Camps in the Moscow region outstripped the prices of the sea: they began to offer shortened shifts

The beginning of June is the traditional time for the start of the first shift in children’s holiday camps. Lines of buses with the inscription “Children” appear on the roads, parents can also take a break. However, 2023 has made its own adjustments to this familiar scheme. In particular, such desirable children’s camps on the seaside are always falling in price. And those near Moscow are growing so much that they offer shortened shifts.

According to the Ministry of Education, more than 5 million children were supposed to visit more than 40,000 “recreation organizations” this year. But it turned out that the camps have become very expensive, and it is the most inexpensive segment of recreation in the regions of residence, including the Moscow region, that has grown the most.

– Yes, according to the situation at the beginning of the season, we saw that vouchers to the south rose by 10-20%, and in other directions by 30% or more, – says Elena, a representative of the tour operator for the Children’s Rest profile. But then the demand for resorts fell by about 40%. Crimea is not booked at all, even Sochi has sunk, interest has fallen. There is a unique situation – in the areas of the camp are in greater demand than the seaside. Where all this has already been traced, the owners strive to raise the price.

But the “southern”, according to Elena, are not used to working in a competitive environment. Not only are parents afraid to send children and cancel bookings, even with interest deducted. Also, when doubters call the places with questions about security, they cannot be told anything intelligible in the camps. “There is an alarm system, security, a panic button, they say,” the tour manager complains. – They start asking about organized evacuation, they mumble or are surprised. Like, “what if” we don’t understand…” To this we can add that the showers of 2022 greatly tarnished the reputation of the “souths”, Sochi and Anapa, for example, as “pioneer health resorts”. Many people remember how long and with what scandals children were taken out of there.

“MK” checked the prices for children’s holidays in a camp on the warm seas in the Russian Federation and made sure that everything was right. Traditionally, the cheapest Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov invites you to change for at least 20 thousand rubles. There are no such prices near Pskov or Ryazan this year. And more prestigious destinations are dumping: in Tuapse you can take a child for 45 thousand, to Anapa for 60-80. Only Sochi holds the brand, on average, a ticket there still costs 90-100 thousand. Although, if you search carefully, you can find offers for 60-70 thousand and below. This is less than the average price of a holiday camp in the Moscow region, even taking into account travel and transfer.

But in MO and the surrounding area prices are impressive. The most expensive are creative camps (theatre, art, dance, music, adventure, fantasy based on Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, etc.). Prices per shift here start from 50-60 thousand and easily overcome the mark of 100 thousand. What in the camps just do not come up with. Want a tent with the Indians – please. On horseback, on rafts and rafts – ours to you. Only for younger or only for teenagers – with pleasure. Any language camp, sports camp, aviator camp, robotics camp or just a technical, innovative one – “we have them” …

The market response to the challenge of time in the form of package prices has been reduced shifts. They began to be made in the camps of the lower price segment: tourist, military-patriotic or located in the wilderness, where you can only attract virgin nature. A two-week or even 10-day shift in such a camp will cost 20 thousand rubles in the Moscow region. And the weekend camp – there are such – generally 6-8 thousand.

Still, the issue of the safety of children in the camp worries most parents. The abolition of parental days by Rosobrnadzor is spurring excitement – it was introduced due to the coronavirus. The pandemic seems to have been canceled, but they forgot to lift the ban. Therefore, in the vast majority of camps there will be no parent days this year.

Well, in general, of course, there are a lot of nerves and fears: supporters of different approaches now and then collide in public. “There are still more adequate parents, tickets to Artek and Orlyonok have been bought out,” say supporters of a calm attitude to life. “I don’t have spare children, I won’t send them anywhere, even to the Moscow region,” the anxious parents object. And there are about 30% of them in the country, statistics show.

The camps respond by “bulging out” on the websites of the “Safety” section, describing which cameras they have, what licenses the private security company has, and what kind of certificates of supervisory authorities the camp itself received. It is clear that in this regard, camps from law enforcement agencies have gained unexpected popularity: the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations.