With Spring Festival approaching, the Chinese media are full of ads for "study-travel" trips organized by travel agencies to countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Student-travelers, who have acquired the nickname "piggies," spend about 10,000 yuan (US$1,207) each on trips that take anywhere from 10 days to over one month. Arrangements for students usually include living with local families, studying languages, attending other classes and visiting scenic spots
But some 140 students from Beijing and Dalian who have paid for study-travel in Australia over Spring Festival will be in for a shock if what a local travel agent in Australia described to us is true: She visited a school that has registered the students to find it consists of one room with walls made of sheet-iron.
"The school has only four classrooms. How they can arrange for the 140 'piggies,' we wondered. And yet, even now the salesmen are in China promoting,” she said.
This confirmed concerns that were expressed to us in letters from parents that said some "study-travel" trips are unworthy of the name.
Since last summer study-travel has become a booming business in China. Travel agencies, schools and websites are competing to promote study-travel in efforts they call "selling piggies." Beijing’s three largest travel agencies (China International Travel Services, China Youth Travel Services, China Travel Services) have organized over 2,000 students for "study travels."
Other competitors are trying to get a piece of the "piggies" pie. Some overseas agencies and schools don't go through travel agencies but organize travels by directly contacting foreign schools. However, many of these so-called study- travel arrangements -- made by people who lack both experience and qualifications -- cannot assure quality.
On the other hand, that some travel agencies are sacrificing principles to attract clients was confirmed by our reporters who tried to telephone travel agencies as teachers. We were told by staff members that study-travel can arranged to depart at any time if the school has organized enough students. The destination, itinerary, reception and curriculum is to all be mapped out by the school, teachers go free of charge as group supervisors while the students foot the entire bill.
Some people say this is unfair, complaining that schools are not taking into account the students’ best interests.
Liu Deqian, a professor in the Tourism College of Beijing Union University, thinks that all-in-all the study-travel phenomenon in China is "a good thing," commenting that other foreign countries like Japan also include study-travel in their curricula. But, he added, organizers must be careful not to reduce quality and hurt consumers by arranging study-travels in ways that are not legitimate.
( 北京青年报 [Beijing Youth Daily] January 12, 2002, translated for china.org.cn by Unisumoon)
