Tour operators are still busy, despite the increased costs. Because there is a shortage of drivers, they cannot even meet all requests at the moment. Yet they also see that schools struggle with budgets.
“We especially notice that smaller schools have a problem, they are less able to shift budgets a bit,” says Klaas Veenstra of Veenstra Reizen. “The entrance fees for theme parks have risen enormously. So they are looking for something a little closer, with fewer kilometers and fewer hours.”
In addition to the increased school costs, the voluntary parental contribution also influences the exuberance of school trips. Until two years ago, some schools wouldn’t take a child on a trip if it wasn’t paid for. That is no longer allowed.
And that means less budget for schools, they also see in Beilen. “We notice that more and more people can no longer pay the contribution,” says Manders. “That is very logical in these expensive times. But as a result, less money comes in to us.”
The new rules on the contribution also have an impact at secondary schools, where the journey often goes to a European destination. “We hear that they are sometimes forced to cancel their trip because the risk becomes too great,” says a spokesperson for the VO council, the umbrella organization for secondary schools. “If one parent does not pay in the end, you can absorb it. But if there are many more, no more.”
According to the tour operators, high school classes are still traveling to popular destinations such as Berlin, Paris or London this year. “But Barcelona, for example, is less popular,” says Veenstra. “In particular, the costs of accommodation have risen enormously, proportionally much more than the hourly wages and fuel.”
If the journey is really compromised, schools and parents look for all kinds of creative solutions, such as the use of bicycles. Or parents drive themselves.
According to the VO Council, there are now also more schools that only allow a trip to go ahead if enough parents confirm that they will pay the contribution. “As a result, you see that especially the schools in the least prosperous areas notice the consequences,” says a spokesperson. “That’s harsh.”