Czech summer camps see fewest children in a decade as parents favor day trips

Fewer children attended traditional summer camps in Czechia this year than at any point in the past decade, as families increasingly opt for programs that allow children to return home each evening.

A total of 194,293 children attended residential summer camps in 2026, according to regional public health authority data obtained by Czech Television. That was around 7,000 fewer than last year and as many as 30,000 below the record levels recorded in 2019 and 2021.

Camp organizers say the shift partly reflects the growing popularity of příměstské tábory, or day camps, which offer organized activities during the day without requiring children to spend the night away from home. Some traditional camps are now adapting by offering both options.

One South Bohemian organizer told Czech Television that insufficient enrollment forced her camp to cancel about two and a half weeks of its usual eight- to nine-week summer program this year. Children can now either stay overnight or attend during the day and return home in the evening.

Organizers say parents have become more reluctant to send younger children away for extended periods, particularly if they are worried about homesickness or leaving them with unfamiliar adults.

The Lužánky leisure center in Brno, one of Czechia's largest organizers of children's camps and activities, has also seen preferences change.

Residential camps that once commonly lasted three weeks now typically run for no more than two weeks, according to deputy director Iva Kouřilová. The organization has responded by shortening stays and expanding its day-camp offerings.

"Parents want to have more control over their children, they want to call them and have them home in the evening," Kouřilová told Czech Television.

Other organizers trace the shift to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ivana Mariánková, whose Hobit camp near Ostrava has operated for 22 years, said attendance fell from a typical figure of almost 60 children to just 39 this summer.

Declining enrollment is also affecting camp staff, with some instructors reporting that sessions have been canceled at short notice because there are too many staff members for the number of participating children.

South Bohemia remains the country's biggest region for traditional summer camps, attracting around 32,000 children this year. That was nevertheless about 2,000 fewer than in 2025.

Regional health officials also pointed to day camps as a likely reason for the decline, noting that they are easier to organize and can respond more quickly to changing preferences among families.