Parents opt for overseas trips and 'education through entertainment'

[Photo: from VCG]

A growing number of families are sending children on study tours in foreign countries, as Zhao Xinying reports.

Since September, when her daughter enrolled in primary school, Amy Chang has been researching study tours overseas.

The Beijing resident had often considered sending the girl on a weeklong tour of foreign campuses, but had never taken any action, believing her daughter to be too young to deal with any problems she might encounter during a trip.

"She is now turning 7 and has been learning English for four years. I believe she could take care of herself and communicate with people effectively during a week overseas," Chang said.

A growing number of parents are thinking the same way. A report published recently by online travel agency Ctrip shows that at least 800,000 overseas study tours were booked for Chinese children during the summer vacation, a 70 percent rise from the same period last year.

Each tour cost an average of 25,000 yuan ($3,770) per person, and most were booked by middle-class families in large cities for pre-high school children, according to the report. About 13 percent were booked for children ages 3 to 6, while those ages 7 to 12 accounted for 31 percent.

While the United States and the United Kingdom have long dominated the list of popular destinations, countries in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia have been visited more frequently in recent years.

The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI.