Educational Tourism

Educational Tourism

May 2010

For many in the world of education, the months of May and June represent the end of the academic year and the start of tourism’s high season. Thus, from the perspective of the tourism industry as the academic year wanes, new tourism educational opportunities begin to wax. Educational tourism is one of the fastest growing areas of the travel and tourism and one that is too often overlooked by tourism professionals and marketers is “educational tourism.” For example, many meetings and conventions have either an educational component to them or serve their members by being educational instruments. Often educational tourism is called by other names, such as career enhancement, job development or self-actualization experiences. Educational tourism then comes in a wide variety of formats, yet despite the differences all forms of educational tourism have a number of points in common. Among these are, the idea that travel is as much about self-improvement as it is about relaxation, that learning can be fun, and that learning is for people of all ages. Here are just some of the opportunities for your location to attract educational tourism income.

•School trips. It may pay your community to create reasons for school children to visit. While these trips rarely translate directly into overnight stays, they can help promote your tourism product in two ways: (1) children may bring their parents back for a longer visit and (2) they aid the local restaurant business.

•Alternative ‘spring break” travel experiences. This form of educational travel may be the most controversial form, so much so that some may argue that Spring Break travel has nothing to do with education. This form of travel only works if you have a geography that lends itself, be it snow covered mountains or beaches with palm trees. In either case consider the pros and cons of Spring Break tourism. Often Spring breakers add extra tourism costs in the form or police and sanitation overtime.

•Study abroad experiences. Most major universities around the world promote some form of foreign travel for their students. Study abroad experiences provide students with anything from 6-week intensive study sessions to a full year of cultural and linguistic immersion. US universities that have long seen themselves as student-exporters have now come to realize that non-English speaking students seek US study abroad adventures too. Students often travel not only within their destination country of choice but throughout that county and even to neighboring lands. The goal here is to widen the educational experience so that university students do not only know their own culture but also that of at least one other nation.

•Seminar Vacations and Senior seminars. These types of travel experience especially appeal to those who have recently retired. Programs such as elder hostel provide senior citizens with everything from a chance to learn about the arts to physics lectures or astronomy. They are conducted at camps and on campuses around the world. Closely related to seminar vacations are “hands-on enhanced experience” vacations. For example, each year thousands of people travel to Israel to learn something about an archeological dig and then pay to participate on such a dig.

•Skill enhancement vacations. These are trips that range from learning how to build houses to how to protect the ecology. Nations such as Costa Rica have been extremely successful with eco-tourism in which they combine lessons on how to protect the world’s ecology with the travel experience.

•Educational cruises. These cruises combine all of the fun of a cruise with lectures on specific subjects. Educational cruises have the advantage that people who take them tend to have a common interest and therefore have a greater possibility of making new friends while acquiring new knowledge.

 

Educational tourism offers another major advantage. It does not need to be weather dependent, a community does not need special geography and usually most of the needed infrastructure is already in place In order to take advantage of these educational tourism products consider

•Develop a tourism educational inventory. Work with local schools and universities to know what is of educational interest to visitors. While historical sites are an important part of educational tourism, do not neglect other aspects. For example, can you incorporate a local science lab into your list of educational offerings? Is there a way to work with a local school in order to teach an athletic skill? For example, Portugal’s Pierre de Coubertin Soccer Academy, located just outside of Oporto will teach individual how to incorporate the art of soccer into a person’s business life. While there adult students can learn soccer, get in shape, sample Portuguese wine, and visit Portugal’s grape and wine country. These skill enhancement trips are a great way for working people to de-stress while learning a new skill or perfecting an older one.

•Find local people who would be willing to teach others a skill or impart some form of knowledge. These people become local attractions and the tourism industry can help them to earn extra money at the same time.

•Make sure that conference planners know that you can offer local educational experiences as a way to enhance their conference. Offer local experiences to conferences and seminars that add both professional knowledge and personal growth. Indicate that you are willing to include family members who may also be attending the conference.

•Be careful of who works in educational tourism. Often tour guides and other educational tourism staff members forget that educational tourism is based around people on vacation. These people do not want to be treated as children. Never forget that they are paying guests.

•Establish regional tourism study groups. One of the best ways to promote educational tourism is to be involved in it yourself. Pick a topic for the year and help hotels and other tourism establishments know that visitors are welcome to come for one or more sessions.

 

Educational tourism then comes in a great variety of formats, places seeking to enhance their educational tourism product however have to first consider who their market is and what they have to teach others that is special or unique. Educational tourism is a way to use better our facilities

Taking important lessons within the confines of a classroom is the first and foremost way of augmenting knowledge and it is altogether certain that knowledge can be gained by reading books, talking to people and also by opting for other means of communication. However, in the present times, apart from these popular methods of acquiring knowledge, traveling to foreign locations and enrolling in short term courses in those countries is getting popular as an effective method of gaining knowledge in a specific subject/field. What is interesting is that while visiting a foreign country on an educational trip, the visitor also gets to know the culture and history of its people, the tidbits on people’s lifestyle and architecture.

 

This is exactly the educational tourism phenomenon that is attaining universal popularity and jumping on the bandwagon, people from far-flung corners of the world are especially considering India as an important destination for their educational tours. These tours are especially focused on having a share of the educational experiences available in the country and also to enhance knowledge on the rich Indian history and culture.

 

The various aspects of educational tourism include an educational program in which the participants chose to travel to a region or country in specific groups with the aim of learning something from the visited region. In specific terms, educational tourism is all about visiting and then staying in a foreign country for more than 24 hours and not more than one year in a row for the purpose of availing short term language classes, education in school / universities, vocational and other specialized courses.

 

 

Apart from being a mystic beauty India is also known for its strong educational system which offers broad range of educational scopes here. The striking fact associated with the ever-increasing popularity of educational tourism in India is that short term courses are available in Indian universities and other educational institutions at a very nominal fee compared to other universities and this is hugely attracting foreigners to partake in the Indian educational system. One of the premier Indian universities, the Delhi University offers cheap courses lasting for a period of around 4 months in subject areas such as Introduction to Sanskrit Language, Indian Economy After Independence, Indian Music, Indian Philosophy and Culture et al and various other related topics. Foreigners are hugely attracted by the cost-effectiveness of these courses and as these courses throw light on different aspects of Indian culture and history, the tourists studying them are introduced to the variegated facets of Indian cultural experience in an effective manner.

 

However, likewise to the University of Delhi, the University Of Madras also offers short term training/ courses on subjects such as Folk Music of India, Folk Dances of India, Indian Music and Bharatanatyam, Women and Environment in India, Travel Medicine et al.

 

The educational tourism sector is also mushrooming in the Indian subcontinent due to the use of highly standardized English in various educational institutions across the country, cost-effectiveness of courses available here and a higher degree of academic standards. a Moreover, a range of study tours and student exchange programs are also facilitated by Indian universities welcoming students from different parts of the world, this too has led to a tremendous growth in the educational tourism industry in India.

 

Most importantly, comprehensive educational tourism packages are offered by the Indian universities which are prepared in a way that it is possible for the tourist to gain a firm hold on the specific subject matter. Further, as the people visiting India in search of wholesome learning experience gain ample scope to educate themselves on the history and culture of the country, wildlife and ecology, flora and fauna of the nation in addition to gaining expertise in their own course material, the number of visitors looking for educational opportunities in India has increased tremendously making India the nerve center of global educational tourism.

 

Visitors opting for Educational Tourism in India are entitled to the following services:

•Internationally approved courses at top-rated Indian universities/colleges/other educational institutions.

•Comprehensive educational packages at cheap rates

•Standardized fooding and lodging facility for all foreign students

•Flights and visa arrangement at the earliest.

•Special security cover is available for girl students at all universities and colleges.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Educational Tourism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Educational Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four (24) hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited". Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. In 2007, there were over 903 million international tourist arrivals, with a growth of 6.6% as compared to 2006. International tourist receipts were USD 856 billion in 2007.

 

Despite the recent global recession, international tourist arrivals during the first four months of 2008 followed a similar growth trend than the same period in 2007.However, as a result of the economic crisis of 2008, international travel demand suffered a strong slowdown beginning in June 2008, with growth in international tourism arrivals worldwide falling to 2% during the boreal summer months, while growth from January to April 2008 had reached an average 5.7% compared to its 2007 level. Growth from 2006 to 2007 was only 3.7%, as total international tourism arrivals from January to August were 641 million tourists, up from 618 million in the same period in 2007.

Tourism is vital for many countries, such as the U.A.E, Egypt, Greece and Thailand, and many island nations, such as The Bahamas, Fiji, Maldives and the Seychelles, due to the large intake of money for businesses with their goods and services and the opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism. These service industries include transportation services, such as airlines, cruise ships and taxis, hospitality services, such as accommodations, including hotels and resorts, and entertainment venues, such as amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls, various music venues and the theatre.

Hunziker and Krapf, in 1941, defined tourism as people who travel "the sum of the phenomena and relationships arising from the travel and stay of non-residents, insofar as they do not lead to permanent residence and are not connected with any earning activity." In 1976, the Tourism Society of England's definition was: "Tourism is the temporary, short-term movement of people to destination outside the places where they normally live and work and their activities during the stay at each destination. It includes movements for all purposes." In 1981, the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism defined tourism in terms of particular activities selected by choice and undertaken outside the home.

The United Nations classified three forms of tourism in 1994, in its "Recommendations on Tourism Statistics: Domestic tourism", which involves residents of the given country traveling only within this country; Inbound tourism, involving non-residents traveling in the given country; and Outbound tourism, involving residents traveling in another country. The UN also derived different categories of tourism by combining the three basic forms of tourism: Internal tourism, which comprises domestic tourism and inbound tourism; National tourism, which comprises domestic tourism and outbound tourism; and International tourism, which consists of inbound tourism and outbound tourism. Intrabound tourism is a term coined by the Korea Tourism Organization and widely accepted in Korea. Intrabound tourism differs from domestic tourism in that the former encompasses policymaking and implementation of national tourism policies.

Recently, the tourism industry has shifted from the promotion of inbound tourism to the promotion of intrabound tourism, because many countries are experiencing tough competition for inbound tourists. Some national policymakers have shifted their priority to the promotion of intrabound tourism to contribute to the local economy. Examples of such campaigns include: "See America" in Singapore" in Singapore; "100% Pure New Zealand" in New Zealand; "Amazing Thailand" in Thailand; "Incredible India" in India; and "The Hidden Charm" in Vietnam.

 

World tourism statistics and rankings

 

Most visited countries

 

The World Tourism Organization reports the following ten countries as the most visited in 2007 by number of international travelers. When compared to 2006, Ukraine entered the top ten list, surpassing Russia, Austria and Mexico. Most of the top visited countries continue to be on the European continent.

 

Rank Country UNWTO

 

Regional

 

Market International

 

tourist

 

arrivals

 

(2007) International

 

tourist

 

arrivals

 

(2006)

 

1 France Europe 81.9 million 79.1 million

 

2 Spain Europe 59.2 million 58.5 million

 

3 United States North America 56.0 million 51.1 million

 

4 China Asia 54.7 million 49.6 million

 

5 Italy Europe 43.7 million 41.1 million

 

6 United Kingdom Europe 30.7 million 30.7 million

 

7 Germany Europe 24.4 million 23.6 million

 

8 Ukraine Europe 23.1 million 18.9 million

 

9 Turkey Europe 22.2 million 18.9 million

 

10 Mexico North America 21.4 million 21.4 million

 

International tourism receipts

 

International tourist receipts were USD 96.7 billion in 2007, up from USD 85.7 billion in 2006. When the export value of international passenger travel receipts is accounted for, total receipts in 2007 reached a record of USD 1.02 trillion or 3 billion a day.The World Tourism Organization reports the following countries as the top ten tourism earners for the year 2007. It is noticeable that most of them are on the European continent, but the United States continues to be the top earner.

 

Rank Country UNWTO

 

Regional

 

Market International

 

Tourism

 

Receipts

 

(2007) International

 

Tourism

 

Receipts

 

(2006)

 

1 United States North America $96.7 billion $85.7 billion

 

2 Spain Europe $57.8 billion $51.1 billion

 

3 France Europe $54.2 billion $46.3 billion

 

4 Italy Europe $42.7 billion $38.1 billion

 

5 China Asia $41.9 billion $33,9 billion

 

6 United Kingdom Europe $37.6 billion $33.7 billion

 

7 Germany Europe $36.0 billion $32.8 billion

 

8 Australia Oceania $22.2 billion $17.8 billion

 

9 Austria Europe $18.9 billion $16.6 billion

 

10 Turkey Europe $18.5 billion $16.9 billion

 

International tourism top spenders

 

The World Tourism Organization reports the following countries as the top ten biggest spenders on international tourism for the year 2007. For the fifth year in a row, German tourists continue as the top spenders. A study by Dresdner Bank forecasts that for 2008, Germans and Europeans, in general, will continue to be the top spenders, because of the strength of the Euro against the United States dollar, with strong demand for the U.S. in favor of other destinations.

 

Rank Country UNWTO

 

Regional

 

Market International

 

Tourism

 

Expenditures

 

(2007) International

 

Tourism

 

Expenditures

 

(2006)

 

1 Germany Europe $82.9 billion $73.9 billion

 

2 United States North America $76.2 billion $72.1 billion

 

3 United Kingdom Europe $72.3 billion $63.1 billion

 

4 France Europe $36.7 billion $31.2 billion

 

5 China Asia $29.8 billion $24.3 billion

 

6 Italy Europe $27.3 billion $23.1 billion

 

7 Japan Asia $26.5 billion $26.9 billion

 

8 Canada North America $24.8 billion $20.5 billion

 

9 Russia Europe $22.3 billion $18.2 billion

 

10 South Korea Asia $20.9 billion $18.9 billion

 

Most visited attractions

 

Forbes Traveller released a ranking of the world's 50 most visited tourist attractions in 2007, including both international and domestic tourists.The following are the Top 10 attractions, followed by some other famous sites included within the list of the 50 most visited: It is noticeable that six out of the top ten are in North America.

 

 

Educational tourism

 

Educational tourism developed, because of the growing popularity of teaching and learning of knowledge and the enhancing of technical competency outside of the classroom environment. In educational tourism, the main focus of the tour or leisure activity includes visiting another country to learn about the culture, such as in Student Exchange Programs and Study Tours, or to work and apply skills learned inside the classroom in a different environment, such as in the International Practicum Training Program.