Outdoor accommodation platform Pitchup.com becomes top 50 largest global OTA for organic traffic

Business has surprised £500 million in bookings

Popular online booking platform for outdoor accommodation, Pithup.com, has announced it has surpassed £500 million in total global bookings, cementing its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing Online Travel Agents (OTAs).

signalling the continued rise of camping and glamping as mainstream travel choices. 

Launched in 2009, Pitchup has been ranked among the 50 largest global OTAs by organic traffic in 2026, placing it 36th worldwide and 6th in Europe-focused travel companies. 

So far its success also sees it outperform several platforms traditionally focused on hotels and holiday lets.

“Reaching £500m in total transaction value is a major milestone, not just for Pitchup but for the outdoor accommodation sector as a whole,” Pitchup founder Dan Yates said. 

“It reflects how far camping and glamping have come, now sitting firmly in the mainstream and a core part of the global travel mix.”

Its bookings for Valentine’s weekend (13th-15th February) were up 25% year-on-year, signalling growing demand for off-peak breaks as travellers seek better value and a more meaningful experience in quieter destinations outside traditional peak periods.

Value continued to be a key driver, with the South West emerging as the most affordable English region in January, with an average nightly price of £57.14 for two adults - likely to be driven by the abundance of options in this region, followed by North Wales at £60.95 per night.

“We’re seeing strong growth in destinations that combine accessibility with value,” Yates added. “Price-conscious travellers are still keen to get away, but they’re making smarter choices around location, length of stay and timing.”

It has seen strong international performance too with demand from European markets accelerated in January, with Portugal up +134%, Hungary +70% and Germany +70%.

Traveller behaviour continues to favour spontaneity and proximity though as the average stay duration in January fell 4% year-over-year, while booking lead times declined by 5%, reinforcing the ongoing “shorter, closer, later” trend.

“Shorter lead times and shorter stays are now the norm rather than the exception,” Yates said. 

“For operators, that means agility is key - availability, pricing and visibility need to work harder to capture late-booking demand.”