Great to see Australia's school kids coming back to visit Canberra - but there are still challenges for the excursion sector

It seemed that great tradition - the school trip to Canberra - was making its return after more than two years of COVID-induced havoc.

Kids spilling out of coaches at the galleries, museums, Questacon, Old Parliament House. It was good to see.

But the sector which, when it is working at its peak, is worth $150 million annually to the ACT economy is still not without its challenges.

Garry Watson is the project leader for the National Capital Educational Tourism Project, which works to encourage as many school children to visit Canberra as possible.

He says things are definitely on the up, but not anywhere near pre-COVID levels.

"The best-case scenario for this year is that we're running at about 40 per cent,'' Mr Watson said.

"In 2019, we had 172,000 kids visit Canberra on a school excursion. That was a record year. If I look at the year so far and the forward bookings, we're looking at something around, at best, 40 per cent of that number."

So, at best, we're looking at 68,800 kids visiting Canberra this year, generating about $60 million for the economy. But also getting an education on the national capital and voting and being an informed citizen.

So not a bumper year, but better than no kids at all.

Manpower is the problem at the moment.

"Certainly, schools want to travel to Canberra," Mr Watson said.

"But schools and our Canberra attractions suffer from the same problem everyone is suffering from, and that's staff shortages.

"And to travel on a school excursion, takes more staff than to just have kids in the classroom. So schools want to travel. There's an enormous amount of desire to bring kids to Canberra. In fact, parents are saying, 'My kids missed out last year, and we want to bring them'.

"But schools are struggling to staff their operations. Kids are getting sick and not being at school. And the attractions are also struggling with staff resources, considerably. So the attractions, could probably not manage 100 per cent next term, if 100 per cent came. Not because of their desire or ability, but because of the amount of staff they have."

Each school has to also sign up to a COVID plan to travel to Canberra, which adds another layer of complexity and paperwork. Getting in a bus is still easier than hopping on a plane. There's only been a couple of schools from WA visit in recent times.

It's a frustrating position to be in.

"It is," Mr Watson said. "There's no doubt fewer schools are travelling overseas. There's absolutely no doubt about that, so they're looking for 'safe', manageable destinations within Australia and Canberra is considered a very safe destination.

"There's a lot of interest in the quality of programs that Canberra offers, but the ability to both deliver them and for the schools to get here, is challenging in the COVID circumstances."

But Mr Watson is relieved to see at least some of those busloads of students returning.

"The purpose of the school market is to teach kids, so we are just so happy to have kids back in Canberra," he said.

"I think the light at the end of the tunnel for the business is sensational, is really positive. I'm not happy, but relieved and pleased at numbers being around 30 or 40 per cent of previous years, because it shows the desire is still there."

An excursion to Canberra also helps to create an engaged citizen. It's not just the dollars generated.

"The sector educates young Australians in high-quality civics and citizenship and democratic tradition," Mr Watson said.

"The kids who travelled in 2015, voted at the last election. So 150,000 kids got that education and it stuck.

"In the last election in May, more kids aged between 18 and 25 enrolled to vote than ever before.

"So the program we offer to schools is making a difference to the democratic engagement of young people."