Motivations & booking drivers 

Special occasions account for more than half of our bookings and in an Expedia survey, 55% of people said they plan at least one trip a year to celebrate something. This is mostly birthdays, anniversaries and proposals but also includes occasions such as Easter weekend which was highest searched date in 2025, followed closely by Valentines Day.

Responses and opportunities

Special occasion bookers have a higher average spend and are more likely to make use of optional extras such as massages, tours and meal packages, so it’s worth designing some optional extras with occasions in mind. Anything that makes the stay more special is likely to lead to positive word of mouth and feature in a guest’s social posts about their visit, so can pay off in future bookings.

Wellness is the booming trend of the last decade and mental health is now a factor in everything from workplaces to holiday habits. In a recent review of their strategic direction, Natural England stated that, “the future health and wellbeing of our society is dependent on a healthy natural environment” and the current value of nature to the economy is estimated to be over £1.8 trillion.  

Analysis by YouGov showed that 70% of Brits stated relaxation and wellness as their main goal for a holiday, but younger generations are shifting the meaning of the word away from treatments and spas towards a break from tech and a chance to slow down, taking time to connect with nature and themselves. 

Responses and opportunities

The remote nature of sites on Canopy & Stars makes them well placed to capitalise on this trend and is one reason that the whole sector is so strong. We’ll talk about the impact of features like hot tubs and saunas in a moment, but imagery and emphasis in descriptions can help as well. Capturing a welcoming in place in all seasons gives guests a powerful sense that they can go there and feel in tune with nature at any time of year.

This really ought to be called “wellness part two”, because that's what’s underpinning the thinking behind great spaces at the moment. Guests are looking for wellness-centric additions – things that they might not have at home, especially if they’re young urban professionals. Saunas, hot tubs, and outdoor baths remain the most sought-after additions in our collection. Our data shows that spaces in our collection with a hot tub generate 47% more revenue on average than those without. This trend is echoed in a recent AirDNA report on the short-term rental market, which found that adding a hot tub can increase revenue by up to 35%. 

Responses and opportunities

Clearly, adding a hot tub, sauna or outdoor bath to your space can transform performance, but it’s also important to showcase it well. Nine out of ten of our top-performing Instagram posts in 2025 were spaces with a water feature of one kind or another, from saunas to wild swimming ponds. In every case, a standout addition was paired with professional photography and/or video which brought it to life on our site and, arguably more importantly, on social media.

Cabins, treehouses and other year-round spaces continue to be the highest-converting and most popular types, but with increased competition in the market, differentiation is key. For a certain type of guest, quality, inspiring interiors are a big draw.  Our user testing shows how the booking decision process is overwhelmingly image driven, with guests browsing a whole gallery before making their choice. It’s about far more than that one hero image. We’ve seen incredible uplifts in bookings when owners have overhauled their interiors, especially when they move towards a natural, timeless look.

Responses and opportunities

If you have canvas spaces or are planning something new, it’s clear that a cabin, treehouse or other solid, weatherproof space is where you should invest, but once you’ve got your four walls sorted, there’s still a long way to go. Our most successful spaces are classy, understated and natural, utilising biophilic design, where nature is woven into a space, which chimes perfectly with the low-fi wellness experience that a lot of guests are looking for. Think about incorporating what nature you have around you into your space and how the guests will interact with the outdoors even when they’re indoors. Something as simple as viewing nature through a window can have a powerful effect on mental health, as an article in the journal Bioscience demonstrated. Windows at the bottom of the bed, stargazing skylights and lots of natural light are things that most people, especially our largely urban demographic, don’t have in their homes, so can heighten the immersion in nature.

Gen Y & Gen Z moving into our core demographic, along with a general increase in awareness and concern about the ethics of companies people engage with, means that brands in all industries with authentic ESG Claims are growing faster than those without. A massive Booking.com survey, involving 30,000 participants across 30 countries, found that 71% of travellers confirmed sustainable travel is important to them and influences their choices. Most significant is that, according to a 2025 Sky Scanner Report, 56% of people prefer supporting environmentally responsible companies even if it comes at a higher cost, which is a shift from previous the role of ethics as a decider only when all else is equal.

Responses and opportunities

Sustainable travel represents a huge opportunity in a number of ways. We’ll be working on increasing the ratio of guests who travel sustainably to our spaces, as well as helping owners with everything from making public transport options clearer on site, to renewable energy, recycling, and even more dramatic options like whole site rewilding or installing EV charge points. Anything you can do to clarify or improve the sustainability of your offering will help your place resonate with prospective guests.

Consumers are demanding alternatives to traditional accommodation in overstretched destinations and the environmental degradation and community impact that ensues. Legislation is also reflecting this shift, with Nutrient neutrality credits and biodiversity net gain now enshrined in planning law and The Sustainable Farming Incentive expanded since 2024.

Responses and opportunities

A truly biodiverse and wildlife rich site is the ideal setting for an immersive and experiential glamping retreat. Our Crown & Canopy team build habitat enhancement into every project, always approaching site design with nature in mind. They work closely with ecologists to ensure at least a 10% net gain is delivered on each project to meet Biodiversity Net Gain requirements and to create sites that truly deliver on nature-based guest experience. While completely reshaping how you use your land might seem like a daunting undertaking, the interest from guests IS there and you’ll end up with a better business in every possible sense.