Guides · 4 min read
Campsite software: what a campsite really needs and how to choose it
Published
When someone searches for “campsite software”, they almost always expect to find one program. In practice, a campsite runs on several pieces that have to work together: the one that handles bookings and reception, the one that looks after guests during their stay and the one that organises the team’s work.
Between us, we have more than 20 years of experience living campsite technology from the inside: at reception, in support, in development, in product and in management. This guide sums up what we have learnt about what a campsite really needs and what is worth asking before you choose.
Why a campsite is not a hotel
A lot of tourism software is built with rooms in mind. A campsite is something else:
- Pitches and accommodation at the same time. A pitch is not a room: it varies in size, in services (electricity, water, shade) and in how it is charged. And pitches sit alongside bungalows, mobile homes or glamping, each with its own rules.
- Very marked seasons. The same team that has a quiet time in March gets dozens of arrivals within a few hours in August. The software has to cope with the peak, not just the average.
- Its own services. Activities, bike or court hire, the pool, the restaurant, the shop… A campsite is almost a village, and guests want to know what there is and how to use it.
- A team that isn’t behind a desk. Maintenance, housekeeping and entertainment staff work all over the site. They need the information in their pocket, not on a computer at reception.
That’s why a program that works well in a hotel often falls short on a campsite.
The pieces of campsite software
1. Management and reception
This is the foundation: bookings, the pitch and accommodation planner, arrivals and departures, payments and invoicing, and each country’s administrative requirements. It’s what is usually called management software or a PMS. Almost every campsite already has one.
2. The guest experience
What happens between arrival and departure: where everything is, which activities are on today, how to book a court or a bike, who to tell if something isn’t working. This is where a Guest App fits in: the campsite’s information and services on the guest’s phone. Ideally it opens in the browser, without forcing them to download yet another app.
3. Finding your way around
A large campsite is easy to get around only if you know it. An interactive map built on the campsite’s own site plan, with a card for each service, takes a lot of questions off reception.
4. Activities and rentals
The entertainment programme and the items that are lent or hired out generate lots of questions and lots of paper lists. Having them on the phone, with places and availability in plain sight, saves everyone time.
5. Incidents and requests
“The fridge isn’t cooling”, “there’s no hot water”. If the report comes by phone or by word of mouth, it gets lost. A channel where guests can report a problem, with photos if needed, and see the reply makes the work far more organised.
6. Team operations
Maintenance, housekeeping or activity preparation tasks: who is handling it, by when and whether it’s done yet. A staff app and a planner in the back office stop jobs from living in scattered messages.
What to ask before choosing campsite software
Before deciding, it’s worth asking these questions, whichever piece you’re looking at:
- Does it understand campsites? Pitches, accommodation, seasons and the site’s own services, not just rooms.
- Does it work on a phone? For guests, without downloads. For the team, on their own phones.
- Does it adapt to the way you work? Statuses, categories, permissions per person… Every campsite is different.
- Which languages? Your guests come from many countries.
- Can you start one piece at a time? Not every campsite needs everything at once.
- Who supports you? In August, at ten at night, it matters that the person on the other end knows the sector.
Where doit.camp fits in
doit.camp is campsite software made by campsite people. Today it covers the pieces that usually sit outside the management software: the guest experience (Guest App, interactive map, activities, resource hire and incidents) and team operations, with task management in the Staff App and the back office.
Each campsite switches on the pieces it needs. If you’d like to see how they would fit into yours, tell us how you work.
Frequently asked questions
What is campsite software?
It is the set of digital tools a campsite uses to run its day-to-day: bookings and reception, the guest experience during the stay and the team’s work. It is rarely a single program: it usually combines several pieces.
Does hotel software work for a campsite?
It usually falls short. A campsite sells pitches and accommodation at the same time, works with very marked seasons and offers its own services, such as activities, rentals or the pool, which a program designed for rooms does not handle well.
What should I ask before choosing software for my campsite?
Whether it understands pitches and accommodation, whether guests can use it on their phone without downloading anything, whether your team can work from their phones, which languages it works in, how permissions are set up and who will support you when you need it.
Which part does doit.camp cover?
doit.camp covers the guest experience (Guest App, interactive map, activities, rentals and incidents) and the team’s operations (task management with the Staff App and the back office). Each campsite switches on the pieces it needs.
Shall we talk about your campsite?
Tell us about your campsite and we will show you the Guest App.
