HipCamp Continues to Expand Overseas with Acquisition of UK Booking Site
British Travel Company Cool Camping is the Latest Addition to Startup’s Portfolio
Image Caption: Image Courtesy of HipCamp
San Francisco-based peer-to-peer campsite booking startup HipCamp is once again making moves to expand its reach internationally. According to recent regulatory filings, the campsite booking service has agreed to acquire British travel company Tripadee for an undisclosed sum of money. Through this acquisition, HipCamp takes ownership of Tripadee’s sub-brands, Cool Camping, Cool Places, and Glampingly.
Founded in 2013 as an online resource for booking tent, RV, and cabin reservations on privately owned land, HipCamp has grown into one of the most extensive online booking services for campers. The company’s website offers access to more than 470,000 campsites across the US, Canada, and—thanks to the 2020 purchase of Youcamp—Australia. By adding Tripadee to its portfolio, HipCamp now expands into the UK and Europe.
Originally a publisher of printed travel guides, Tripadee morphed the Cool Camping website into a search engine for places to camp in 2009. The site would later give campers the ability to book those campsites directly from the website. In 2012, Cool Places launched as a marketplace for hotel, inn, and bed and breakfast reservations, and Glampingly followed suit in 2018 with listings for upscale camping experiences. With its acquisition of Tripadee, HipCamp now takes ownership of all three of those services.
Image Courtesy of HipCamp
HipCamp’s international expansion comes as camping sees a dramatic rise in popularity. According to analysts, the industry will continue to grow over the next five years, rising from $62 billion in revenue in 2021 to more than $100 billion by 2026. By appealing to tent campers, RVers, and glampers, the company is prepared to capitalize on that growth in North America, Europe, and Australia.
If the purchase of Tripadee moves forward in the same way as the Youcamp acquisition, the data from Cool Camping will eventually be integrated into the HipCamp website. Youcamp.com remains active but has been rebranded as HipCamp Australia. Active links now redirect to HipCamp.com for users searching for a place to pitch their tent. It seems likely that a similar process will eventually occur with CoolCamping.com and its sister sites.
For more information on HipCamp—or to book a reservation for a campsite, RV park, or cabin—visit the company’s website.
