A value guide to online travel agencies after the 2026 season
A beautiful glamping property still needs a reliable way to reach guests. For an operator, the distribution question is practical: which booking channels bring the right travelers, fill otherwise empty dates, and leave enough revenue to make the stay worthwhile?
The answer depends on the property. A secluded treehouse for couples needs a different mix from a family cabin park or a staffed safari-tent resort. The most useful approach is to combine broad travel demand with specialist audiences, then measure the profit each channel delivers.
The 2026 season changed the math on distribution. Demand is solid, but the biggest OTAs are repricing, and one of them is about to change the terms for direct booking. This guide ranks the channels by how much value they’re likely to deliver for a glamping property.
Glamping is a real source of growth for the broader camping market. Kampgrounds of America 2026 report found that glamping made up 29% of all camping experiences in 2025 and drew 31% of new campers. The same report found that 31% of campers plan to increase their nights camping in 2026. KOA also put the base at more than 52 million North American households camping in 2025.
The big OTAs reported healthy Q2 2026 numbers. Airbnb’s gross booking value reached $27.2 billion, up 16%, with nights and seats booked up 10%. Expedia Group reported gross bookings of $33.9 billion, up 12%.
Booking.com was the soft spot for hosts. Its alternative accommodation room nights grew about 4%, slightly behind the company’s overall 5% growth. Management also acknowledged that alternative accommodations remain an opportunity, especially in the U.S., where awareness and supply still need to improve.
None of these companies publish glamping-only results. The platform-level numbers show where travelers are, not how glamping performs on each platform.
The OTAs, ranked by value
Scoring criteria are audience fit, host cost, 2026 momentum, and compatibility with a direct-booking strategy.
Tier 1: Glamping-native marketplaces
1. Hipcamp: best overall for audience fit. Hipcamp compiles data from more than 8 million users across more than 500,000 U.S. campsites. Listing is free. Its support page says private landowners pay a 15% commission and PMS-integrated parks pay 12.5%. That fee covers up to $1M in insurance protection and seven-day support. The marketplace pays off most for new or lesser-known properties. Hipcamp also says hosts can sync calendars with Airbnb, Vrbo and others to avoid double bookings.
2. Glamping Hub: best cost-to-fit ratio. Its host page lists a 4% charge on confirmed bookings, with listings also syndicated to Booking.com, Vrbo, Airbnb, Google Travel, Kayak and HomeToGo. A 4% fee that includes syndication is unusually cheap. Third-party sources disagree on the rate, so confirm it in your own host agreement.
Tier 2: High-volume general OTAs
3. Airbnb: strongest demand engine. Growth is broad-based, and the app now accounts for 64% of nights booked. Airbnb also reported that first-time booker growth accelerated to 11%, the highest in four years. The cost is real. Most hosts now pay a 15.5% host-only fee, replacing the older 3% split-fee model. Glamping stays are a natural fit for travelers searching “unique stays,” but you’ll pay for that reach.
4. Booking.com: best for international and hotel-style guests. It has 9.1 million alternative-accommodation listings, with alternative accommodations at about 37% of room nights. Skift describes its fee as roughly 15% with no guest fee. It’s worth having if you want inbound international travelers, but the U.S. alternative-accommodation presence is still developing.
5. Vrbo: the channel to re-evaluate before October 29. Expedia said more than 40% of Vrbo bookings in Q2 included partner-funded offers. The terms are changing, though. Vrbo is moving all hosts to a flat 12% commission on October 29, up from 5% for PMS-connected managers and 8% for everyone else. The new terms also add a rate parity clause requiring Vrbo rates to be at least as low as on any other channel, including your own website. If your direct site offers a better rate than Vrbo, that clause could put you out of compliance. Read the terms before the deadline.
Tier 3: Camping-specific, lower-cost channels
6. The Dyrt: best for commission-free incremental bookings. Its host page says that if you enable bookings, there is no commission fee, and it advertises to 27 million annual visits. It’s a camper-discovery channel, so test it with your RV, tent and glamping inventory rather than expecting Airbnb-scale volume.
7. Campspot Marketplace: worth evaluating if you already use Campspot. The platform lists your site on its own marketplace in front of campers already searching to book. One competitor’s comparison page claims a 12.5% commission on marketplace bookings. Treat that figure as unverified until you check it with Campspot.
At a Glance: Build a More Profitable Booking Mix for 2027
- Use a focused three-channel mix.
Choose one glamping-specific marketplace for qualified demand, one high-volume OTA for reach, and your own website for higher-margin direct bookings. Use a channel manager to keep rates and availability synchronized. - Let OTAs introduce your property—not own the guest relationship.
Use OTAs to reach new travelers, then encourage repeat guests to return directly through excellent service, email follow-up, and post-stay communication—while respecting each platform’s policies. - Review rate parity before publishing your 2027 pricing.
Compare the total guest-facing price across every channel, including platform fees, discounts, taxes, and add-ons. Your direct-booking offer can compete through flexibility, packages, or exclusive benefits—not price alone. - Measure net revenue, not gross bookings.
A full calendar does not always mean a profitable channel. Subtract commissions, payment-processing fees, discounts, cancellations, and operating costs to determine what each reservation actually contributes. - Shift availability toward the channels producing the strongest return.
Review channel performance monthly. Allocate more inventory to the sources producing profitable bookings, stronger guests, and repeat stays.
Which Booking Channels Are Actually Earning You Money?
Your OTAs may be generating reservations—but after commissions, discounts, cancellations, and platform fees, some bookings may be worth far less than they appear.
Free 15-Minute Glamping Channel Review
Before the call, Xplore will review your website and public booking journey. During the conversation, we’ll help you:
- Identify one likely booking or channel-profitability gap
- Evaluate whether your OTA mix supports your business goals
- Find an opportunity to increase direct bookings or strengthen seasonal demand
- Prioritize the most practical next step for your property
You’ll leave with a clearer direction—not a lengthy presentation or obligation to hire us.
Schedule A Free Booking Channel Review
Complimentary 15-minute review. No long audit or ongoing commitment required.
