Suitcase or tour: New reward trend in education?

Hundreds of travel suitcases awarded to excellent students in Hoi An have attracted public attention. Is this change suggesting a new direction: education combined with tourism - a model with great potential that needs proper investment?

A beach tour of 10th grade students of a high school in Binh Duong province - Photo: CY

Nearly 200 suitcases were given to excellent 12th grade students at a high school in Hoi An ( Quang Nam ), demonstrating the teachers' desire to prepare them for university and adult life.

In response to the interest from parents and the public, the school also decided to award additional tour packages as rewards to students with outstanding achievements at the year-end ceremony.

Giving a suitcase or a tour: either gift is fine

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online on May 26, Ms. Nguyen Thi Trinh - a parent whose child studies at Nguyen Thuong Hien High School (Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) - shared her excitement when she learned about the story of excellent students in grade 12 being given travel suitcases at the year-end ceremony in Hoi An.

Ms. Trinh said that the school giving notebooks and textbooks has been a popular gift for many years. For families in difficult circumstances, this is a meaningful gift, but she said that the rewards should also be expanded, from the school budget and to mobilize more parents.

"For example, domestic tours; tours associated with historical destinations. Students both travel and experience like an extracurricular activity but increase their learning inspiration," Ms. Trinh expressed.

Meanwhile, Ms. Minh Ha, representative of the parents' association of a high school in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the reward gifts for students at the closing ceremony depend on the school's budget.

However, the school has good "socialization" resources, giving students with achievements nearby tours is also a new incentive idea.

Ms. Ha said: "For example, take a tour near Ho Chi Minh City, to destinations such as Vung Tau, Da Lat, Cu Chi tunnels or 1-2 day historical tours sold by reputable travel agencies. Other schools, depending on the destination near the school, can also choose short-term tours, reasonable prices, and high experience."

Sharing her excitement, Nguyen Thi Ha (a student at Gia Dinh High School, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) expressed that if she were given a travel suitcase or tour… during the year-end ceremony, she would enjoy it as a special memory, different from when her family sent her on a trip.

"For those who do not have the means but are good at studying, if they are given a tour, it will definitely be a very meaningful gift. Middle and high school students are suitable for a long-term tour gift, which is definitely different from a summer trip with their parents," Ha said.

Experiential tourism combined witheducation

In recent years, many travel agencies have begun to focus on developing 1-2 day educational tours.

This is a form of combining travel and study, giving students not only a relaxing experience but also the opportunity to expand their knowledge.

Such trips are not only for entertainment, but also contribute to arousing the joy of learning and exploring the world around.

"The locations we build have schedules of one to two days. Mainly at relics, parks, museums, educational farms, traditional craft villages...

As for 12th graders graduating from high school, there are product packages that are longer-term and have more destinations than historical routes and tours," said a sales staff of a travel company on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City).

In addition, according to travel agencies, currently, the units that build educational tourism products are very diverse. Specifically, such as study tourism, heritage education, volunteer education tourism, thematic research tourism, environmental and ecological tourism, etc.

Tour products are built to suit each age and need. Tourist seasons are divided into: spring and Lunar New Year, summer, autumn and winter.

According to a lecturer at the Faculty of Tourism at Van Hien University (HCMC), in order for the tourism model combined with experiential learning to develop systematically, there needs to be close coordination between the education and tourism sectors in designing and organizing experiential tours that incorporate learning elements.

At the same time, it is necessary to develop a project to plan destinations and educational tourism routes to enhance the attractiveness of the program and the quality of tourism products.

"The school considers giving suitcases and tours to students as open gifts, in line with modern educational trends. Parents also change their perception, considering study tours as an aspect of education. Through each trip and journey of experience, "tourists" can proactively absorb knowledge about history, culture, life skills, folk knowledge... From there, it can change the thinking and assessment of practical issues for students," this lecturer said.

According to the Education Tourism Market 2023 report, the sector is expected to reach approximately USD 365.9 billion by 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 13% from 2023 to 2030.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tang-vali-hay-tour-du-lich-xu-huong-khen-thuong-moi-trong-giao-duc-2025052611060591.htm