Yorkshire glamping firm goes Dutch with first international deal

A North Yorkshire ‘luxury’ camping pod manufacturer as secured its first overseas deal with a campsite operator in the Netherlands.

Harrogate-based firm Anthropods has secured a deal to provide pods to Camping Vreehorst, a 12-hectare campsite in Winterswijk in the eastern Netherlands.

Launched less than 12 months ago, Anthropods specialises in ‘micro-dwellings’ for a range of purposes including glamping and home offices.

Rik Currie, designer and founder of Anthropods, commented: “More than four million people camped out on sites across the Netherlands last year and the growing popularity of the ‘staycation’ across Europe can only be good news for us in the future.

“Selling to sites overseas that have longer camping seasons means we can not only grow our customer base, but also extend our sales period, making our business model that much more sustainable.

The firm has been supported by the Department for International Trade (DIT) with the deal, and is currently in discussions to provide pop-up hotel-style accommodation in Seville as well as connecting with new customers in Bali.

Rik continued: “It’s early days in our exporting journey, but we’re confident that the work we’re putting in, alongside DIT’s support, will result in future overseas orders. If a company from Harrogate can take its ideas and designs to an international audience, others can too.”

Mark Robson, head of region (Yorkshire and the Humber) at DIT, added: “Anthropods is a prime example of a business in Yorkshire that sees exporting as a fundamental element of growing their business.

“Shipping large products can come with its logistical barriers, but we’re on hand to advise on the best ways to overcome these and other challenges to help businesses sell successfully abroad.”