Croatian Camping Association opens youth sector: 144 pupils and students in camps

The open days of the camps brought together 144 pupils and students and showed that camping can offer young people more than a seasonal job: a modern working environment, diverse employment opportunities and space for long-term career development.

They were completed last week. Camp open days, an activity by which the Camping Association of Croatia (KUH) opened a space for a direct meeting of young people, the education sector and employers in the camping industry. At a time when Croatian tourism is increasingly facing the challenges of the workforce and attracting young people, KUH is showing with this initiative that camping is not only an important part of the tourist offer, but also a sector with concrete career opportunities.

Open Days were held on May 6th at Camp Zagreb in Rakitje and on May 12th at Camp Stobreč in Split. The two locations were chosen to show young people the different potentials of camping: continental and coastal. This further emphasized that a camping career does not only mean seasonal work by the sea, but also a wider space for professional development or private entrepreneurship in different parts of Croatia.

The visits to the camps were attended by students and professors from faculties and polytechnics from Zagreb, Karlovac and Šibenik, as well as students and teachers from the Split School of Tourism and Hospitality. A total of 144 students and pupils participated in the Open Days with their professors, teachers and mentors, with the events being open to the local community, unemployed people and tourism experts. The special value of these meetings was that young people were able to get to know camping outside the classroom and theory. Instead of general presentations on tourism, the participants had the opportunity to see a real working environment, talk to representatives of the sector and get a more direct insight into the professions, processes and opportunities that camping offers.

Open Days are part of a wider project "Sustainable Tourism, Sustainable Careers - Fast Forward to Excellence", which is being implemented by the Croatian Camping Association with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and in partnership with the Croatian Hotel Entrepreneurs Association, the Impresia Association and the Jeunes Restaurateurs Association. The project is aimed at promoting youth employment in tourism, with a special emphasis on camping as a segment that increasingly requires new knowledge, practical skills and a different approach to human resource development.

KUH's activities within the project began in October 2025 in Šibenik, with the participation of students in lectures within the framework of 19th Croatian Camping Congress. Topics such as the application of artificial intelligence in camping, the modernization of campsites and the development of new tourist facilities showed students that modern camping is not a static or simple product, but a complex part of the tourism industry in which technology, sustainability, investments, operations and guest work meet. The Congress was attended by 42 students from the University of Zadar and the Polytechnic of Šibenik, and for many of them it was an opportunity for the first direct meeting with employers and current topics from the camping sector.

In the continuation of the project, from the beginning of March to the end of April 2026, KUH also organized guest lectures lectures at ten national higher education and secondary education institutions. The lectures included students from faculties and polytechnics from Zagreb, Pula, Zadar and Karlovac, as well as students from the Samobor School of Economics, Trade and Hospitality, Zabok High School and the Eugen Kumičić Vocational School from Rovinj. In total, almost 280 students participated in this part of the project, and the topics covered were digitalization, artificial intelligence, trends in tourism and career development in camping.

The continuation of the project envisages the participation of students at 20th Croatian Camping Congress, which will be held from 19 to 21 October 2026 at Terme Tuhelj, organized by KUH. Young people will have the opportunity to participate in educational lectures, tour the exhibition area, learn about the latest trends in camping tourism and make direct contact with employers.

As part of the project, a printed and online edition of a manual on the green transition in camping is planned, intended for the education of employees and guests and the implementation of sustainability measures in everyday business. The presentation of the manual will take place during the Croatian Camping Congress.

With this project, the Croatian Camping Association confirms its role as one of the key players in the development of the camping sector in Croatia. By connecting education, employers, young people and institutions, the Croatian Camping Association is actively working to create the prerequisites for the long-term competitiveness of Croatian camping.

At a time when the tourism sector must fight for quality staff, invest in sustainability and keep up with technological changes, camping is increasingly positioning itself as a modern, dynamic and promising part of Croatian tourism. It is through projects like these that KUH shows that the development of the sector does not only begin with new investments and infrastructure, but also with the young people who will lead, develop and change the sector tomorrow.