The Camping Association of Croatia is creating new generations of camping employees

As part of the program of co-financing projects in tourism in 2022, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Camping Association of Croatia (KUH) launched the project "Career development in camping, one of the most attractive and promising segments of sustainable tourism in Croatia".

It is a project to educate and bring pupils and students closer to future employers in the tourism, and especially camping, industry, which the Camping Association of Croatia has been working on intensively for many years and thus significantly contributes to strengthening the competitiveness of human resources and the Croatian tourism product in general.

"Camping tourism represents one of the most successful branches of Croatian tourism, which has proven its exceptional resilience and adaptability even during the most demanding periods in the recent past. Namely, the indicators for 2022 speak of 10% growth (21,2 million overnight stays) even in comparison with a record year, 2019, which surpassed even the most optimistic predictions", He said Adriano Palman, director of KUH.

At the same time, we should not lose sight of the fact that Croatian campsites represent the very top of the camping offer, which is confirmed by regular analyzes by ADAC, the German auto club, which ranks us in second place among the best campsites in Europe.

The camping industry plays a very significant role in the wider European context as well. According to Eurostat data from 2019, there are 28.400 campsites operating in Europe, which generate 400 million overnight stays (which represents about 12% of all European overnight stays), with 12 billion euros in annual revenue.

Compared to other types of tourist accommodation, camping tourism has an excellent perspective for further growth, given that it is an extremely attractive and sustainable tourist product that operates in accordance with the principles of the green economy. All of the above is recognized by numerous tourists, who are increasingly opting for this type of vacation.

What is particularly gratifying is the fact that the increase in interest is also noticeable among students who see their opportunity for career development precisely in this tourism segment. This has been recognized in its activities by the Camping Association of Croatia, the umbrella organization of Croatian campsites dedicated to the promotion and improvement of the competitiveness of Croatian camping products, which at the same time pays great attention to the education and training of tourist workers.

The professional formation and training of employees, as well as the stimulation of interest in working in tourism, has an even more important role today when we are facing the challenge of a lack of labor, especially professional and quality staff. It was this disparity that prompted KUH to implement activities whose ultimate goal is to motivate young people to engage in work processes and develop careers in tourism, with a special emphasis on camping.

As a result of the above, as part of this year's 16th Croatian Camping Congress held in Šibenik from November 8 to 10, KUH, in cooperation with MINTS, implemented an action to further encourage young people to develop careers in camping.

Namely, all high school and higher education institutions of tourism and catering in the area of ​​Šibenik-Knin and surrounding counties are invited to participate in the congress free of charge and to tour and learn about the latest trends in equipping and developing camps. Pupils and students, about 60 of them, had the opportunity to listen to very interesting lectures, such as a presentation on the dynamic formation of camping pitch prices and a presentation of a new greenfield camp, while they were particularly impressed by the round table entitled: "Workforce in tourism and camping: How to attract and retain employees and motivate young generations to work in tourism?", which strongly emphasized the need to change the approach and adapt the tourism industry to new generations future employees.

Pupils and students are provided with bus transport and refreshments during the trip coffee break, when everyone present got an additional opportunity to continue socializing with potential employers, along with individual conversations with employees in the sector.

Teachers and professors did not hide their satisfaction with this field visit: "Participation in lectures on camping tourism and socializing with stakeholders gave students a direct insight into the business of camps, how to define and change prices based on demand, and insight into the phases of the project of starting the construction of a camp. The presentation of the aforementioned lectures encouraged students to think about employment in the aforementioned sector , starting your own small camps and writing papers on the topic of camping tourism", she stated Jasmina Sladoljev, univ. specialist oec., senior lecturer at the Polytechnic in Šibenik.

As part of other activities on the project, during the next year, KUH will launch a separate online section, i.e. the orientation platform "Career development in camping - everything you need to know", and in addition to guest lectures in selected schools and colleges, camp open days will be held , which will further intrigue the young generation to develop careers in the dynamic environment of the camping industry, which covers 25% of tourist overnight stays in the Republic of Croatia and which has undoubtedly confirmed its exceptional development potential so many times.

Photo source: Croatian Camping Association