VINTAGE CARAVANS, GLAMPING, yurts and other off-beat accommodation options are getting a new quality standard under Fáilte Ireland’s family of approved operators.

The tourism body has expand its assurances for the first time to cover more than run-of-the-mill hotels, hostels and B&Bs, introducing a ”welcome standard” for quirky stays.

It will cover everything from shepherd huts or yurts to lighthouses to cater for the major changes in the types of accommodation it says people now want.

Some 80 businesses have signed up so far, including Tipperary’s Caravantasia, which features six vintage caravans on a 23-acre farm, and Galway’s Pod Umna Village, where guests stay in glamping “pods” near the town of Portumna.

The quality assurance includes a code of ethics and a set of minimum standards, which include things like having staff on hand to greet guests and making sure all facilities are well-maintained.

Fáilte Ireland chairman Michael Cawley said many successful businesses were providing great tourist experiences but didn’t fit within existing criteria.

This new standard will rectify this situation and is designed to embrace these businesses for their benefit as well as for the benefit of visitors and Irish tourism,” he said.

A new tourist era

In recent years, startups like Airbnb have been riding a wave of success on the back of the popularity of alternative tourist accommodation, offering everything from castles to treehouses for travellers.

The seven-year-old San Francisco firm has been valued at over $24 billion, more than any hotel chain in the world except Hilton Worldwide.

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