Glamping is a portmanteau of "glamorous" and "camping", and describes a style of camping with amenities and, in some cases, resort-style services not usually associated with "traditional" camping. Glamping has become particularly popular with 21st-century tourists seeking the luxuries of hotel accommodation alongside "the escapism and adventure recreation of camping".
History
The word "glamping" first appeared in the United Kingdom in 2005 and was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016. The word is new, but the concept that "glamping" connotes, that of luxurious tent-living, is not. In the 16th century, the Scottish Earl of Atholl prepared a lavish experience in the Highlands for the visitingKing James V and his mother. Here, the Duke pitched lavish tents and filled them with all the provisions of his own home palace. . The building at right was made of wood and painted canvas – two wine fountains are pictured in front of it. Royal Collection, Hampton Court Palace. Probably the most extravagant example of palatial tent-living in history was the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a diplomatic summit in 1520 between Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France in northern France. Some 2,800 tents and marquees were erected, and fountains ran with red wine. At around the same time, the Ottomans had ostentatious, palatial tents transported from one military mission to the next. Entire teams of artisans travelled with the army to erect and maintain these imperial tents. As described by Professor Nurhan Atasoy, Some 400 years later, in the 1920s, an African safari became "the thing to do" among wealthy Americans and British. But wealthy travelers, even those in search of adventure, were not willing to sacrifice comfort or luxury. From electric generators, to folding baths, and cases of champagne, travelers were afforded every domestic luxury while on adventure. Glamping is the modern equivalent, combining both yesterday's amenities and today's technology. Also called "boutique camping", "comfy camping", "luxury camping", or "posh camping", today's glamping features such structures as bell tents, pods, safari tents, tent cabins, tree houses, tipis, vintage caravans, vintage trailers, and yurts. Often glamping sites are found in busy tourism areas such as The Cotswolds
