The Hideaway Economy 2026

Beyond the Treeline: Market research for nature stays from hideaway cabins to wellness retreats.

Cabin retreats, Glamping, Nature experiences, Wellness tourism
Markus Joutsi
Published: 12/10/2026

Nature-based stays are moving from niche to mainstream. This market brief maps the market for glamping, cabins, saunas, retreats and off-grid escapes. It is written for anyone interested developing business in nature-led hospitality and for operators already running cabins, saunas, glamping sites or retreats.

Questions behind the research

Wellness travel is growing fast

Wellness tourism was a $894 billion market in 2024, up 13.8% on the year before. The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) forecasts it will reach $1.38 trillion by 2029.

It is growing faster than travel as a whole: 9.1% a year to 2029, against 6.7% for tourism overall. Most of the spending is domestic, which favours nature escapes close to home.

The global glamping market is projected to 2x

Glamping is a small market on a fast path. Two analyst houses expect it to roughly double by 2033–2034, from about $4 billion today, and Europe holds around 35% of it.

Cabins and pods lead accommodation revenue with over 43%, while tents grow fastest at 10.6% a year. Direct bookings are the biggest channel at 54.7%, and online travel agencies are growing fastest.

Guests aged 18–32 are the largest group (43.9%), and those aged 33–50 are the fastest growing (10.2% a year).

Nature stays go mainstream

Glamping has outgrown its trend label and now shapes how hospitality frames nature. The Nokken Field Report Team (Edition 1: Evolution of Camping) calls luxury camping a redefinition of hospitality for the 21st century. Three ideas from the report matter for this research.

1. Glamping is mainstream. The blend of “glamorous” and “camping” emerged as a niche in the early 2000s and has grown into a significant part of the travel industry, with stays ranging from tents with king-size beds to yurts with Wi-Fi and air conditioning.

2. Experience and social media drive it. Demand ties to unique travel experiences, comfort and convenience, and picturesque places that make shareable moments, which attracts a younger, style-conscious traveller. Grand View Research’s age data points the same way.

3. Cabins are the anchor product. Glamping accommodation has moved from decorated tents to pods, lodges and chalets, and now to the modern rustic cabin, with airy spaces, spa bathrooms and gourmet kitchens. Cabins and pods already hold the largest share of glamping revenue.

Tree Hotel Cabin. Photo: Courtesy mårtencyrén,

Cabins, saunas, retreats and off-grid escapes

Stress and screen fatigue push travellers toward nature, and the 2025–2026 signals line up across saunas, retreats, off-grid stays and rural escapes.

Segment	What recent data says
Burned out	58% of consumers report moderate to extreme daily stress (eSignals Pro, 2025). Stressed consumers turn to nature retreats, slow travel and wellness holidays.
Saunas	Sauna culture is returning as a core part of wellness travel (EHL via Hospitality Net, 2026). Sauna tourism is going mainstream: North American social bathhouses attract institutional investment.
Retreats and quiet	Sleep retreats and silent getaways are among the fastest-growing experiences (EHL via Hospitality Net, 2026). Luxury operators compete through restraint, for example Soneva’s rebrand as “Bare Luxury”.
Off-grid and digital detox	27% of travellers plan to cut social media on holiday, and searches for tech-lite properties rose 17% (EHL via Hospitality Net, 2026). Off-grid cabins such as Unplugged in the UK and Spain show what the offer looks like.
Nature and rural stays	Expedia reports farm-stay interest up 84%, and Airbnb reports US national-park searches up 35% (Rental Scale-Up, 2026).
Sustainability	93% of travellers say they want to make more sustainable choices (Booking.com, 2025). Only 5–13% say they would avoid a destination without sustainable practices (Phocuswright, 2023).

The home market already lives this way: Finland’s national parks recorded 3.5 million visits in 2024 (Metsähallitus, via eSignals Pro). I found no reliable market-size figures for off-grid stays or retreats as separate segments, so the signals above show direction only. Sustainability intent is high and behaviour lags, which makes verified, honest sustainability information a point of difference for operators.

Interest in rural and tech-lite stays is rising fast: farm-stay interest is up 84%, US national-park searches are up 35% and searches for tech-lite properties are up 17%. At the same time, 27% of travellers plan to cut social media on holiday.

Guest profile

A useful reference guest is a couple in their mid-30s from Helsinki, called here Aino and Jose. They find balance by leaving the city for nature, and they value calm, design and authentic experiences that help them slow down and recharge. Their age group, 33–50, is the fastest-growing in glamping according to Grand View Research (10.2% a year).

What they love: saunas, slow mornings, design-driven cabins, forest walks and off-grid getaways that mix comfort with simplicity.

How they live: Aino looks for wellness and inspiration in nature and for cozy places worth sharing. Jose values digital detox, meaningful travel and quality over quantity. Both want trustworthy, curated recommendations that make planning effortless.

Their challenge: busy lives, too many choices and too little time. They crave calm, and another feed would only add to the noise.

What they want from a stay: a handpicked, trustworthy choice that is easy to find and easy to plan, with no noise and no overwhelm.

Flokehyttene.

What this means for operators and developers

Nature stays have outgrown the trend label and are redefining how hospitality lets people experience nature. Three points stand out for anyone developing or running a business in this sector.

Wellness tourism is forecast to grow 9.1% a year to 2029, against 6.7% for tourism overall, and most of the spending is domestic, which favours nearby Nordic escapes.
Cabins and pods lead glamping accommodation revenue, sauna culture is returning as a core part of wellness travel, and searches for tech-lite stays are rising. These signals back operations built on cabins, saunas and hideaways.
Travellers say they want sustainable choices, and few act on it without clear information, so verified and honest details add value.