Study tours cost parents 8,641 yuan (US$1,207) per student this summer, 4.3 percent less than last year as parental sentiment grows tepid toward elaborate overseas summer education, according to “The 2019 Summer Study Tour Bill.”

This year, many parents have chosen domestic camps that generally last for seven days and cost around 5,000 yuan, a more acceptable price for most families.

When it comes to study tours, parents now value content more than before, said Chen Linan, director of the public affairs department of Ctrip.

Popular products are those with innovative routes that include stops such as natural museum tours and British cultural tours that offer a chance for students to live at local teachers’ homes.

However, parents complain that some tours neglect a study component.

Yang Yijian, chief lawyer of Beijing M&P Law Firm, suggests that standards should be set up to regulate pricing, product design and after-sale services in the study tour market.

The Ministry of Education stipulates that study should comprise at least half of the tour itinerary, and a tour should last no longer than three weeks for primary school students and six for middle and high school students.

(Lin Lin)