Markus Wolff is co-founder of Ahoi Bullis & Camps and one of the creative minds behind the successful camping brand that stands for modern, nature-oriented travel. Together with his partners, he has developed a growing network of special campsites from a Bulli rental – characterized by loving design, lived sustainability and real community closeness. Our colleague Sebastian Kadoch was on site for the opening of the new Ahoi Camp Darß and spoke with Markus Wolff about bold decisions, new guest groups and what it takes to make campsites future-proof.
PiNCAMP / Sebastian: The new site with 919 pitches is your largest so far. What is new or particularly challenging for you compared to the other sites?
Ahoi / Markus Wolff: The size is not the decisive factor. What makes the site so special and unique is the possibility to camp directly in the dunes. And not just with a tent, but also with a caravan. The service of towing caravans into the dunes with a tractor is certainly a special feature. And especially in high season, a particular challenge that we are looking forward to. But of course, there are many other tasks. We have a lot planned for the future. We want and need to renovate a lot. Incidentally, we are still looking for a campsite manager who is keen to help us and a truly great team develop the “Ahoi Camp Darß”.
PiNCAMP / Sebastian: What best practices or highlights do you want to bring to Prerow from your other campsites?
Ahoi / Markus Wolff: We only took over the site a few weeks ago because the legal dispute between the previous operator and the state as the lessor kept delaying our start. Due to the late agreement with Regenbogen AG on the full operation by us, the main goal in the first season is to ensure summer operations. But of course, we are already starting to plan for the time after that. Our goal is a modern, nature-oriented campsite in the tradition of this very special place. What we try to implement immediately is our Ahoi welcome culture: greet, listen, find solutions. Many other things will take time.
PiNCAMP / Sebastian: What do you think has changed in the camping industry in recent years? What challenges and trends do you see?
Ahoi / Markus Wolff: The camping landscape – and with it the camping fans – has changed significantly. Especially since the pandemic, completely new groups have emerged: young city travelers looking for adventure, the growing vanlife movement, families eager for sustainable experiences in nature, and many others. Their needs and desires are becoming increasingly diverse, but one thing is clear: they expect more. More comfort, more technology, more flexibility, and above all, more personal connections.
PiNCAMP / Sebastian: How are you dealing with this?
Ahoi / Markus Wolff: The experience is, of course, at the forefront. For us, nature is the star. Guests don’t come to us because they want organized children’s entertainment or fun on water slides. Those who come to us discover how spectacular the unspectacular can be. Adventures right outside the door.
PiNCAMP / Sebastian: From the website to the sanitary building, one can feel your love for design. How important is design to you?
Ahoi / Markus Wolff: Aesthetics and design are important to us. The design is modern but not dominant. Well-thought-out reception areas, playgrounds, clean facilities – these are elements that our guests appreciate and that support their desire for a stress-free stay in nature.
PiNCAMP / Sebastian: What role does sustainability play?
Ahoi / Markus Wolff: It has been part of our DNA from the very beginning. We believe in the three pillars of sustainability – economy, social aspects, and environment. Offering organic food is just as important to us as protecting the dunes, paying fair wages, and maintaining relationships with local producers. It’s about creating a sustainable future in all areas.
PiNCAMP / Sebastian: Your community engagement is impressive, you already have around 50,000 followers on Instagram. Is Ahoi already a cult brand?
Ahoi / Markus Wolff: We do indeed have many real Ahoi fans who share our vision of modern camping: open, relaxed, nature-oriented. We notice this not only in the comments under our social media posts but also on site. When we opened the “Ahoi Camp Canow” last year, many guests who already knew us from Fehmarn came and said: “We’re really curious to see how you’ve designed your new camp!” That makes us really happy! And when the centennial flood in 2023 destroyed our entire dune on Fehmarn, 250 camping guests from all over Germany came and helped us rebuild for an entire weekend. That really touched us.
PiNCAMP / Sebastian: What are your plans for the future? How big should the Ahoi world become?
Ahoi / Markus Wolff: That can’t be defined by a specific number. But we want the world of Ahoi Camps to keep growing – carefully but steadily. That’s why we’re also looking for new campsites – whether for purchase, lease or as cooperation partners. In addition to the camps, we are launching a completely new project in early July: just a few minutes’ drive from Ahoi Camps Fehmarn, we are opening a small holiday home village: the “Ahoi Village Fehmarn”.
