WiredCo. has created the world’s first hotel-to-camping translation service in a new campaign for the NSW Caravan and Camping Industry Association (CCIA), to help hotel lovers unlock the true magic of the NSW campsite experience.
CCIA’s hotel-to-camping translator helps bridge the gap between expectations and reality. While some of the Aussie translations are sure to get a laugh, the service was created as a practical guide to help campers embrace their new outdoor adventures.
“More and more Aussies are being enticed by the natural, free-spirited camping lifestyle for their holidays. But what we discovered through social listening is that potential newbies find the idea of transitioning from hotels and Airbnb’s to camping a little daunting.” said WiredCo. creative lead, Joe Stuart.
The agency was briefed to find a way of talking to a new segment of people who have more flexibility and a more diverse holiday repertoire. These people, as identified by data, are the ones open to trying a new experience by way of working a short stay into their annual plans.
“They’re used to all the amenities of a hotel or Airbnb and the terminology that comes with it. The thing is, camping’s got them all, just slightly different versions with slightly different names. It was at this point we said, what if we could do something fresh like teaching Aussies (and overseas visitors) to speak camping and caravaning?” said Stuart.
With the help of AI, the agency worked with hotel lovers and seasoned campers to develop a vocabulary of more than 250 possible translations. Fancy a bathrobe and slippers? That’s thongs and a beach towel in camping speak. Love your hotel mini bar? Meet your new best mate, the Esky. Need air-con? Mother Nature’s got you covered with her sea breeze. Craving out some ‘alone’ time? A sock on your tent is the camping equivalent of the Do Not Disturb Sign… you can thank us later.
“We wanted to set something into the world so logical and useful, yet totally bizarre, to help encourage even more campers to come to NSW. This is where we created The Camping Concierge to help translate hotel to camping speak for the first timers. And we took the translating very seriously, developing the 250+ (and counting) vocabulary meant engaging a bit of AI and a bit of real humans. The online translator, a translation course, a translation book at parks, and mocumentary brought this tongue in cheek idea to life,” added Stuart.
The campaign spanning social, YouTube, TikTok, earned media, print and digital touchpoints comes at a time when camping in NSW has never been more popular, with the industry recording over 5 million trips in 2024 and creating $11 billion in visitor expenditure from January 2021 to September 2024.
But with many of these new visitors familiar with the comforts of hotels, motels, and B&Bs, the transition to nature-based holidays can feel somewhat daunting.
“With more people opting for holidays in the outdoors, it’s clear that nature and comfort go hand in hand. In fact, with NSW camping and caravanning trips growing by 10% each year, we’re seeing more consumers looking to actively connect with nature. Now, our world-first hotel-to-camping translation service is here to make that transition seamless with a bit of fun entertainment thrown-in,” said CEO of CCIA NSW, Lyndel Gray.
Whether it’s swapping a hotel breakfast buffet for a campsite cook-up or trading a king-size room for a cozy glamping experience under the stars, we’re here to prove that camping in NSW isn’t about giving up luxury – it’s about redefining it.”
To take things up a notch, they’ve also launched a free retro-style online course, hosted by its very own camping concierge translator, Lachie (Just don’t take it too seriously). As an expert in the field, Lachie has traveled across NSW, translating hotel comforts into camping delights through three key modules: comfort, facilities, and entertainment. By completing the short course, not only will you become fluent in camping lingo, you’ll officially be ‘qualified’.
“We’ve even got a few of the holiday park team members to take the course and get accredited so they can help first timers settle in” said Stuart.
