Q: What’s behind the surge in outdoor lodging, and what are today’s travelers looking for?
Kim Gore: Travelers want different and unique experiences, to connect with nature and visit destinations they haven’t explored before. Family and multigenerational travel is a strong driver, as is activity-based tourism like hiking, fishing, hunting and destinations near national parks. What’s also reshaping the sector is the range it now spans. Cost-effective campgrounds and RV parks sit alongside upmarket glamping resorts and tiny home retreats, and both ends of that spectrum are growing. Even within traditional camping, guest expectations have shifted significantly — people still want amenities like Wi-Fi, outdoor dining, fire pits, pools or other water features and activities.
Q: How does an operator’s exposure change when they expand their offerings?
Kim: Significantly and often in ways operators don’t anticipate. They tend to see new amenities as ways to attract more guests, which they are. What they don’t always see is the exposure that comes with them. Water features are among the most significant: Pools, waterslides, lake inflatables and rentable kayaks all shift the liability picture, as do motorized options like jet skis, ATVs, golf carts and e-bikes. Golf carts, in particular, have seen a notable rise in serious accidents across the hospitality sector. Fire pits, outdoor grills and propane and LP gas sales are standard at most campgrounds and RV parks, but they can be an issue for traditional hotel insurance programs. Lodging in remote locations may be far from municipal fire services and require a completely different plan around fire prevention and emergency response.
Q: How does the insurance market for this segment differ from traditional hospitality?
Kim: Traditional hospitality carriers may not cover many of the things that define outdoor lodging. But there are niche carriers and specialty programs built specifically for this space that have solved for that. They underwrite these exposures upfront, price them in and treat them as operational norms rather than exceptions to manage around. Operators should work with an insurance market that understands the outdoor space. Without that, coverage may look adequate on the surface but carry exclusions that leave meaningful gaps where you’re most exposed.
Q: What risk management steps should operators prioritize, and what should they look for in a broker?
Kim: It starts with people. Hiring practices, nature safety training and seasonal onboarding protocols matter more than many operators realize. High staff turnover means constant retraining, and workers new to a property simply don’t know its exposures yet. From there, regular documented property walkthroughs, written procedures for every amenity and clear accountability for each area create the operational foundation an insurance program can be built on. Operators should look for a broker with direct access to niche markets and hands-on experience with outdoor lodging operations — someone who will walk the property with you, bring risk management resources to the conversation and stay ahead of emerging trends or evolving exposure questions around guest transport and activities.
Q: What’s the most important thing outdoor lodging operators should know?
Kim: Tell your broker everything. Small decisions — a fire pit area added for the season, a frozen drink station or a new kids’ craft program — might not seem like an insurance conversation, but they are. A broker who genuinely understands your operation functions as a strategic partner, not just a policy placer. View them as part of your management team. The right broker is there to help you grow, protect what you’ve built and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. That transparency is what allows your coverage to keep pace with how your business actually operates and positions you to feel confident when you add the next amenity, host the next event or open the next season.
Contact HUB International’s hospitality insurance experts for guidance on managing risk in outdoor lodging and hospitality operations.