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GUANGZHOU: Students in this booming South China city are showing less interest in the travel and study abroad programs arranged by travel agencies during summer vacation.

Local travel agencies, which used to see such programs as a growing part of their tour market, have found that a decreasing number of students are signing up.

The tours usually offer a two-week trip overseas, promising the opportunity to study the country's language.

"It used to be a hot tour market for students, who were in a foreign-travel frenzy. But so far this summer, we've only received applications from 15 students," said Qin Ying, a media staffer with Lucky Way Tour Co Ltd in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.

Qin attributed the decreasing interest to the "ever-rising tour fees".

"The price for such a foreign tour is too high and an increasing number of parents just cannot afford it," Qin said.

A two-week tour to foreign countries and regions usually costs around 25,000 yuan ($3,200), according to Qin.

Qin said that some local language training institutes also provide student tours.

"They have established stronger relationships with foreign schools, so travel agencies find it hard to compete," Qin said.

Local residents also blame travel agencies' "poor service" for the drop in interest in travel-study programs.

"They (travel agencies) promise a chance to live with foreign students. But actually it is only a short visit to some foreign schools. Chinese students cannot improve their foreign language skills in such a short visit," said Cui Yanxuan, a 40-year-old mother.

"It is more about traveling, not studying," Cui said.

However, GZL International Travel Service (CGZL), one of Guangzhou's leading travel agencies focusing on overseas tours, still considers the travel and study abroad program a big piece of the tour market.

According to one overseas travel department employee, surnamed Huang, the travel agency offers three study tours to England and one to Australia.

"The market for short overseas study programs is still huge. What matters most in such a program is that the travel agency provide real service for parents and students," Huang said.

(China Daily 07/25/2007 page5)