WorldHotels Backdrop, the new luxury outdoor brand from Bwh Hotels, is launched

Bwh Hotels is venturing into luxury outdoor accommodation. The international hotel group is stepping up its focus on high-end outdoor hospitality with the launch of WorldHotels Backdrop, its new collection dedicated to the glamping segment. The initiative marks the group’s entry into one of the most dynamic sectors of international tourism, where the quest for authenticity, wellbeing and connection with nature is combined with high standards of comfort and service.

The new collection brings together properties situated in particularly stunning natural settings – from the mountains to the coast, right through to the entrances to the main nature parks – offering accommodation options such as safari tents, lodges and mountain huts with panoramic views. The aim is to capitalise on a rapidly growing demand, driven primarily by younger, experience-oriented travellers, who are increasingly choosing destinations that offer rejuvenation, sustainability and a direct connection with the local area, without compromising on the services of high-end hotels.

Expansion in the outdoor segment is a response to a rapidly evolving market. The global value of glamping reached $3.79 billion in 2025 and could reach $7.87 billion by 2033. The outdoor hospitality sector is even larger, currently valued at around $12.4 billion and set to approach $40 billion by 2034. Italy is also considered one of the most promising markets, where outdoor tourism continues to attract strong interest in terms of both demand and investment. “The Italian market offers extraordinary potential for outdoor tourism and upscale glamping, but requires in-depth knowledge of local regulatory and operational dynamics,” notes Fabrizio Doria, Chief Development Officer at BWH Hotels Italy & South-East Europe. “With the Backdrop collection, we aim to offer Italian investors and operators an opportunity to establish an international presence, leveraging our group’s commercial strength and reputation.”

As for future developments, Doria explains to *Il Sole 24 Ore* that the group is looking very closely at a network of regenerative tourism stretching from the Langhe, Monferrato and Oltrepò, all the way to the Alps and the Great Lakes, passing through the iconic hills of Central Italia and extending as far as Southern Italia and the islands. It is a model that enables the unspoilt natural environment and villages of any region to be showcased.

Internationally, the collection already includes a number of properties that exemplify the new positioning. These include the Zion Wildflower Resort in Utah, which offers luxury safari tents just a stone’s throw from Zion National Park; the Asheville River Cabins in North Carolina, with modern cottages overlooking the French Broad River and set amidst the landscapes of the Blue Ridge Mountains; and The Lodge at Pico Bonito in Honduras, the next addition to the portfolio, which will offer a rainforest experience close to Pico Bonito National Park, one of the most biodiverse areas in Central America. WorldHotels Backdrop’s expansion is already set to extend beyond the Americas. Initial negotiations concern new openings in destinations such as the beaches of Phan Thiet in Vietnam, as well as projects dedicated to safaris in Africa and Australia. The properties in the collection are designed to host corporate meetings, team-building activities, weddings and receptions, offering indoor and outdoor spaces surrounded by nature, areas for presentations, on-site catering and environments designed to combine work, networking and wellbeing.