In post, "The Same Old Question", I mentioned that the evidence suggests that young adults reject old school nudism. In particular it seems they shy away from visiting traditional nudist landed clubs and resorts. Today I wanted to look at some suggestions that have been put forth for changing that.
Focus on the Clubs & Resorts
As Nikki Hoffman noted when she was interviewed for recent Wall Street Journal article on the decline of nudism & naturism, traditional nudist clubs & resorts simply aren't geared to attract the 18-35 demographic. I think it is hard to disagree with that since young adults seem to be staying away from traditional nudist venues in droves.
One suggestion frequently put forth in the interest of attracting more young adults to the clubs directly and nudism indirectly centers on changing the economic model. Most results charge annual membership fees as they always have. One club I have personal knowledge of allows a person only three visits before he or she must either purchase an annual membership or stop visiting. Tom Mulhall, who owns The Terra Cotta Inn resort with his wife Mary Clare, in a comment posted at Nudist Day, declared that landed clubs should stop charging annual membership dues and go to a charge per visit model.
Tom isn't the only one who believes that the high cost of annual memberships, which from personal experience run $300 or more per year, serves as a barrier to participation by young adults, many of whom simply can't afford them. The vast majority (90%) of the readers of this blog who participated in the most recent poll indicated that annual memberships should not be required but made an option. That way those who preferred to purchase them could but everyone would have the pay-as-you-go option of paying per visit.
It is true that younger adults, many of whom are just starting out in the workforce or only working part-time while attending college, likely find costly memberships unaffordable. At resorts where a person can visit only a few times without buying a membership, I agree that it could be a reason young adults might not visit. Yet it costs a good deal of money to operate clubs & resorts and seems reasonable to assume that those who sold fewer annual memberships would have to charge more in the way of per visit fees.
Day fees are already pretty pricey at many clubs in comparison to other recreational activities. Perhaps a change of economic models would then merely substitute one economic barrier for another. Yes, others have suggested offering discounted daily fees to young adults to counteract that, yet I am simply not convinced that the cost factor is really the reason why young adults don't find traditional nudist venues a major attraction. I tend to agree with Nikki Hoffman in that clubs & resorts simply don't offer what young adults are looking for.
Suggestions that have been put forth to attract younger adults that involve a change of focus on the part of club owners and managers to me make more sense than changing the way people pay for access. Some recommend that clubs establish specific areas devoted to young adults. I think it has to be accepted that many twenty to thirty year olds simply have no interest in hanging out nude with a group of people who are predominantly the age of their grandparents. As an alternative to segregation by age, another frequent suggestion is setting aside specific dates where the clubs are only open to those between the ages of 18-35. Some clubs already host annual weekends devoted to college age adults and have found success in attracting young adults for these events. Perhaps such events simply need to be offered on a more frequent basis.
Offering programs and activities aimed at young adults is another common suggestion. The traditional activities ─ potluck dinners, volleyball, themed dances, etc, simply aren't the kind of things younger adults find appealing. A little market research into the recreational likes and dislikes of the younger set might reveal things clubs could offer to enhance the appeal.
Certainly clubs could I think make some changes that might make the venues more appealing to the younger generation yet in my own opinion, the existing club model, even among clubs willing to incorporate major changes, simply is not the means by which nudism is going to attract younger adults in greater numbers. Rural-based clubs, often an hour or more from urban centers are I think the past not the future of nudism & naturism in this country.
Next time, we will take a look at some of the unconventional means used by some groups that have proven successful in attracting young adults to nudism.
As young adults, the biggest challenge my girlfriend and I have found is spending the night. Without an RV, we're relying on what is offered at the venue. We need food, water, and a place to sleep. Sleeping is either in a cottage or tent. Water is from a clubhouse if the cottage doesn't have it. Food...is always a problem.
ReplyDeleteSometimes places offer a cafe on the weekends, which means we're out of luck during the week. Only one place we've been to offers a shared kitchen when no events are going on. Usually we don't have access to a fridge, microwave, or dishes. Almost everywhere, we've had to leave the venue to get food and supplies.
Put yourself in a young person's shoes. Pick any venue and see what they offer. Unless it's a really big resort, staying comfortably for more than a day will likely be a challenge. Many young people don't want to go through the trouble.
Hmmm ... What do the Philadelphia Orchestra, major denominations of American Protestant Christianity, and the network of nudist organisations (clubs, mostly) all share in common?
ReplyDeleteWell: ... their audiences are all graying; and they all seem to be perplexed at the prospect of attracting younger people who will carry the institutions forward in their current forms.
One hears -- particularly with people who reflect on the (non)growth of non-profit organizations -- about "Gen-X-ers" who will not support an institution "because it's there" -- who have limited funds, and who want, instead, to serve a cause because it's doing something that they are excited about supporting.
So they'll support the Philadelphia Orchestra as long as they're convinced about the value of a quality musical institution; they'll support a religious instituion when they see that it does something more than pay a hefty salary to clergy-persons. And they'll support "clothing optional life" when they are convinced of its benefit to themselves, personally, and to the culture as a whole.
But TEN is right when he says (with such as Tom Mulhall) that they're not going to shell out $300 (or almost three times that much!) just to have a venue in which just to be naked -- and play cards, or sit around a pool.
I think this is not necessarily bad at all. In a sense, I think that this comes about because we are nearing what has been a longing for us all: a culture in which, generally, more and more people find the thought/sight of a naked body less and less onerous. Quite frankly, if I knew that I could go out on my deck wearing nothing, I wouldn't be nearly as welling to pay $800 for annual membership at a nudist resort. But for the time being, it's still less than bail would be: and I can afford it, personally; so I pay. Ten years ago, I coulnd't afford it: tough bounce then. Now I can: but in those ten years, while I've seen a number of naturist venues close up for want of members, I've also seen the culture ease up, on the whole, about such things as gay marriage; and it seems as though there are more people who are also more relaxed, on the whole, about social nudity as well.
Of course, as the culture as a whole relaxes, the more "Taliban"-like voices become more shrill. So we've got a long way to go, yet. Until then, I'll gladly pay my dues to help keep open decent venues where one can publicly be naked.
It's an evolutionary process, after all. But one that has, ultimately, a positive outcome -- even though for the time being we who love being naked may wonder, "What is going on?"
Allen
I think that one of main reasons for the diminishing population of nudists is the declining number of nude beaches. Nude beaches are the "farm system" for organized social nudism.
ReplyDeleteNude beaches differ from nudist resort in that there is almost no barrier to entry. You don't need a clique of nudist friends. You can go for the day on a whim -- either by yourself or with a partner.
Over time, those that visited nude beaches come to value the experience and seek to join clubs that offer more amenities (e.g, RV hookups, pools, etc).
If we really want to grow the nudist lifestyle, we need to support our nude beach "farm system". This is a tall order as we face opposition from BOTH progressives and conservatives.
I am almost ashamed to admit that, even as a long-time nudist, I will not visit many of the nude beaches that I first visited when starting out. The number of people cruising for sex, smoking pot and/or gawking / masturbating in the dunes make the current beach environment very family unfriendly.
'Pay as you go' makes some sense as a model for attracting younger naturists. It seems to work quite well in gyms here in europe where members baulk at extravagant annual charges. I agree with Bill that nudist beaches are not what they once were and I have notices crude behavior on previously safe beaches.
ReplyDeleteThere should be a two track aproach. No 1 costs nothing. Simply putting young people in touch with each other so they can enjoy nudism together in a social setting in their homes and gardens dorms.
ReplyDeleteNo 2 costs money but could be looked on as treats people can look forward to a few times a year. Hire out an entire venue for an evening so say a party of 150 or so. Would take planning but business would be only too happy to play ball with you. It might be a restaurant, a bolling alley, a roler disco, an art gallery or table games
x
John
I agree there's little to attract a young person to a resort. Take a look at the popular nude parties YNA has, and you'll never see those at resorts. For example, when was the last time a resort threw a gaming party (as in xbox, etc), instead of a dance for older folks getting drunk?
ReplyDeleteFace it, resorts cater to the concept of sedentary. Laying around the pool or a rousing game of volleyball or tennis. Shades of PE in high school.
Then there's the ban on cameras. Every cell phone and laptop has a camera. Telling a young person they can't have those devices in a resort, you might as well ask to remove a limb. They are the Facebook generation, where information is freely attained and shared.
Cost is a minor issue, yet it's the one debates latch onto, because it's the one least likely to cause old school nudism major fits.