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How to run a campground

How to Run a Campsite

Campground owner Vikram Jashapara gives his advice to anyone looking to buy a camping business

We spoke to campground owner, Vikram Jashapara, who gave us his invaluable advice on running a camping business. 

On capacity...

My capacity over for campers is 3-400 tents if I wanted to get it looking like Glastonbury. However, I've kept it so everyone has space, where they can hide, tuck into alcoves.

I like it when there are only 30 tents in here on the weekends at any one time. I might stretch to maybe 35-40 tents, but this way everyone's got their own space, it's not overcrowded and everyone gets to enjoy themselves.

On customer service... 

I think customer services is more important than anything else. You can any sort of land, as long as you've got the customer services there, I think you'll get campers coming back over and over again.

From the moment the customer comes in, we show them around the campsite. I've been told by a lot of people that with the majority of campsites, they restrict you from having an open fire, from cooking next to your tent.

One of the most important things, as far as I was concerned when setting up the campsites was the toilets: you've got to have nice toilets and showers. Secondly, customer service - from the moment they come up, you help them: you show them around the facilities, you show them around the campsite.

We help them move all their stuff over from the car, take it over from the area they want to pitch up. Some people are first time campers, we help them set their tents up, emptying the bins, cleaning the toilets: everything is so important.

I've actually employed a gormet chef who makes a breakfast in the morning, on the weekends. We take the breakfast out to them with a cup of tea, cup of coffee and it's just those little touches that matter to the campers that come back.  

On marketing...

Get ideas, speak to other people. And marketing is so important: get the right person doing the marketing. I paid UK Campsites £50 and I get so much business from the. Pitch-Up, likewise. 

On challenges...

There is absolutely nothing challenging. As long as you like dealing with people - that's the most important thing. Of course, you get campers that have never camped before, who will try it out for the first time with the kids, you have to help them put their tents up, help them do bits and pieces.

But as long as you don't have a problem with that and you’re not one of these grumpy old sods, I think you'll be a success.

On who is suited to running a campsite...

If you like riding a tractor: get a campsite! The sort of person this will suit is someone that enjoys the outdoors, I have various activities that will be put on here like archery. I love archery I think it's one of the best and easiest sports, I've done it for years. We have 3 archery instructors here, for example.

We're waiting for our rifle range to come, we're just waiting for the pop-up targets. It's just having activities, having different things. You have to be willing to work weekends that's when the most amount of people come. Very few people come on the weekdays.

Interested in running a campground? Take a look at our campsites for sale at BusinessesForSale.com



Paulyne Antoniou

About the author

Paulyne as Head of Content has produced regular videos and editorial for many years with small businesses, franchises and industry professionals.

@Be_theboss