Prepared for what lies ahead in tourism
Stay up-to-date with current, independent statistics and information on tourism in the Alpine region.
F.acT: MyCabin was launched on April 19, 2021 with you as co-founder. What exactly is behind MyCabin and what problem are you trying to solve?
Lene Haas: We've all been working towards this for a long time and now we've finally gone online with MyCabin. Wild camping is illegal in German-speaking countries, but many outdoor enthusiasts are still drawn to wild camping in the great outdoors. To counteract this problem, we are offering a legal and sustainable alternative with MyCabin and want to help shape the future of tourism. On our digital booking platform, travelers with backpacks, tents or campers can find and book overnight spots in the DACH region that are close to nature. The spots are offered by private individuals, farms and municipalities. Meadows, front gardens, woodland, simple huts and barns that are not used all year round become the perfect place to spend the night - far away from mass tourism and overcrowded campsites. Our hosts earn extra money by sharing their home and offering local produce, enabling travelers to have great experiences in and with nature. Communities also have the opportunity to work with MyCabin to tackle the problem of illegal wild camping in the region, highlight alternatives and take a step towards sustainable tourism.
F.acT: How did you come up with the idea of founding MyCabin?
Lene Haas: The idea to found MyCabin came from a personal experience of wild camping. One of the founders and idea generator Finn is a passionate outdoor enthusiast himself and, like many other nature lovers, wanted to go wild camping in the middle of nature away from the hustle and bustle. When Finn was caught by a forest ranger a few years ago, he was initially very annoyed. However, the two of them ended up having an interesting conversation about tourism development and nature-oriented travel in the Alps. The forester then offered Finn that he should simply contact him the next time he wanted to pitch his tent in the area. This experience gave rise to the idea of MyCabin, which has since developed into a platform for legal overnight spots in nature.
F.acT: Was the idea accelerated by the coronavirus crisis?
Lene Haas: Even before the corona crisis, we noticed a strong interest from travelers for more originality and sustainability. Due to the current situation, the demand for travel offers that are close to nature and contact-free has increased, which is why more and more people have become aware of MyCabin. Especially in these times and in the future, we want to offer our community and all other outdoor lovers out there a platform that enables contact-free camping in nature.
F.acT: Where do you currently offer pitches and what are your expansion plans?
Lene Haas: We are currently focusing on accommodation spots in German-speaking countries. Many of our hosts are located in southern Germany and also have great spots in the middle of the Allgäu. However, in the future we want to offer more accommodation in the northern regions of Germany as well as in Austria and Switzerland. Our aim is to create a wide range of offers so that all nature lovers can find and travel to the perfect region for their next camping stay with MyCabin.
F.acT: Where will the journey take you in the next few years?
Lene Haas: After our launch, we are now looking forward to a great camping summer and all the experiences and adventures that our MyCabin community has to report. We are constantly optimizing the user-friendliness of our website and are also on the lookout for more great places to stay. MyCabin is much more than just a platform for finding places to stay in the great outdoors. We see it as a movement for more regionality, sustainability and minimalism when traveling - for everyone who likes to be outdoors! Together with our hosts, we enable travelers to have real experiences in and with nature Our journey is just getting started and we are looking forward to what's to come and to everyone who becomes part of our community! #shareandexplore
The idea was born in 2019, founded in 2020 and experienced the first pilot summer. Over 4,000 users were able to camp under the stars and test the idea. In the same year, the start-up from Lake Constance was recognized by the German government as a cultural and creative project and won the Travel Start-UP 2020 Award from the Travel Industry Club and the German Internet Travel Sales Association. The platform was launched in April 2021. Within the first week, the MyCabin community grew to 1,400 profiles and 600 favorites created.
Potential new hosts could find out more and register here . Interested hosts in Tyrol should note, however, that offering overnight accommodation close to nature is generally only permitted at campsites or on municipally designated sites. The regulations are stricter in the Tyrolean Camping Act than in other federal states and countries. Wild camping is generally prohibited, even on private land. However, municipalities can offer approved areas. In addition to pitches and places for tents, huts and shelters can also be offered via MyCabin.