Far from a trendy buzzword, sustainability has been a huge focus for businesses and consumers for quite some time. At its core, sustainability is all about reducing environmental impact wherever possible – and it’s something today’s travelers are keeping top of mind. According to Booking.com’s 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, 65% of people prefer to stay in sustainable accommodations, and 76% say they want to travel more sustainably in the next 12 months. 

So how can outdoors businesses get ahead of this wave of eco-conscious travelers? Yurts are a great answer. Easy-to-install, cost-effective, and low-impact, yurts offer several environmental and financial benefits for campgrounds or outdoor resorts looking to provide a unique guest experience. 

How We Build Sustainable Yurts

When we started Pacific Yurts in 1978, our goal was to help bring people closer to nature while minimizing their mark on it. Fast-forward 45 years, and we’ve perfected our formula. Today, we’re proud to supply park systems, outdoor resorts, and campgrounds with durable, resource-efficient yurts that make a big impact on guests, not the environment. 

Here’s how we keep sustainability in mind from manufacturing to shipping, and every step in between.

No Excavation Needed

One benefit of our yurts is that they’re strong but lightweight. Unlike traditional wooden cabins, Pacific Yurts don’t require a permanent concrete foundation. Instead, they’re typically installed on a post and beam platform that uses a series of footings onto which posts are fastened. 

These footings allow our yurts to be installed without excavating or leveling the land, which means they can be installed on sloped or uneven sites. Less environmental modification equals less cost, and this flexibility allows businesses to generate revenue from parts of their land that may have been previously unusable. Lastly, our yurts are assembled from a combination of relatively small components, which can be easily carried onto a site by hand, or via a light vehicle, ATV, or sled. 

Waste Is a Big No-No 

At Pacific Yurts, much of our lumber iswe carefully select second-growth lumber sourced directly from forests certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. We believe in reducing unnecessary waste wherever possible, which means we only choose the appropriate grade and length of boards for each yurt component. 

If a piece of lumber doesn’t meet our strict standards, we use it to build our shipping crates. Over the years, we’ve heard from a number of customers who have used this wood to make furniture, cabinetry, vanities, and more. To keep as much out of the landfill as possible, we also donate any leftover materials and byproducts. For example, local crafters and families use our end cuts and wood scraps to design art and heat their homes, while gardeners and horse owners make quick use of our sawdust.

Intentional Craftsmanship

Along with limiting lumber waste, we make a conscious effort to finish our yurt components with as little impact as possible. We use a low VOC oil stain on each of our wood components, which is applied by hand (rather than atomized/sprayed) to avoid air pollution. We then allow these to air dry away from our staff on large, lined metal trays that capture drippings that would otherwise be absorbed into the soil.

Why the Future of Outdoor Businesses is Green

At the end of the day, sustainability isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s also good business sense. Back to Booking.com’s 2023 Sustainable Travel Report: 43% of travelers are willing to pay extra for sustainable accommodations, but 44% don’t know where to find them. There’s a massive gap in the eco-tourism space, and if your business can help fill 

that gap, you’re opening yourself up to a whole new cohort of travelers. 

What’s more, excavation for cabins and lodges is quite costly. You’re also limited by the type of land you can make use of. Yurts eliminate those problems entirely by allowing your team to build on sloped or otherwise unusable land. This way, you can reduce costs all while opening up new streams of revenue. Plus, most of our yurts can be installed in less than two days by a team of three to six, making a quick turnaround for businesses ready to ramp up their sustainable offerings. It’s a win-win. 

Not Sure Where to Start? We Can Help

For businesses interested in connecting guests with nature without negatively impacting it, yurts are a natural fit. 

Curious about what yurts could look like on your property? Kickstart your imagination with our 3D Yurt Builder or browse our collection of in-stock yurts.