SLOW TRAVEL, FAST COMFORT: WHY AUSTRALIANS ARE DITCHING TENTS FOR TINY HOMES
- Amelia Taylor
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
Australians have always loved camping. The crackle of a fire. The smell of eucalyptus. The promise of waking beside the ocean with nothing but sky above and bushland all around.
What they have never loved quite as much is the reality. Wrestling with tent poles. Inflating mattresses that mysteriously deflate by midnight.
The slow realisation, sometime around dusk, that relaxation has become hard work.
Subtle shift in how Australians escape
Across New South Wales, travellers are still heading outdoors, but doing so in different ways. Increasingly, they want immersion without inconvenience. Nature, yes. Stress, no.
At Reflections Holidays, the shift is measurable. Bookings for roofed accommodation have grown by four per cent year on year, while glamping has surged by 23 per cent. It is a telling sign that Australians are redefining what a restorative break looks like.
Comfort without compromise
Nick Baker, CEO of Reflections Holidays, says, "Roofed accommodation gives Australians the best of both worlds, time in nature with the creature comforts of home.
Whether it’s a glamping tent, tiny home, or cabin, guests can relax and enjoy the outdoors, while those new to camping can dip their toes in without the stress of gear or setup.
With the peak of summer now over and fewer crowds, the shoulder season is the perfect time to explore new destinations.”
Tiny homes, cabins and glamping tents offer something traditional camping often cannot. Travellers still wake to birdsong and ocean air, but without the fatigue that comes from assembling and dismantling an entire temporary home.
Time becomes the real luxury
What is emerging is a quieter form of luxury. Not excess, but ease.
Traditional camping often consumes the very time it promises to free. Hours spent packing, assembling and dismantling eat into precious days off.
Roofed accommodation removes those barriers, allowing travellers to arrive and immediately relax.
Without the distraction of logistics, attention shifts outward.
The experience becomes less about managing discomfort and more about absorbing the landscape.
A slower, more intentional way to travel
This evolution reflects a broader embrace of slower travel. Australians are moving away from frantic itineraries and toward longer, more meaningful stays.
The goal is no longer to tick off destinations, but to properly experience them.
With summer crowds thinning, coastal towns regain their rhythm. Beaches empty. The pace softens. Nature becomes something to sit with, rather than rush through.
Australians are not abandoning the outdoors. They are simply choosing to experience it on their own terms.
