‘The lines in our sector are blurring’

Walking around the Independent Hotel Show wearing camping goggles

Column: Richard Otten is the owner of Pleisureworld.nl and a leading expert in the hospitality, leisure, and recreation sector, with a keen eye for market developments and innovation within the recreation industry. He is also the host of the podcast Leisuretalk.nl Trends in the leisure sector.

The first time I visited the Independent Hotel Show in Amsterdam felt a bit like opening a door you didn't know existed. Of course, you expect inspiration, beautiful stands, and a handful of innovative concepts. But what struck me most: the boundaries of our sector are no longer as sharp as we sometimes think. In fact, they are blurring rapidly.

To clarify: I'm not a hotelier. My background is in holiday accommodation. I started out working on campsites, where after a summer job, I actually stayed and set up and sold various businesses. 

In the past 15 years, I've seen the sector change enormously. From campsites where guests arrived with a folding camper, toilet roll under their arm and bikes on the back of the car, to high-end glamping resorts with hotel services, luxury holiday homes and fully equipped safari tents. In many cases, they have actually become outdoor hotels. And that's precisely why I've long seen these two worlds moving closer and closer together.

As I walked through the exhibition halls, I was quite taken aback. The exhibitors here are just a little different to those at the Recreatie Vakbeurs in Hardenberg, and the audience is clearly different too. Whereas in Hardenberg you often see the entrepreneur coming straight from his site, dressed practically and sometimes still with mud on his shoes, here you see more refinement and a different appearance. At the same time, I also recognised a number of exhibitors, particularly in automation. Parties that serve both sectors and for whom it ultimately doesn't matter where you
Applying RevPAR.

That got me thinking

Anyone following developments in holiday accommodation will see that holiday parks and glamping resorts are rapidly professionalising. Service levels are rising, the experience is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and guest expectations are shifting accordingly. In terms of hospitality, design, and guest journey, some resorts are now hardly distinguishable from boutique hotels. In certain aspects, they are even ahead. Consider the focus on tranquillity, nature, space, and authentic concepts: aspects that the
modern guest is increasingly aware of what they are looking for.

At the same time, we are living in a time of rising costs and challenges such as the VAT increase. Yet, during the trade fair, I got the impression that independent hotels, in particular, seem to worry less about this. They are often more agile, quicker to adapt, and offer a distinctive product.
I see the same trend in leisure and tourism too: smaller, independent operators who make a difference with a strong concept and a clear vision.

And that's precisely why it's so interesting that these worlds meet at events like the Independent Hotel Show. This is where real cross-pollination happens. This is where you see how technology, interior concepts, and service innovations are applied across sectors. What works in one sector effortlessly finds its way into another.

And perhaps even more importantly: guests no longer just compare hotels with hotels. Guests compare everything with everything. A boutique hotel is just as likely to be benchmarked against a luxury glamping experience or a high-end holiday home. Standards are high across the board, and they are getting higher.

For hoteliers and boutique hotel owners, there's a huge opportunity here. Not by clinging desperately to traditional ‘hotel thinking’, but by being open to outside inspiration. What can we learn from resorts when it comes to the total experience? What can campsites teach us about community and informal hospitality? And how do we translate those insights into a distinctive and future-proof hotel concept?

My visit to the Independent Hotel Show was therefore a reality check. A moment when you realise: the sector is moving. Quickly. And anyone who wants to move forward must look beyond their own segment, and I will continue to lead the way in this.

Would you like to know more about the cross-pollination between hotels, holiday parks, day attractions, hospitality, camp sites and leisure in general? Then follow Pleisureworld and come to one of our events.