Travel marketplace Outdoorsy launched the Oasis Fund, a $30 million initiative to provide funding for the purchase of safari glamping tents for eligible entrepreneurs looking to become part of what the company calls “the glamping revolution.”

The Oasis Fund is intended to empower individuals to start a turnkey glamping business by simplifying the purchasing process. 

Outdoorsy said they partnered with the world’s leader in canvas safari tent design to handcraft the tents found in premier glamping resorts and campgrounds worldwide, including Outdoorsy’s destination in Bayfield, CO.

Key highlights of the program include:

  • The Oasis Fund raised $30 million to support safari glamping tent purchases. Open to individuals seeking a private getaway or a campground owner looking to enhance their guests’ experience.
  • The application process is straightforward and “hassle-free.”
  • Aimed at accelerating “the journey to the great outdoors,” The Oasis Fund allows owners to list glamping tents with reduced fees on Outdoorsy Stays ahead of its nationwide launch by Summer 2024.

Outdoorsy referenced KOA’s 2023 North American Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report in a press release announcing the fund’s launch. The data in the KOA report showed that interest in more experiential, less traditional ways of getting outdoors is rising. The global glamping category is forecasted to be worth $6 billion by 2030, and, according to KOA, interest in glamping more than doubled between 2021 and 2022, with 12.3 million households responding that they would choose cabins or glamping as their primary camping accommodation style.

Approximately 10.5 million U.S. households went glamping in 2022, with the average guests staying longer, booking 3-to-5 nights on average, and paying a higher nightly rate than traditional hotels.

“The higher nightly rate of glamping doesn’t seem to be a deterrent for guests seeking modern, comfort-first amenities that allow them to stay close to nature,” said Outdoorsy Co-founder and CEO Jeff Cavins. “The high demand and high-profit margins of this industry aren’t fading anytime soon. Which means there’s never been a better time to invest in the glamping market.”

“When we purchased the Outdoorsy Bayfield property, we quickly saw something very familiar to us and what initially led us to build Outdoorsy. Similar to the RV rental space, we noticed the glamping space was dealing with a handful of pain points in need of attention, innovation and improvement,” said Cavins. “Over the years, our vision has expanded to include new ventures in the outdoor hospitality and accommodations space with Outdoorsy Stays and our campground destinations—Outdoorsy Bayfield and Outdoorsy Yosemite, so the timing is right to step in and do what a startup does best: improve a space in need of a helping hand.”

The glamping tents offer guests modern furnishings, heating and air conditioning, a king bed, a kitchenette, and a bathroom. Each tent comes on a VIN-numbered towable chassis, making them movable and reducing installation complexities. The tents can connect to existing 50-amp RV full hookups. Outdoorsy will guide installation and offer construction services to make installation easy.

“Through the Oasis Fund, our objective is to activate the glamping adventure and provide the means for both individuals and those aspiring to manage short-term rentals to take ownership of their own entrepreneurial endeavors,” Cavins said. “Our in-house financing and the extensive reach of the Outdoorsy platform will equip glamping entrepreneurs with the ability to establish, host, and promote a product that’s seeing no slowdown in demand.”