Parents snap up summer study trips(2)

However, Zhang cautions that it has to be voluntary on the students' part and parents should choose products based on their children's interests and the family's financial circumstances.

"In fact, study-tour prices are not necessarily all steep, and it is also not a case of the more expensive, the better the tour," Zhang said.

Many travel products that cost just a few hundred yuan can be very educational and well within the reach of ordinary families, she added.

One of Ctrip's most popular museum tours in Shanghai costs just 168 yuan for a child, and is led by a scholar from Shanghai-based Fudan University's School of Life Science.

The tour is open to children older than the age of five during weekends and exposes them to fossils and specimens.

Ctrip has developed 12 themed study tours, such as scientific exploration, outdoor survival and sports, to meet the growing needs of the market.

Each product has been divided to suit different age groups and learning goals, so customers can more easily choose the one that best suits their needs, Zhang explained.

For the fast-approaching summer, a series of tours covering both Eastern and Western civilizations in such destinations as Henan Province's Luoyang and Shaanxi Province's capital, Xi'an, have been developed for children to better understand the Silk Road.

For those who want to trek further afield, a 12-day trip to Greece is available for students to savor local history.

Scholars specializing in Greek studies, archaeologists and artists offer professional guidance.

To ensure that they get the most out of the study tours, students are asked to do relevant reading before the trip and then write a paper or deliver a photography project afterward to demonstrate what they have learned, according to Zhang.

Immersion classes, such as studying ancient Greek opera or replicating a pottery antique, can also be arranged.

"The idea is to ensure that children actually learn something," Zhang said.