A Monmouthshire family, who decided to follow their dream and set up an eco-friendly campsite in the heart of the Wye Valley, are expanding their business on the back of a record year.

Amanda and Peter Copp set up Hidden Valley Yurts to provide luxury, sustainable camping for holiday makers looking to do something a little different for their annual getaway.

The husband and wife team are coming to the end of another successful season, which has seen them fully-booked throughout the summer and shortlisted for both the National Tourism Awards for Wales and the Monmouthshire Business Awards.

Hidden Valley Yurts comprises six authentic Mongolian yurts, imported from Mongolia, situated in 80 acres of outstanding natural beauty in rural Monmouthshire.

Now, with support from Business Wales, the Welsh Government’s business support provider, they are planning to expand their offering further by linking up with businesses across Wales to create new holiday packages, and are hoping to increase their annual turnover by 10 per cent in 2014.

Amanda, who worked as a housing officer before deciding to follow her dream of owning her own campsite, said: “Running Hidden Valley Yurts is very much a lifestyle choice - we offer a luxury, eco-friendly camping experience where children are free to be children, and people can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

“The business involves the whole family in one way or another, so we have to keep looking ahead and finding new ways to develop if we want to improve the experience we offer to our guests.

“A colleague suggested that I contact Business Wales for some advice so I got in touch and was put together with a business advisor, and also a mentor with experience working in the activities sector.

“Although we are always fully booked during the summer, we realised that we need to do more to drive business during the quieter periods outside the school holidays. We already offer our guests bushcraft sessions and massage and holistic therapies, but our advisors suggested finding additional partners, both locally and across Wales, with whom we can develop new holiday packages targeted at specific markets.

“For example, lots of people come to us as part of a cycling or walking holiday and it would be great up to join up with a specialist in these areas that could take them on routes and to see sites that they may have otherwise missed.

“Also, as a Gwent ‘Best Wildlife’ farm and with increasing interest in environmental issues, expert-led wildlife and foraging courses seem to be another way forward.”

The family business has benefited from the global phenomenon of ‘glamping’ which combines camping with all the luxuries of a hotel, and is thought to be worth around £500m in the UK alone. Holidaymakers have come from all over the world, from Israel to Delhi, and from all walks of life including city dwellers looking for a quiet break, to adventure-seekers wanting to take advantage of the Wales’ rivers, mountains and cycle tracks.

Amanda said: “Business Wales has also helped us to recruit a new tourist assistant through the Jobs Growth Wales programme who has been invaluable, collating tourism packs for guests, helping out generally around the campsite, and freeing up my time to allow me to look at new ways to take the business forward.

“It has been an incredibly useful resource and we will continue to work with our advisors as our projects develop. I would urge any businesses looking for some expert advice to get in touch and find out how they can help.”