colonies-vacances-attractivite-bordeaux-business

Restoring attractiveness to holiday colonies

The year 2020 and the beginning of 2021, does not seem to be in favor of summer camps. Due to the impact of COVID-19, it was difficult to organize the holidays. Indeed, it was necessary to meet all the right conditions for the reception of children. Thus, many settlements were cancelled. In addition, on the parents’ side, the context was not reassuring to let go of his child. While the colonies on their side try to organize themselves to apply a sanitary protocol, the doubt of the virus persists.

Indeed, colonies like Djuringa, put everything in place to continue their activities. Thus, the latter has set up a protocol during the stay, which she sends before each colony to the families. The temperature of children must be taken before departure. In a train station children must wear a mask and use hydroalcoholic gel. During the stay, the mask is worn by supervisors and children aged 11 and over except during certain activities. It is changed 3 times a day. In addition, during minibus trips, the mask is mandatory for everyone. Hygiene measures of the premises are reinforced and cleaning of all points of contact is carried out on a daily basis.

Thus, although the protocol aims to guarantee a safe stay, the trust of parents must be acquired. For their part, children must also be prepared to spend a stay under the restrictions of sanitary measures. A little strange holidays are looming for summer camps.

In recent years, summer camps have struggled to regain the high attendance rates of the 1960s. This time, which was the golden age of the colonies. Today, summer camps suffer from multiple ailments. Among the latter are high costs and parents’ fears. That’s why, according to a statista study, more than 45% of French people did not see the point in 2017 sending their children to summer camps as they were available to take care of them. However, the settlement centres have gradually modernized, certifying quality stays for children. Indeed, in addition to embodying a factor of social cohesion, they offer many benefits to children and young people. They can experience the holiday time of autonomy. They can also escape and confirm self-assertion, with respect for others.

Reversing the downtrend

Today three times fewer children go to summer camp compared to 1960. According to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the settlement centres in France have given way to supervision by professional bodies. The latter are more structured and secure than before. The objective here is fundamental: to grow the child in a mixed, new and secure environment.

Summer camps have long been a family tradition. Now they become for parents, a new opportunity for their child to flourish. In summer camp, children can flourish through the practice of a sport or an artistic activity. The practice of language stays is also a good opportunity. It is an opportunity to introduce a child to a new language and immerse him in a completely different cultural universe. The increased demand of parents also demonstrates that they have real expectations in terms of the content of the colonies. For parents to succeed in the process of booking a stay, the educational interest must go far beyond the financial investment made.

summer camp covid restrictions
Summer camps want to get back on track.

A golden age of summer camps to be found?

Make your children leave by offering them the opportunity to leave, for one or two weeks, their family cocoon, their neighborhood, their daily life. It is this simple observation that a government initiative, through the Ministry of Youth, decided to encourage in 2015 through an extensive communication campaign. Once again this year, the Minister of Education and Youth, Jean-Michel BLANQUER, has expressed his willingness to support the holiday camps and their usefulness. Indeed, the State is committed to supporting the modernization of the colonies. The objective is to inscribe their evolution in the French educational landscape.

Indeed, the changing expectations of children and young people are now correlated with the new uses of technology. Going to a holiday camp allows them to distance themselves from the screens. Indeed, the levers of development of children are no longer the same as before. The latter are bathed in globalization and social networks. Thus, organizations of holiday centers for children are paying more and more attention to new trends in tourism. In order to respond to this solutions are put in place. It includes collaborations with young influencers who introduce them to their communities.

However, the downward trend in the market does not bode well. In order not to be perclitter, children’s holiday organizations and centres need to be attentive to industry trends. Among those who have understood the need to renew themselves is the CEI (International Exchange Center). It has been offering language courses since 1947 and summer camps for 27 years. As a result, the attraction for “themed” holiday colonies in France and abroad is confirmed. The so-called “nature” or “discovery” holiday camps thus experience a high occupancy rate. Indeed, every year the success is at the rendezvous in particular of the colony “In the footsteps of Indiana Jones”, the colony “I learn to swim” in summer and “At the school of wizards” on the Halloween period or simply the “classic” summer camp at the sea, offering water activities.

That’s why Thibault Dufresne, Managing Director of the CEI Group, The International Exchange Centre, presents as paramount the safety and quality of the supervision provided and the support of children. In this way, despite an overall downward trend, the CIS Group shows an increase in its departures to the colony of around 28% in two years. The CIS Group is the founder of a quality label such as the Office which not only incorporates language and non-language travel into its quality charter and imposes strict standards of supervision as well as regular quality controls. Official industry bodies such as UNAT are also proactive in reassuring parents and restoring the colonies to their former glory.

Still attractive, the holiday colony has been able to accompany generational change and its technological changes. If the nostalgia conveyed by the holiday colonies continues to operate, their functioning has nothing to do with the “old” colony, which nevertheless made the success of Pierre Perret’s song.

Justine ANGIBAUD

Sources:

Official website of the Ministry of Youth

The New Aquitaine League

Statista

Abonnez-vous à la Newsletter