Glamping instead of hotels. How a new format of hospitality business is growing despite the war

Marketglamping - "Glamping" is actively developing in Ukraine despite the war. Since 2022, the number of glamping sites has almost tripled. The reason is that this type of business is accessible even to small entrepreneurs, and due to its profitability and relative simplicity, it is also interesting for medium-sized companies.How much do you need to invest in a glamping business and how much can you earn? Lesya Solovchuk investigated.Why is glamping popular: the reasonsGlamping Glamping in Ukraine "took off" in 2020-2021 during the pandemic, when the demand for solitude in nature increased. This type of recreation involves staying in small temporary houses located in picturesque places. The structures have amenities, including a shower and a toilet.During the four years of the war, the market stopped for only a couple of months at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. But the players managed to regroup and move to new locations. Therefore, since 2022, the market has tripled from 40 to 115 towns in different regions of the country, he said.LIGA.net Andriy Rodkin, co-founder of Glamping UA. He produces safari tents – these are glamping tents, with an area of 35 square meters, furnished and equipped with comfort.The main reason for its popularity is the ease of entry into the business, compared to other segments of the hospitality industry, such as country houses or hotels.Glamping tents do not require a foundation; their production is cheaper and much faster than that of hotels. A glamping tent can be manufactured in three weeks. In addition, the structure can be disassembled and moved to another location.Two types of glamping are popular in Ukraine: safari tents and dome villages. They have different functionalities, costs, and, consequently, payback periods. Domes, in particular, can operate in winter, while tents are only used during the warm season.Moreover, for over five years, domes and tents have been actively produced in Ukraine and have become a profitable business with investments in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Glamping UA exports tents to France, Poland, and the USA.The dome manufacturer Ecopod Ukraine has mastered deliveries to Canada, the USA, Slovakia, Moldova, Spain, and Latin America. "Just last year, for the first time, we shipped domes to Germany, Britain, and the Czech Republic," emphasizes Oleg Sakiv, co-owner of Ecopod Ukraine.However, both companies are focusing their key production efforts in Ukraine. After all, despite the fourth year of the war, demand continues to grow.Read also"Exceeded expectations." How the summer season is going in Ukrainian hotelsGlamping in 2025: Demand and SupplyToday, there are 110-115 glamping sites operating in Ukraine, 20% of which appeared in 2025, according to Glamping UA. For comparison: there are 400 glamping sites in Poland and over 1200 in the UK."The market for this type of recreation in Europe is growing by 10% annually. In Ukraine, we see 18-20% growth per year," explains Andriy Rodkin.The main drivers are that people want to rest more due to war fatigue, and traveling abroad is less accessible because the borders are closed to civilian men.In addition, according to Rodkin, Ukrainians looking for new locations, new experiences. The priority is restoration in nature. Glamping provides not only this, but also modern comfort – on par with a hotel room. Inside the tents, there are fully equipped rooms, comfortable furniture, and appliances.During the war, glamping sites changed their geography. Before 2022, they were mainly in the southern regions of the country, but now they have moved to the western and central regions. The key destinations are Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kyiv, where the lion's share of the accommodation is located.However, the largest projects are located in regions with security risks. This includes, for example, Moncastro Glamping in the Danube Biosphere Reserve (Vylkove, Odesa region) – 43 dome structures.And also Prozori on Tiliguli In the Mykolaiv region, there are over 30 units per 100 people. The glamping site is located on a spit in the middle of the estuary.The average cost of accommodation for visitors is comparable to hotel prices. For example, in simpler domes, it starts from 5000 UAH per night and goes up to 7000-8000 UAH in luxury ones. In Bukovel, in the winter of 2026, the cost of a night in a dome reached 12,000 UAH, particularly at the Fomich Hotel.However, customers choose glamping first and foremost, even if there are other types of accommodation at the location, says Serhiy Hromov, managing partner of the Yasnohorodka Family Ecopark. According to him, that is why the occupancy rate of glamping is high.The owners opted for advanced tents – two-room tents for five people, with toilets and showers. The investment in the turnkey production amounted to $200,000.But the main feature of the Yasnohorodka project is a large eco-park, swimming pools, a zoo, and an ostrich farm. These are what ensure good traffic. According to Hromov, glamping as a business works well when there is an additional magnet for tourists.Towns with additional "features," such as being located in a fishing ground or a family amusement park, are also successful, Glamping UA emphasizes. Due to competition, it has become more difficult to build a successful project based solely on beautiful nature, a nearby body of water, and stylish safari tents.Read alsoA glamping location will open in Kyiv: where and when is the opening?Business Mathematics: Investments and PaybackThe expense side of the glamping business model includes the cost of structures and their equipment, land, landscape organization, and accompanying services.The total amount of investment in the business depends on the type of glamping.To set up a fully equipped, typical five-tent safari camp, you need to invest at least $120,000. (These are simple glamping tents with basic amenities.)Of this amount, $70,000 is for tents, $15,000-$25,000 for utilities, and the reception area starts at $10,000. The rest is for landscaping.A five-dome village will cost more – around $320,000-350,000. (These are glamping domes with enhanced comfort)The total includes: domes at $32,000-35,000 each. Utilities and a frame reception desk at $30,000 each. Another $40,000-50,000 for additional options – a swimming pool, pathways, landscape design, etc."The profitability of the towns is 30-35%. The payback period for projects is on average two to four years," says Andriy Rodkin. According to him, a glamping town can generate UAH 1.5 million in net profit each season.In the case of domes, the project's payback period is three to five years, even with 50% occupancy. Five years ago, similar complexes paid for themselves even faster – in a year to a year and a half, explains Ecopod Ukraine.Veteran Bohdan Bazaka, who invested a veteran's grant of UAH 1.5 million in his glamping town, expects the glamping project to pay for itself in three years. His project "Hillya" is located in the Vyshhorod district and has three glamping tents. The first season – summer 2025 – Hillya worked successfully, says the veteran.The Yasnohorodka family eco-park is also aiming for a three-year payback period, according to the managing partner.According to Hromova, hotels take longer to pay off – eight to ten years. However, hotel rooms do not wear out as quickly as glamping tents, he says.The luxury glamping tents in Yasnohorodka are projected to require major repairs after just five years of use. "You work for three years to break even, then you earn for two years, then a major overhaul costs 50% of that, and then you hypothetically earn for another three years," explains the managing partner of the eco-park.Read alsoA Ukrainian banker is building a village in the Carpathians: what he thinks about the economy, risks, and investmentsWhat are the prospects for glamping in Ukraine? According to Oleh Sakiv from Ecopod Ukraine, the glamping market has changed after four years of war. Hotel chains have started investing in dome towns, especially in the Carpathians, to expand their room capacity. For example, a considerable dome town has appeared near the Fomich hotel chain. These are investments worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.On the other hand, orders for one or two domes for private estates that are rented out are popular. "For the owners of such family businesses, it costs $25,000-35,000 with utilities, finishing, and furniture," explains Oleg Sakiv.In total, over six years, his company has produced more than 420 domes for Ukraine. The pace in 2025 is 25-26 projects of various sizes. Of these, about twenty are single domes: in Zakarpattia, Vinnytsia, Ternopil region, Dnipro, Rivne, and even Kharkiv. "Demand is still higher than we can keep up with," says Sakiv.In 2026, market operators expect market growth and increased investment. In particular, they anticipate an increase in the number of large projects – by 10-15 glamping sites. However, the trend of micro-business development will continue, according to Rodkin from Glamping UA.In addition to the western regions, the southern regions also have great growth potential, but due to their proximity to the front line, the development of locations in the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions is being postponed. However, the glamping boom on the Ukrainian coast is only a matter of time and safety.Read alsoThe MP's brother negotiated with a NABU defendant about building a network of luxury hotels – Bihus.Info video

Glamping instead of hotels. How a new format of hospitality business is growing despite the war

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