism. Of the 28 million fellow Italians on holiday, in fact, the Boot was the destination chosen by 81%, while one in five opted for outdoor holidays. This share, the latter, is growing compared to 2021, which testifies to the confidence that the outdoor hospitality segment has managed to gain in recent years. This is also thanks to its ability to evolve and offer quality services and every kind of comfort to an increasingly demanding audience of fellow Italians, willing on average to spend more for outdoor holidays by about 300 euros more per stay.

Subsequently Paolo Bertolini, President of the Cavallino Treporti Tourist Park elaborated on the topic of the rapid and inevitable changes that accommodation facilities are facing, and that are becoming a challenge to be tackled. The pandemic has made the development of online platforms inevitable, as well as the need for the industrialisation of tourism products, where appropriate. In terms of the type of mobile accommodation, Sergio Redaelli, CEO of Crippaconcept, pointed out the increasing attention to sustainability that becomes a priority in the design phase, both for those who deal with the master plan of the campsite and for those who deal with the construction of mobile homes present in it.

The technology used by architects and designers has evolved considerably in recent years, and innovative mobile accommodation modules are becoming increasingly integrated into typical design practices. Companies that are adopting these new models are changing the way they approach architecture and design. Those who wish to experiment with new products and tools to communicate outdoor holiday offerings should consider discovering these practices.

In an attempt to become greener, some campsites are innovating by introducing vegetation throughout the property. This will serve as an ideal example of camping architecture, which contemplates lush nature and mobile homes strategically positioned to reduce the artificial footprint, creating a more relaxing natural environment for guests. An example of this new trend was presented by Vittoria Roncarati, Architect of Real Estate Club del Sole who spoke of the recent collaboration for the redesign of the group’s villages with Crippaconcept Camping Design, the sector of the company that deals with creating entire, carefully studied master plans. To learn more, we would like to indicate this recent article.

However, even smaller projects can contain great ideas. Sometimes these, like new explorations in matter and space, can have significant influences on the practice of hospitality. Together with Sergio Redaelli, Margherita Capotorto, PhD student at the University of Pavia and Professor Carlo Berizzi of the University of Pavia, they discussed these topics and ongoing university research.

“Among the actions that our research is promoting to continue the process of improving the quality of the outdoor tourist experience in maxi-caravans, – explains Prof. Carlo Berizzi – we have focused in the last year on issues related to ergonomics, or to the study of the improvement of internal spatial qualities to increase comfort and safety.

Thus, an analysis of Crippaconcept products and possible improvements has been developed to increase the flexibility, simplicity and intuitive use of Maxi-Caravans to make the environments increasingly close to the domestic dimension of living. The definition of the most suitable spaces stems not only from the verification of the dimensions of rooms, corridors and furnishings, but also from the new daily habits and the holiday experience, such as working remotely with a PC or using tablets. Finally, a dedicated part of the research goes towards accessible units that go in the direction of Universal design, or environments designed for all users.”

With a view to finding new solutions, numerous innovative studies have been carried out, such as those relating to the Victoria Room, a Crippaconcept pilot project designed for the Vacanze col Cuore group, which is based on a flexible, innovative concept of accommodation with hotel services to be placed in an open-air resort. Alessandro Van de Loo, director of Innovation of the group, explained how mobile homes today can therefore also represent a horizontal “hotel” product that allows guests to have a new experience and allows the accommodation structure to reach new targets, such as that of couples looking for even shorter holiday periods than a week. This opens up new opportunities for the future.