Eco-Friendly Glamping: How Sustainable Is It Really? (2026 Data)

Guides — Market & Trends

"Glamping" and "sustainable travel" sound like they should go together — canvas structures, low-impact building, close contact with nature — but the reality across the industry is mixed. Some sites are genuinely built around renewable energy and low-impact materials; others use "eco" mostly as marketing. Here's what the most recent industry data actually says about how sustainable glamping has become, and what's still more promise than practice.

Eco-certifications have grown fast, but aren't universal

According to industry data compiled by Market.us, around 70% of glamping sites now hold some form of eco-certification, such as Green Tourism or EarthCheck, up from about 50% in 2020. That's a meaningful jump, but it also means roughly three in ten sites operate with no third-party sustainability verification at all — worth checking before assuming a "glamping" label implies an eco-conscious operation.

Solar power is becoming the norm, not the exception

The same data shows about 60% of glamping sites now use solar power in some form, and roughly 40% rely on solar as their sole electricity source — a notable shift for an accommodation category that a decade ago was mostly off-grid by necessity rather than by design. Newer builds go further: by 2025, an estimated 30% of new glamping sites were expected to integrate solar panels, composting systems and eco-friendly construction materials from the start, rather than retrofitting sustainability features later.

Carbon tracking is spreading, but reporting still lags

Market.us also reports that around 75% of glamping sites now track their carbon emissions in some way, though only about 50% go as far as publishing an annual sustainability report. In practice, this means most operators are measuring their impact internally without necessarily making that data public or comparable across sites — useful context if you're trying to judge how "green" a specific property really is beyond its own marketing copy.

Demand is genuinely driven by eco-conscious travellers

This isn't just supply-side positioning. Industry surveys cited by Market.us put the share of millennials who prefer eco-friendly travel at around 62%, and about 49% of outdoor travellers now specifically opt for luxury outdoor accommodation with sustainability credentials rather than a standard hotel. Separately, trend reports on the North American market (via GlobeNewswire) point to Millennials and Gen Z as the primary drivers of glamping's growth, drawn specifically by the combination of immersive nature experiences and comfort — sustainability is increasingly part of that expectation, not a separate niche.

What this means if sustainability matters to your booking

In practice: check for a named eco-certification rather than the word "eco" alone, look for specifics on energy source (solar, grid, generator) in the listing description, and treat a published sustainability report as a stronger signal than a general claim. The category has moved a long way toward genuine sustainability in the past five years, but — as with most of travel — the label alone still isn't a guarantee.

Sources

Market.us News, Glamping Statistics and Facts (2026) — GlobeNewswire, North America Glamping Market Trends Analysis Report 2026-2033, May 2026.