How to open a campsite in 2022?

France is the leading European country in the camping market. Customers love the friendliness, entertainment and well-being that this type of accommodation offers. The camping market is a rapidly growing market with an increasingly diverse offering. From now on, you can sleep in a top-class campsite or a themed campsite. Do you want to open a campsite? We give you all the information you need to open a campsite.

Why open a campsite?

Opening a campsite can be a real profitable investment in the long run. If you take the matter seriously, we leave it to you to consider some of these reasons.

First, passion is a major argument for opening a campsite. If you have always loved camping, fun, outdoor activities and all the services that these bring, this will be your opportunity to become a real expert. Passion is essential because this is what will help you see your project through to the end. In fact, you will no longer be an ordinary tourist, but the manager of your own establishment.

Secondly, the outdoor housing market is booming. It is a market that is full of possibilities in terms of diversity and supply. France is the second country in the world in terms of reception park. You have the opportunity to customize the customer’s request very easily. Despite the substantial investment required, it is a profitable market. On an average, we can expect a return on investment of 1.8%. You can reach any customer goal depending on the duration, whether families on vacation, students looking for nature to modify, or retirees looking to enjoy the outdoors and enjoyment. The market is witnessing a rise of unusual campsites along with top-class campsites for adventure-seeking customers.

Finally, the open-air hotel industry is taking an ecological approach. You can open an eclectic or unusual camp and follow the trend of the moment. In addition, choosing this type of nature-friendly camp can make you eligible for public assistance. You can get this assistance from the European Union, the Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and the National Agency for Holiday Vouchers, as well as your region.

Note that you can also take over an existing campsite and turn it into an ecological campsite by taking eco-friendly initiatives such as waste reduction or energy saving. Be careful, all the same, as it represents a more significant investment than a traditional campsite.

What are the prerequisites for opening a campsite?

Do market research and work on your finances

This is important before you start opening your campsite to conduct a market study. This will primarily allow you to know what your competition is doing, determine the type of customer, and list potential suppliers and partners. To that end, you should be able to more accurately determine your customers. For example, you will need to be able to determine the average length of stay, the average price paid, the share of foreign customers.

Remember to take into account the comments made by customers during these studies. By using these comments to tailor your offering and strategy to expectations, you will be able to gain a real competitive advantage against your competitors. This study will allow you to verify the conformity of your project with the environment in which you wish to work.

After doing a market study, you will need to work on your finances. As mentioned earlier, opening a campsite requires a substantial investment. To convince your potential investors, we recommend you draw up a business plan.

A business plan is a document that highlights the project and your financial strategy to ensure its financial viability and to convince investors. Your business plan should consist of one part presenting your project and the other presenting your financial strategy. To do this, you will need to provide documents such as your financing plan, your provisional balance sheet, cash budget and provisional income statement. This will allow investors to assess your company’s financial capability and therefore provide you with funding.

Choosing between building and building a campsite

After you’ve defined your business plan and worked on your finances, it’s time to choose how you’re going to open the campsite. Do you want to build a new campsite or take over an existing campsite? Depending on the method you choose, the steps to take will be different.

While building a campsite requires a number of administrative processes, you also need to be very careful in your financial forecasts in the face of the work required.

There are many benefits to occupying a campsite. You have no work to do and you benefit from a portfolio of reputation, employees and loyal customers. However, it is important that you analyze the location of the camp, the level of competition, past financial results. We also recommend you to check that the campsite meets all the standards in terms of regulations. In addition, you should be aware that acquisition prices can be particularly substantial. On average, it takes at least €250,000.

get a planning permit

If you want to open a campsite, you will need to obtain a development permit. The steps are very simple, you need 4 copies of your complete file at the town hall of the municipality where you want to settle. A complete file consists of the SERFA application form as well as a notice describing the land and development project, a site plan of the land, a plan of the land and a 3D structure plan of the project. The Town Hall has 3 months to respond to your request.

select services

The services you provide will depend on the type of campsite you want to open. For example, if you want to open a camp for families, you will need to offer entertainment such as water activities or outdoor games for the kids. The outdoor hospitality industry is an industry full of opportunities. You can differentiate yourself by offering an unusual service or one worthy of a grand hotel. These are services that will help you define your identity.

You can get your establishment accredited by an organization such as COFRAC (French Accreditation Committee). The number of stars is determined according to the level of services offered. This can serve as a reference for adjusting your benefits.

What are the rules for opening a campsite?

First, you need to register with the Chamber of Commerce or Trades depending on your activities.

After receiving your registration, you will have to declare yourself at the Town Hall. You do not need to obtain a development permit if you ever want to open a declared campsite (accommodations 6 or less than 20 people). However, you must declare yourself at the town hall of the municipality where you wish to settle. This is followed by a 1-month education period. If you ever want to open a campsite with more than 6 accommodations or 20 people, you will need to obtain a development permit as described above. The Town Hall will have 3 months to make its decision. When you have completed your development, it is mandatory to send a declaration of completion to the Town Hall. It is sent only when you can start your activity. Please note that your layout must comply with urban planning standards.

To make your request, you must first select the location you want to visit. This election is regulated. Forbidden to open a campsite on sites listed or classified as heritage, by sea, inside nature reserves, in certain areas defined by the local urban plan and within 200 meters from points of water collected for consumption has been done.

Third, you must obtain your identification number from the CFE of the CCI of your department. You will then need to publish your legal notice and take into account the rules of the campsite. Be especially careful to think about regulations in terms of health, safety and mandatory performance, among others.

What are the legal procedures for opening a campsite?

In order to give legal importance to your project, you need to go through two phases:

• Your company declaration;
• Choose your legal status.

To do this, you can either call on a legal professional or take your construction process online through a legaltech such as LegalPlace or CaptainContract.

questions to ask