Trend spotting at the Recreation Trade Fair: from sophisticated concepts to unique accommodations

Those who wanted to developments in the recreation industry came to Hardenberg last week, from Tuesday November 12 through Thursday, November 14, 2024, to Hardenberg. For three days innovations from home and abroad could be admired at the Recreation Trade Fair. This year Wegter Brands was represented with a booth in the hall for interior and inventory. Also you could admire our product range in a demonstration villa on the inspiration square. We talked to many acquaintances from our network, which made the busy fair days very valuable. Of course, we ourselves discovered the trends of the moment at the fair discovered. In this blog you can read the four trends that caught our eye.

"The fall is the excellent time to make plans for the upcoming 2025 (summer) season. The trade fair for the recreation sector has therefore been a regular meeting place for our customers and account managers Annemarie ter Grote and Cindy Weinreich look back. Cindy Weinreich look back.

Varied offerings and inspiration innovations in recreation

Spread across the six halls was in Hardenberg a very extensive mix of products, services and amenities to be found for recreation entrepreneurs. From digital and animated park maps to circular wooden playgrounds, automated electric bicycle rental to of course, our specialty: inventory for any type of vacation home. Also the fair a lot of space for innovative accommodations. Think sustainable wooden tiny houses and hardy insulated glamping tents. These were specially designed for the occasion in an exhibition hall or on the outside grounds.

The trends of the moment

What trends did we spot at the Recreation Trade Fair in 2024? The first trend we see is the further development of safari tents. For about 10 years we see 'glamping' popping up on parks with a new generation now making inroads. More recently we also see an increase in tiny houses and pods. These two trends align closely with consumers who crave extraordinary experiences. A third trend we spotted was the use of luxurious but natural materials combined with "Japandi. The fourth trend is the increase in all-in-one catered concepts with which the recreation operator experiences convenience above all.

We are happy to explain trend by trend like to explain to you.

The evolution of glamping: from seasonal glamping to luxury comfort

At many recreation parks, in a decade, a more diverse range of accommodations has emerged and a safari tent is now a "normal" sight. Anyone who has been visiting the fair for several years has been attending for several years, sees that the safari tent recreation market continues to develop. First of all, in terms of extending seasons. For example, new models are better insulated making a stay as comfortable as possible even in winter. There is also a focus on greater comfort such as private sanitary units and luxury upgrades like air conditioners, solar panels and bathtubs. For the more luxurious glamping tent with upgrades, the entrepreneur can naturally charge a higher price than for a standard tent. 

The rise of tiny houses: sustainable and profitable

Also, tiny houses have now been fully embraced as recreational home. At the fair, several new brands presented themselves on the market with model names such as Nordya, Klapkot, Tiny and Wraphouse. Full admiration we looked inside the demonstration models. Nordya is a combination of a tiny house and glamping experience. The accommodation is made of aluminum and PVC cloth and has an open layout that feels airy and light. Especially in a setting at the coast, this one would be very much at its City . The Klapkot is a mobile vacation accommodation on wheels that can be given additional space through clever slide-out systems. gain. Tiny offers high quality wooden models of tiny houses on wheels. Although there are standard models, there is plenty of room for customization. Wrap houses are also wooden element houses that maintain a strong connection to forest or nature. Sustainability is certainly a factor influencing the growth of tiny houses is influencing. However, the main driver is the demand from guests for special 'offgrid' experiences close to nature. Also, the interesting ratio of investment versus return is what the providers used to profile themselves at the fair towards the recreational entrepreneur.

Japandistyle: wood and luxury materials

In both safari tents and tiny houses, "Japandi" (an amalgamation of Scandinavian and Japanese) design formed the abundance in the demonstration models. This style has a strong foundation of minimalism, provides tranquility and feels spacious. With an abundance of wood and light colors in the interior, so there is a strong connection to 'offgrid' and nature remains. At the fair, this was on display in light-colored furniture including felt and sheepskins as accessories. In the field of tableware and tableware, this trend is not new, but these go hand in hand. The trend of many natural materials and wood also connected well with our own demonstration on the innovation square. 

Convenience for the recreation entrepreneur

The latest trend is an increase in more and more full-service concepts. The number of exhibitors at the trade show was high, and of course, each supplier has its own specialty. Entrepreneurs in these times more convenience and service. They don't want to shop separately from dozens of suppliers but an "all-in-one" concept. Several project developers slim played on this at the fair. In this trend we obviously see an opportunity for Wegter Brands also an opportunity to work more closely with other suppliers and project developers. With our inventory packages for the recreation sector, we fit in well with the trend of full-service. Of course Wegter Brands always attention and room for customization and innovations. We also continue to broaden our range of products and services. Therefore we have added a collection of wall decorations to our range so that we can also accommodations with extra decoration and atmosphere. Think of beautiful photographic images of nature, the coast or stylishly photographed food. But of course customization is also possible. Ask for our possibilities.

Did you miss us at the fair missed us?

Even though we spoke to many relations at the fair and we inspired them there inspired, we may have missed each other. You can always make an appointment drop by our renovated Wegter Brands showroom in Oldenzaal. View our assortment online or take a look at one of our catalogs. For more information contact our account managers Recreation: Annemarie ter Grote ([email protected]) and Cindy Weinreich ([email protected]). Our Recreation account managers would love to hear from you!