Nature connection in 2023

There’s no doubt that the wellness industry has boomed in recent years, but what’s taking place now is a deeper shift towards wellness as a factor in all consumer decision making, with a growing body of scientific research putting hard data behind our intuitive reach for the natural world. A Cornell University study found that spending just 10 minutes in nature reduces stress and anxiety, while a 2021 report by the Mental Health Foundation found that 70% of people felt that being close to nature improved their mood.

The Wellness Imperative, published in 2022 by Barclays’s Corporate Banking Hospitality & Leisure team, found that health and wellness had become significantly more important to daily life since the pandemic, with nearly 60% of respondents saying they have made, or intend to make, long-term health and wellness changes. Just over a fifth are planning to make a concerted effort to spend more time in nature.

Surveys like Euromonitor's Top 10 Global Consumer Trends 2022, which identified the rise of nature-focused city dwellers it called Rural Urbanites, show this trend's effect on consumer behaviour and the industry is pivoting to serve them. Brands such as Under Canvas, Basecamp, and LOGE in the US, and Treehouse Hotels closer to home, have brought the nature experience to the city and many more traditional hotels are attempting to blend indoor and outdoor amenities through roof terraces, urban gardens and gearing themselves to outdoor activities like hiking, biking, kayaking.

We have always known that a connection with nature is one of the main things our guests are looking for, but recent activity has seen this reinforced. In a survey on Instagram asking people where they were happiest, 98% of respondents chose somewhere outdoors and we’ve seen strong engagement with our nature-focused campaigns and our A Life More Wild, our podcast that provided people with a gentle, natural experience and ranked No.1 in the Nature Podcast category on Apple.

Nature is being increasingly woven into people’s lives, rather than a place to visit or take a break. Recent research from Mentalhealth.org asserts that, “A connection to nature is not just how much time we spend in it, it’s also about how we feel, think and experience our relationship with the natural environment. Individuals who are more connected with nature may also seek out more opportunities to spend time with nature, and therefore experience its psychological benefits, and have a positive disposition towards the environment.” This can only lead to a strengthening of glamping’s position in the travel market, given the access to nature it provides.