Hundreds of cultural venues and educational businesses in Catalonia report a sudden fall in school trip bookings after more than 1,300 public schools joined a campaign to suspend excursions and camps for the coming academic year. The initiative, known as “Aturem les sortides i les colònies,” began with a teachers’ assembly in the Maresme during the previous academic year, then spread across Catalonia. Reports put participation at about 1,300 public schools and institutes, with figures reaching as high as 1,367. The count refers to centres whose teaching staff adopted the measure, not every teacher, pupil or family in those schools. Many affected venues, including theatres and museums, rely heavily on school visits for income. Heritage sites and rural education centres are also feeling the impact.
The campaign calls on participating teaching staffs not to organise excursions, overnight camps, end-of-course trips or related activities until the Department of Education introduces what teachers describe as “real, structural and effective improvements” to public education. Teachers cite insufficient resources and high pupil-to-teacher ratios. They also point to administrative workloads and the responsibilities of overnight trips without adequate compensation. They present the action as a labour and institutional protest, not a general legal ban on school outings. For cultural organisations, the effect is immediate. Viu Teatre, a platform representing 150 theatre groups that stage performances for schools, reports that bookings for the next school year have stalled. While reservations for younger students remain stable, bookings from secondary schools are already down 25%. Theatres and companies are increasingly anxious. For many vulnerable children, school-organised visits are their only chance to experience live theatre.
The Museu Paperer de Capellades, a popular destination for school groups, is also feeling the effects. The museum normally hosts two or three schools daily, but this summer occupancy is down to 35-40%, with many public schools warning they may cancel existing reservations. Rural education centres such as Aula de Entorno Rural Palaudàries have seen requests fall to a quarter of normal levels, putting jobs at risk. Without subsidies, some family-run centres say they cannot afford to open for just a few days a week.
Larger institutions such as MNAC, Fundació Miró and Caixaforum have not yet seen a impressive decline, but confirm that some schools have already notified them of plans to cancel trips next year. Companies organising educational visits and activities in museums and hostels are also bracing for a difficult autumn. Many report cancellations of previously scheduled events, including visits to Park Güell and archaeological sites.
The casas de colonias, or rural camps, are taking the hardest hit, with bookings down 70%. Industry associations are in talks with the Catalan government, seeking support such as soft loans and grants, along with help on employment procedures. They are also urging the Department of Education to make school outings a formal part of the curriculum, a proposal recently debated in the Catalan Parliament.
The dispute has also drawn opposition from students who say the suspension threatens access to excursions and camps, as well as graduation activities and end-of-course trips. On 21 October 2026, more than 400 students in the Bages comarca mobilised in Manresa in a protest called by the Sindicat d’Estudiants dels Països Catalans. The union’s spokesperson, Eloi Bolsón, said students wanted “to stand alongside teachers, not direct the complaint at educators, but at those responsible for providing resources.” Families in several schools have begun organising alternatives, including camps and end-of-course trips, outside the usual school arrangements.
Teachers behind the boycott say they are pressing the government for better working conditions and do not intend to harm cultural or educational businesses. They acknowledge that the move may affect children, especially those who rely on school for access to cultural experiences, but argue that lasting improvements require difficult choices. Families are divided: some support the protest, while others worry about its impact on students. Arranging alternatives independently also raises concerns about access. Families with greater financial or organisational resources may find it easier to replace school-organised activities.
This standoff comes as Catalonia faces broader social and economic challenges. Information from recent analysis of poverty trends in the region, many families are already struggling with limited access to resources, making the loss of school-organised activities even more impressive for vulnerable children.
The campaign is part of a wider dispute between education unions and the Department of Education. As of 23 October 2026, the department was reported to consider the negotiation phase complete and had no plans to reopen talks with unions. Unions were proposing another strike day and a joint demonstration, while a teacher consultation was set to determine whether to pursue further action after the general strike scheduled for 11 November. Cultural operators and education authorities are watching September closely. Many hope a last-minute surge in bookings could avert layoffs and closures, but uncertainty remains high. The outcome may set a precedent for how labour disputes in education affect other sectors, especially those dependent on public school activity.
School trips and camps have long been a fixture of Catalan education, giving students access to culture, nature and history outside the classroom. The current suspension highlights the links between education and the cultural economy and raises questions about how both sectors can adapt to ongoing pressures and demands for reform.
