(Originally published in TOURISM)
A survey of US travellers taken last year by the Travel Industry Association found that 56% said they were interested in taking an educational trip and 22% said they were more interested now compared with five years ago, according to a report by David Wilkening (TravelMole February 22, 2007). Universities and museums have organized learning-oriented trips in the past, but the trend has been booming in recent years and is now becoming part of the mainstream business of the travel industry. An article in USA Today reports that, for universities, alumni travel programs offer another method of fundraising and "a means of tightening bonds with their alumni and encouraging future donations".
For travel companies, extra features like lectures from scholars help sign up customers for group travel, especially sophisticated baby boomers and people who have ever more options for booking discounted flights and hotels online.
A survey of US travellers taken last year by the Travel Industry Association found that 56% said they were interested in taking an educational trip and 22% said they were more interested now compared with five years ago, according to a report by David Wilkening (TravelMole February 22, 2007). Universities and museums have organized learning-oriented trips in the past, but the trend has been booming in recent years and is now becoming part of the mainstream business of the travel industry. An article in USA Today reports that, for universities, alumni travel programs offer another method of fundraising and "a means of tightening bonds with their alumni and encouraging future donations".
For travel companies, extra features like lectures from scholars help sign up customers for group travel, especially sophisticated baby boomers and people who have ever more options for booking discounted flights and hotels online.
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