PiNCAMP Awards 2027

Applications for the PiNCAMP Awards 2027 are now closed.

We are no longer accepting nominations for campsites or industry personalities. Thank you to everyone who submitted their entries!

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Deadline: Submissions on nominations close 04/09/2026

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The Benchmark for European Camping

The PiNCAMP Awards represent one of the highest tokens of recognition in the European camping sector. The awards celebrate significant achievements, courageous innovations, and dedicated individuals who work consistently to transform and elevate the outdoor hospitality experience.

Whether you want to showcase your own campsite’s recent milestones or shine a spotlight on an exceptional colleague or partner campsite, we invite you to participate. You can either apply directly for your own business or submit a nomination for a peer. Seize the opportunity to position your campsite or your nominee among the leading elite of European tourism.

The winners of the PiNCAMP Awards will be announced at the
PiNCAMP Gala 2027

Date: January 15, 2027
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Occasion: Live Ceremony

The PiNCAMP Award 2027

The categories and it’s contents at a glance.

- Focus: Honors campsites that set new standards with innovative concepts, digital solutions, automation, or visionary offerings.
  - Digital Infrastructure & Services: Implementation of a seamless digital guest journey, such as automated app check-in, digital concierge services, or smart metering for real-time resource tracking at the pitch.
  - Architecture & Pitch Concepts: Creative choices in architectural design, flexible layout structures, or experiential architecture that diverges from traditional standards.
  - Pioneering Guest Experiences: Creation of unique, alternative leisure, dining, or service offerings on-site.
  - Research & Networking: Active, verifiable collaborations with start-ups, universities, or research institutions.
  - Future Mobility: Provision of future-proof mobility solutions, including EV charging infrastructure for car-caravan setups, on-site e-sharing fleets, or innovative micro-mobility options.
  - Demographic Change & Inclusivity: Exceptional measures for accessibility and demographic adaptation that go beyond basic legal standards.
  - AI & Process Automation: Strategic integration of Artificial Intelligence (e.g., predictive occupancy planning, AI chatbots) or robot-assisted automation in daily operations to improve service quality and reduce staff workload.
- Focus: Celebrates campsites with a holistic environmental awareness, measurable resource management, and active ecological responsibility.
  - Energy Management: High degree of self-sufficiency through renewable energy (photovoltaics, wind, geothermal, co-generation) and smart energy grid control.
  - Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency: Consistent use of eco-friendly, certified building materials, strict zero-plastic initiatives, and comprehensive recycling concepts.
  - Biodiversity & Nature Conservation: Active, scientifically backed promotion of local flora and fauna, such as large-scale permaculture, wildflower strips, insect habitats, and avoiding chemical pesticides.
  - Environmental Education & Edutainment: Structured, engaging educational programs for guests (both children and adults) to raise ecological awareness.
  - Certification Status: Valid, high-ranking environmental certificates, such as ECOCAMPING, EU Ecolabel, or Green Key.
  - Regional Supply Chains & Zero-Waste Gastronomy: Verifiable sourcing of food and goods from a tight local radius (< 50 km) alongside standardized processes to minimize food waste in on-site restaurants.
  - Smart Water Management: Installation of closed-loop water systems, greywater treatment plants for pitch irrigation, or advanced rainwater harvesting techniques to mitigate drought impacts.
- Admission Requirements (K.O. Criteria):
  1. The rental accommodations must be physically located within the official campsite grounds.
  2. The campsite must actively operate at least 5 classic tourist pitches for individual campers parallel to the rentals.
- Focus: Celebrates campsites that elevate the rental accommodation segment to a notable level of quality, creativity, and natural integration.
- - Architecture & Interior Design: Aesthetic standards, uniqueness, and craftsmanship of the interior design; presence of a strong design identity.
  - Innovation of Lodging Format: Creativity in the choice of accommodation types, including high-quality layouts in tiny houses, treehouses, floating homes, or geodetic domes.
  - Material Ecology & Technology: Use of sustainable, long-lasting materials paired with smart-home technology for climate and lighting control.
  - Scenic Symbiosis: Seamless integration into the natural topography and vegetation to minimize the visual impact on nature.
  - Four-Season Resilience: Structural and thermal suitability for high-end utilization during all four seasons, expanding seasonality via independent heating and insulation systems.
- Admission Requirements (K.O. Criteria):
  1. A maximum capacity of 60 tourist pitches in total.
  2. Zero organized animation or loud entertainment programs.
  3. No nudist or naturist operations.
  4. The absolute majority (> 50%) of the pitches must have a size of over 100 m².
- Focus: Honors owner-managed, character-rich gems that offer their guests a high-quality, authentic, and slow-paced camping experience.
  - Atmosphere, Hospitality & Individuality: Authenticity of the site, personal care by the owners, and a distinct, individual profile.
  - Infrastructural Excellence: High-quality, pristine sanitary facilities and well-maintained, harmonious grounds despite consciously omitting large-scale resort features.
  - Regional Integration & Slow Tourism: Active role as an ambassador for the region, including partnerships with local guides, farm shops, and providing hand-picked artisan products.
- Admission Requirement (K.O. Criterion):
  The nominated person must be under 35 years of age during the award year (2027).
- Focus: Honors a young professional or founder under 35 in the sector who stands out with fresh ideas, leadership skills, social competence, or entrepreneurial courage.
  - Entrepreneurial Courage: Boldness in taking over, restructuring, or founding a business, especially when transforming traditional family operations.
  - Innovation Drive: Verifiable success in implementing modern practices in marketing, sales, HR, or digital operational management.
  - Modern Leadership & Culture: Application of contemporary leadership styles, promoting flat hierarchies, transparent communication, and diversity within the team.
  - Industry Commitment: Engagement in overarching topics like sustainability, tourism training, accessibility, or industry association work.
  - New Work & Employer Branding: Developing pioneering concepts for employee recruitment and retention, such as flexible shift models, modern staff accommodations, and mental health initiatives to actively combat labor shortages.
- Focus: A distinguished lifetime achievement award celebrating an individual who has significantly shaped, formed, and advanced the European camping industry over many years.
  - Lifetime Achievement & Milestones: Longstanding, successful career as a campsite operator, association official, or industry pioneer with the realization of landmark achievements.
  - Macro-Impact on the Industry: Sustained influence on quality standards, tourism policy, association structures, or legal frameworks on a national or international level.
  - Trendsetting & Best Practice: Establishment of operational concepts or quality standards that are now considered state-of-the-art across the industry.
  - Reputation & Role Model Function: Recognition as a moral authority, mentor for younger generations, and highly respected representative of the camping community.
  - Transformational Resilience: Proven capability to successfully guide companies or associations through fundamental market shifts, including economic crises, rapid digitalization, or ecological transitions.