What professional opportunities can the outdoor holiday sector offer? For many young people, camping is still mainly associated with seasonal summer work. The Open Days organised by the Croatian Camping Association (KUH), however, showed the students involved in the initiative a much broader and more articulated reality.
Through direct on-site experience, the young participants were able to closely observe how outdoor accommodation facilities operate, learn about the different professional roles within the sector and discover the real growth opportunities offered by open-air tourism. An opportunity to understand how camping today is a modern and evolving sector, capable of offering qualified career paths and long-term prospects.
It should also be noted that the Open Days are part of the broader project “Sustainable Tourism, Sustainable Careers – Fast Forward to Excellence”, promoted by KUH with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport and in collaboration with other associations, with the aim of promoting youth employment in tourism, with particular attention to the camping sector.
144 students involved
With this initiative, the Croatian Camping Association (KUH) succeeded in involving 144 students from Zagreb, Karlovac, Šibenik and Split. The aim is to create a concrete bridge between students and tourism operators, helping to address one of the sector’s main challenges: staff shortages and the growing difficulty of attracting new generations to tourism professions.
The Open Days took place on 6 and 12 May in two very different settings: the first event was held at Camp Zagreb in Rakitje, a campsite overlooking the lake of the same name just a few minutes from Zagreb; the second at Camp Stobreč in Split, directly by the sea. This was a deliberate choice, designed to show young people the different opportunities and characteristics of continental and coastal camping.
The visits and organised activities were not aimed exclusively at students, but were also open to the local community, unemployed people and tourism professionals, thus encouraging broad and direct discussion with the sector.
Photo: courtesy of KUH
SETT 2021 opens its doors tomorrow in Montpellier, with a rich series of appointments and events