A trip to Europe instantly musters images of snow-capped hills, scenic train journeys and charming roadside cafes. That is for those travelling for leisure.
For the new crop of students, both at the school and college levels, it means an opportunity to learn more, that too as a part of their course. The humble ‘field trip’ is going global and ‘study tours’ are reaching exotic destinations.
Gone are the days when a trip abroad usually meant that eagerly awaited annual family holiday.
Today, educational institutions in the city — even those that are not exactly known to be ‘elite and expensive’ — are offering students the same opportunity within their curriculum. In fact, industry sources point out that Bengaluru accounts for nearly Rs. 10 crore a year for such trips in the last year-and-a-half.
“The numbers for domestic travel are much more compared with international. As we engage with more affluent schools and the income levels rise international tours are on the rise,” said Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings.
In the last one year, Thomas Cook India organised over 36 study tours to countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, France, Switzerland, Canada, Sri Lanka, the U.S., Vietnam, Cambodia, the Netherlands and China, said a spokesperson.
The destinations that institutions are choosing range from space camps to historical sites. A history tour with focus on the World War II, for example, would look at Munich, Prague and Vienna, covering the Dachau concentration camp and the Museum of Military History.
The Kennedy Space Centre, Euro Space Centre and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are top picks for space camps, while a ‘science tour’ would choose from Singapore (Singapore Science Centre, Marina Barrage) and Washington DC.
While the average duration of the trip could be anywhere from six days to 10, the approximate cost per person for international trips can range between Rs. 80,000 and Rs. 2 lakh, against the Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 30,000 range for domestic trips, depending on the destination and duration.
Key factors in choosing tours
Budget
Economic stability of the country
Industry interface and higher education prospects
Socially trending leisure and educational attractions
Global curriculum/ perspective/exposure/ cross boundary experience, exchange programmes
Mohan Manghnani, chairman, New Horizon Educational Institution
Engineering students are taken on a national study tour in their third year, and an international one in the fourth. We have been doing this for the past eight years or so. The percentage of students opting for the voluntary trips has increased from 10 to almost 30 in recent years. The world is a global village now. Even if they work in India, they need to know how the competition works.
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Rev. Dr. Daniel Fernandes, principal, St. Joseph’s College of Commerce
We have a lot of mutual exchange programmes. We are conscious that not all students can afford, which is why we look at ways to subsidise the trips for those who are interested but cannot afford to go. We started sending one batch, but now send about three or four. But we have not made it part of the curriculum, as that would make it mandatory.
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T.M. Nivya Venkatesh, third-year student of architecture, BMS College of Engineering, Basavanagudi
We were the second batch to go aboard. The last batch went to Sri Lanka, we went to Singapore. In a week, we learnt about how design can affect human behaviour, and about urban planning — how Singapore has reserved space for pedestrians and maintained greenery despite all the developments.
Destinations that schools and colleges choose range from space camps to historical sites
