This blog is part of an blog from Nick and Lins at Naked Wanderings titled “Can naturist resorts be successful while maintaining its values”
They have some interesting ideas about keeping youngsters involved in naturism and at the bottom of the article is part of a comment from Simon T and his experience at Vassaliki with his young daughter.
Will creating a safe environment and a decent online marketing strategy bring more youth? It will certainly help but again it’s not the one and only key to success. Teenagers and early twenty-somethings are the most difficult group to attract to naturism.
Then how did Bare Oaks manage to attract them?
We couldn’t find the answer. During one of our late night discussions about the topic which again seemed to lead nowhere we decided that we would have ask them.
Who can we ask?
Well… there are the three nice girls at the reception, how young were they? 21, 22?
Oh and there’s that girl who drives around picking up the garbage!
Oh and the guy who’s delivering the firewood!
Oh and oooooooooooooh.
The answer was brilliant in its simplicity. If you want more youth in your naturist resort, you give them a job.
The fact that teenagers turn away from naturism is something we can barely avoid. Not only is puberty a very confusing phase in life, it’s also the time when kids want to start building their personality. A personality which they often prefer to be different than the one of their parents.
The big question is how to get them back into naturism after this phase. Some of the kids who were raised at Bare Oaks got away from naturism and some didn’t. That’s how it goes, but several who went their own way decided to come back. Instead of just having to hang around all summer they could actually earn some money while being reunited with their old friends.
Generations attract those of the same generation. The more you can keep, the more others will return and eventually, the word will spread and there will be more newcomers as well.
Giving youth a job is a great way to keep them in the resort but a more important factor is to listen to them as well. Stop thinking that you know what young people want. We, although only in our thirties, often have no clue about how the younger generation thinks. When you have them available right there at your reception desk, talk to them. Give them responsibilities. Have them involved when choices have to be made. Ask them how they would make the place more attractive. Ask them to help organising new events. Ask their opinion.
It’s an easy thing to say that youth is not interested in naturism anymore or that they lost believe in the traditional values and naturist ethics. During the “volleyball weekend” at Bare Oaks we saw the opposite. There was plenty of youth who had all come down to play volleyball, enjoy themselves at the waterpark that was taken over for the occasion or just to meet old and new friends.
Attracting more new and younger members doesn’t go from one day on the other. An online appearance, a marketing strategy, modern technologies and a young influence, it all takes time and effort. But it works.
Simon T
I took my family to Vassiliki in Kefalonia this summer and my despite the resort not really catering for children specifically the owners solution was to give her a staff polo-neck top and put her to work! Back at home she said it was the best holiday ever! So maybe too little trust and responsibility is another reason as to why the younger generations and families continue to only trickle in to venues.
If you have had problems finding nude facilities in Europe you really are not trying very hard you only have to start poking around the internet and you will not have any difficulty finding beaches and camping grounds for people who prefer nudity and a far more relaxed attitude to being naked.
We have private pool parties at our house for the kids. We usually have about 10-12 kids at time. The ages range from about 8 to 18. They all have a great time. They say they like it better than going to the established nudist resorts.
I think you are right Paul, Europe is an area that isn’t easy to find casual leisure places that cater for younger naturists, or even for older ones ! Some young people in our family did look into taking a break where there would be lots of people in their age group and just fun things to do. They don’t really want Cap D’Agde or similar resorts because of the reputation that seems to be pinned on them recently. They did visit friends on the south east coast of England and oddly enough there was a good clothes optional group of people they got to know, mostly they were from London or near there. The average age of the new friends was 23 so they enjoyed some good social events that were around 70% naturists and others who partly undressed but preferred some cover ups.
Very interesting. I was living in New York for a few years and young people there really are into being nude but it’s nude yoga or naked game nights. I haven’t found anything like this since being back in Europe, but I would prefer to be camping or at the beach anyway. I don’t think it’s very easy to find the nude places in Europe, you have to really search for them.