The Future of Adult Camps

The place where campers hang out after a long day in the sims.

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majtom7
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The Future of Adult Camps

Post by majtom7 »

My feeling is that it will be three to four years before we see adult camps (other than educator and parent/child) again. I believe that they were among the first cancelled and I suspect that they will be the last restored for a few reasons. First, the demand for kids’ camps is high, leaving few spots available for adults. Second, I suspect that most people will try to do bucket list trips once travel returns to 2019 levels or perhaps their financial circumstances will dictate fewer options, if any, than pre-pandemic. Space Camp will be a lower priority for most, a factor that will also affect corporate camps. Finally, adults, or at least some adults, are a pain because they want more. They want better accommodations, better food, more challenging schedules, and longer camps, all without paying more for the product. Why bother with adults, other than the fact that they are the first ones USSRC goes to when it needs money. Experiences are less hassle and possibly more profitable for the USSRC. They attract those who are happy with “appetizers“ in my opinion.

I count myself as fortunate for attending adult camps during what increasingly appears to have been the Golden Age of those camps in the early 1990s.
"I wanted to be humble, never arrogant, which is a trait astronauts despise." Mike Massimino
majtom7
Pathfinder
Pathfinder
Posts: 388
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2014 5:46 pm
Location: 62 miles from the Karman line

Re: The Future of Adult Camps

Post by majtom7 »

Just to give you an idea of how it was in the early 90’s, the 1993 brochure listed 33 adult camps (6 in Oct-November ‘92, the remainder May-Nov ‘93) and 10 adult academies (5 each Oct-Dec, ‘92 & ‘93).

By ‘96, those numbers were 4 & 2.
"I wanted to be humble, never arrogant, which is a trait astronauts despise." Mike Massimino
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