Celebrating inspirational female hosts for Women’s Day

Women’s Day at Campspace

This Women's Day, we're celebrating the inspirational women who have changed their lives by becoming hosts on Campspace.

Women's Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of women and to promote gender equality. It is annually celebrated on the 8th of March. There are many things typically done to celebrate Women's Day, such as holding events, providing educational resources on gender equality, volunteering for organisations that support women's rights and celebrating women that made a difference. The latter is what we're going to do in this blog: put forward inspiring and courageous women in our community, who also happen to be Campspace hosts!

Campspace’s female hosts

In a world where women are often underestimated and undervalued, it's important to celebrate women who have made a difference in their communities and businesses. Women's Day is the perfect opportunity for us to do that and show the appreciation and admiration we have for the members of our community.

Becoming a host for Campspace can have a significant impact on the lives of female hosts, as it gives them a unique opportunity to share their space and culture with travellers from around the world. Becoming a Campspace host is about opening up one’s home and sharing one’s passions with the world. It's often about taking control of one’s life in the wake of a major life challenge and creating one’s own success story.

For many of the women introduced in this blog, hosting is a life-changing experience. It allows them to do something they like, take care of the environment and even pursue their dreams. Becoming a host also provides an opportunity for women to connect with other successful women. These connections can provide inspiration and support as they continue to grow their businesses. 

The advantages of joining the Campspace community

Women are increasingly finding their calling and fulfilling their need to live closer to nature by becoming Campspace hosts. By opening up their homes, gardens, and other natural spaces to travellers, they are not only able to provide unique and authentic experiences for their guests, but also cultivate a connection to the environment that is increasingly being sought after. Read on for three further advantages for you to consider around becoming a Campspace host.

Entrepreneurship and skill-building

Becoming a Campspace host will allow you to tap into your entrepreneurial skills. As a host,  you are responsible for managing your own bookings, marketing your space, and providing excellent customer service to your guests. These responsibilities will provide you with the opportunity to build your own business, develop your marketing skills, and improve your financial management skills. 

Community and friendship

Many women who become Campspace hosts also find that they are able to connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about nature and sustainability. By sharing your love for the environment with your guests, you’ll be able to build a community of like-minded people, invested in protecting the natural world.

Freedom and autonomy

Furthermore, becoming a Campspace host also allows women to take control of their own schedule and work on their own terms. No more relying on a 9 to 5 job to pay the bills and support your family. If you’re lucky, you can move into hosting full-time, but many of the female hosts on Campspace simply supplement their income with hosting, which helps them to diversify their income streams. Especially if you have other responsibilities like children, this flexibility could really make a difference.

Overall, becoming a Campspace host can provide you with a sense of purpose, the ability to live closer to nature, and the opportunity to tap into your entrepreneurial skills. By hosting travellers and sharing your passion for the environment, you can also build meaningful connections with others who share your values.

So on this Women's Day, let's get to know some women who have taken the plunge with hosting and most importantly,  celebrate the inspiring women who have made a difference in the Campspace community. 

In this blog, we're going to tell you about some of our hosts’ inspiring stories and what they have done to make their campspaces an unforgettable experience for their guests. 

Samantha’s life changing experience

In the Netherlands, we asked Samantha a few questions about her journey with Campspace. Samantha used to work as a scientist for a huge pharmaceutical company for 20 years, and completely changed her life around. She has now become an independent entrepreneur for four years, and she would not do anything else. She describes the best part of her hosting experience to be “the freedom to make your own decisions and to do work where your passion and heart lies.” Now that she has left her old lifestyle and started her own business, Samantha is now able to spend more time with her family. 

Becoming a female entrepreneur

Throughout her lifetime, Samantha has been inspired by several women entrepreneurs saying that “they showed [her] that it is possible to start [one’s] own business and just go for it.” It is important that women get more involved in the outdoor industries and Samantha sees that it is happening in her area. More and more women are working closely with nature and making products with and from nature. As several hosts now do, she is giving workshops like meditation, massages, sound sessions and day retreats forest bathing alongside her hosting duties.

“In life you always have a choice. It's up to you what you do with it. If you feel that you would like to work with your paid job until you retire, then go for it. But, if you are very hesitant and don't like it, make a choice for yourself that will make you happy. I chose the latter for myself.”

Book Samantha’s campspace

Ellen, the animal and nature lover

In Belgium, Ellen is an Equine Assisted Coach that uses horses to help people achieve a better quality of life. Two years ago, she moved with her husband from Antwerp to Betekom in search of more space, more nature and more peace and quiet. 

Not living in nature but with it

"We have about a hectare of nature around our house that we want to give back to nature as much as possible. No green concrete for us but wilderness and we have started planting it in abundance.”

Check out our blog on permaculture hosts

She claims her love for nature impacted her decision to become a host and soon found that inviting people to enjoy her plot of land had a similar healing effect to the work she undertakes in equine therapy. She urges us not to take nature for granted, not to mention the connection we have with it, the carrying capacity of Mother Earth and the realisation that we are also part of nature. In Ellen’s words, “we are not above it, we are part of it.” She believes that our responsibility as humans to our natural surroundings is to care and to work together with it, not against.

Contributing to the wellbeing of others

Ellen’s campspace is a space where you can spend the night with your vehicle, like a campervan and caravan. She offers several pitches and encourages her guests to bond with other guests and create friendships. 

“One of the first people I welcomed here was someone who combined an overnight stay in the caravan with coaching with the horses. When she left, she fell into my arms and told me that this had changed her life. Well, that's what I do it for!”

Peggy found freedom in France

Peggy is a Dutch woman that moved to France after losing her job during the Covid crisis. She chased love, moved to the Nouvelle Aquitaine and opened a campspace with her husband.

Peggy and her husband have welcomed people to stay on their land since May 2021 and offer them an opportunity to step out of their hectic lifestyles and relax in the French countryside.

A new type of hospitality 

Peggy used to work in the hospitality industry and predominantly in corporate catering. Receiving and looking after guests at her campspace has it’s similarities,  but allows her much more freedom. She can also tap into her own creativity more. Describing her change in occupation, Peggy says,“We feel much more in control of our own lives. There is a nice balance between the hustle and bustle of the high season and the quietness in winter where the occasional guest still drops in. We love this spontaneity.”

Spending time in nature at Peggy’s campspace

To Peggy, nature is “home”, something that puts you in touch with yourself and with life and a place where we are all welcome. In nature, there is no distinction between people, whichi is a good reason to treat it with respect and reverence. As humans, we have the responsibility to keep our environment tidy and to create (or allow it to be) a place where plants and animals feel comfortable.

Book Peggy’s campspace

Annemarie and Mary’s women’s haven 

In the Netherlands, Annemarie and Marie opened what they call a Women Only Camp Space (WOCS). They run their campspace alongside their pre-existing  professional lives. They have their own psychological practice where they help people who reach significant challenges in their lives, such as burnout and depression. In 95% of cases, their clients are employers who want to prevent their employees from suffering from work-related mental illnesses. As you can tell, wellness is already very important to them.

In February 2020, they bought a farm with 6000 m2 of land. Put simply, “[they] needed more peace and freedom around [them] and [they] have that now.” 

Catering to women who want to enjoy camping on their own 

“A dear single friend told us one evening that she always liked camping, but that as a single woman she often doesn't get much rest at a campsite.“

Annemarie and Mary’s friend told them she felt she was considered pathetic by other campers when she stayed at a regular campsite. Whether this was the case or not, she couldn’t shake her feelings of inadequacy when other campers would invite her for a cup of coffee or ask her to join for dinner. She told them that  people think that she is urgently looking for a relationship, when in reality, she just wants to kick back at the campsite and enjoy the peace. 

Annemarie and Mary also state that camping in a remote place can be downright dangerous these days. This was part of the reason why Annemarie came up with the idea of ​​opening a camper place for women. 

“We offer women a safe, secluded place with a beautiful panoramic view.It doesn't matter to us whether they are single women, mother and daughter, sisters, colleagues or girlfriends. We give every woman the opportunity to camp carefree and undisturbed on our site.”

Women inspiring women

“Women who visit our camper place are often proud of their independence and self-reliance.” They enjoy the peace and quiet and can use the amenities on the campspace like lighting the fire pit in the evening to enjoy all the good things in life. Sometimes, Annemarie and Mary’s guests also give them ideas. One time they purchased a handy day tent because one of their visitors got one. They now enjoy it and go on holiday with their own camper. 

Stand out in the camper community

Annemarie and Mary are very proud of their self-reliance. When going on holiday on their own, they are perfectly capable of levelling their motorhome smoothly and without damage, which is still surprising for other guests apparently!

They believe that the design and layout of motorhome pitches and campsites should take into account the safety and privacy of the target group of women travelling alone or together. “We are convinced that every woman who is still physically able to camp is just as capable as men or women who travel with a man.”

The fact that they have a camper spot only for women is often regarded as “strange” because people believe that it discriminates against is against men and that they are not welcomed. This isBut that is not true, since Annemarie and Mary just want to offer freedom and privacy to theira target group and have learned from guests that this often means a female-only environment

Encouraging women entrepreneurs

Annemarie and Mary are successful women entrepreneurs who encourage women to run their own businesses.  “If there are women who are hesitant about starting a business because of being a woman, we would like to let them know that it is possible.”

Their slogan is: “If plan A fails, the alphabet has 25 more letters and 204 if you live in Japan”.

Book Annemarie and Mary’s campspace 

Discover other inspiring Campspace hosts:

• In Germany, Silvia has been living in her campspace for 5 years. She travelled a lot, and as she can’t travel as far as she used to anymore, she wants to make it possible for people to come to them, to share with a lot of people. You are supposed to be able to find a campspace within 30 minutes of your home. It is more sustainable and allows you to discover new spots nearby your home. 

Read more about Silvia Book Silvia’s campspace 

• In Denmark, Lea is an expert at sharing insider tips and explaining what activities are available in the area. As well as being a Campspace host, Lea also works as a project manager at VisitThy and owns an influencer company called 'Island-hoppers'. Lea explains: "My background in the tourism organisation is beneficial to my Campspace visitors, as they have access to brochures and I'm always on hand to give them a quick rundown of cool places to see in Thy during their stay. So it all fits together very well. 

Read more about Lea  Book Lea’s campspace 

This year, let's take a moment to celebrate the inspiring women in our lives by sharing their stories. Inspiring female hosts on Campspace are a testament to the power of women in entrepreneurship and sustainable living. Through their passion for nature and their entrepreneurial spirit, these hosts have created unique and authentic experiences for travellers around the world. They have demonstrated the ability to take control of their own life. By becoming Campspace hosts, these women have found a way to live closer to nature while also inspiring others to protect the environment. Their stories serve as an inspiration to all women who are looking for ways to pursue their passions, build their own businesses, and make a positive impact on the world. As Annemarie and Mary said: “Fears are boundaries that we create ourselves'. Go ahead and become the next inspiring woman entrepreneur!

Looking for your next inspiring adventure? Visit the campspaces of our inspiring hosts.

Let's support the women and their business: book their campspace to hear their story first hand and find out more about them. Maybe their story will inspire you to become a host yourself.

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