By the summer of 2023, between 400 and 600 additional youth camp locations will need to be found in Belgium, according to estimates from the country's five federations of Francophone youth movements.
In response to the shortage of campsites that has affected youth movements for several years, five French-speaking federations have called for public authorities and private owners to "create and make financially accessible additional summer camp places."
"By the summer of 2023, it will be necessary to create between 400 and 600 additional camp places," estimate the five federations. "On the eve of major changes such as the reform of the school schedules, it becomes imperative to guarantee a right to leisure for the 120,000 members of French-speaking youth movements."
In the wake of last summer's floods, many municipal authorities and several private owners made their land and buildings available to youth movements as emergency locations.
Camp agendas impacted
The federations estimate that the camps contribute more than €5 million to the Walloon economy every year and some €4 million in wider tourism.
While youth movements are increasingly popular, the shortage of camp places is likely to intensify "due to the combined effects of the health crisis on homeowners and the reform of school schedules from the start of the 2022 school year."
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Although supported by the five youth movement federations, the new school calendar will have a significant impact on the camp agenda, availability and cost.
"Youth movements fear that the compression of the camp period will lead the owners to increase their rates."
