How to "Study Tour" Instead of "Blind Tour"

The summer season is approaching, and a new wave of study tours is in full swing. In recent years, the core of the popular overseas study tours should have been the combination of "travel" and "learning". Some parents believe that studying abroad not only allows children to visit exotic scenery, but also short-term experiences of famous overseas schools, killing two birds with one stone. However, there are also some overseas summer camps that wear the guise of "integrating education with travel", which often cost tens of thousands of yuan. However, in reality, they prioritize "travel" over "learning", making students and parents exclaim "uneconomical".
7-year-old children also travel to school
Aging is a new characteristic
The rise of parent-child family based study tours has contributed to the younger generation of study tours. Last July, a person from Beijing took her 7-year-old son to the Philippines. She said she would kill two birds with one stone by taking the child out to play and learn oral English.
The author learned from the New Oriental International Study Tour Consulting Office that the study abroad craze has given rise to a "study abroad craze", such as the main products of the European and American study abroad life experience series, where 70% of the routes were fully booked in early June. A few years ago, junior high school and high school students were the main force of study tours. Now their age has decreased, and the first and even elementary school students are gradually entering the market
The main destination for study tours should be English speaking countries. Taking a two-week study tour as an example, the highest cost is to go to countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with most spending around 30000 to 40000 yuan or even higher; The relatively inexpensive route is the Asian route, priced at around 10000 or 20000 yuan.
From the perspective of the purpose of studying abroad, statistics show that nearly 40% of the study abroad group last year were preparing for studying abroad, 30% of consumers wanted to experience overseas customs and traditions, and a considerable number of people only wanted to have a "say go" trip.
In the opinion of Professor Lin Shanshan from the Department of Tourism Management at Zhejiang University, students from high school or above and adults are most suitable for studying abroad. It is best for primary school students to participate in parent-child study tours or self guided tours with their parents.
Personal customized travel and learning
Choosing diversity is key
In the context of diversified needs, "personal customization" is becoming increasingly popular for study tours. Whether to choose customized products that are suitable for oneself is the key to the success or failure of study tours.
Chen Junxu, Deputy General Manager of Maggie Study Tour, stated that the current customized study tour route allows for the free combination of travel and study ratios according to needs, and the study tour cycle and location selection are also more flexible.
In the eyes of some parents, "studying abroad is a preparatory class for studying abroad". Parents hope that through studying abroad, their children can experience whether they are suitable for studying abroad and avoid blindly going abroad. Mr. A hopes to sow the seeds of studying abroad for his daughter, who is in her second year of junior high, through a study tour. Therefore, after discussing with the study tour institution and based on the child's actual English proficiency and needs, he has chosen a product that "attends classes in the morning and plays in the afternoon", and can choose some places to play independently. Having experienced different learning and living experiences in Australia, Wu Siyi is very happy.
However, the 6th grade students in Changsha were not so lucky. Her parents did not carefully compare the specific projects of the study tour and thought they were participating in a 2-week educational and entertainment tour of Canada. As a result, the children who joined the tour alone only changed places to play games. There is also Ma, a freshman student who originally wanted to study at various prestigious schools in the United States, but ultimately became a 'here to visit' for campus tours.
Regarding feedback on the varying effectiveness of the study tour, Jin XX, the head of XX International Study Tour Asia, believes that the rationality of the curriculum should be the primary concern. The focus of the study tour is on "learning", and students need to delve into one or two cities to learn more practical and practical courses in order to truly reap the benefits.
Consumers also need to keep their eyes open and focus on contracts. Chen Junxu stated that attention should be paid to the implementation of individual customization for study tours, both parties responsible, and cost settlement.
Lv, an associate professor at the Department of Tourism Management at Zhejiang University, told this newspaper that private education institutions and travel agencies are the main organizers of primary and secondary school students' study tours. The introduction of their study tour products should be standardized and specific, and should not mislead consumers.
Lv believes that a truly practical study tour can allow students to collide with different thinking concepts in a foreign country, promote their personality and enhance their cultural perception, and is a beneficial supplement to traditional education.