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China News Service, July 19 (Zheng Yijia) In a high-tech factory, a huge mechanical arm like a "Transformer" accurately installs car doors on the car body. After one car is installed, the next one quickly follows. This scene attracted the children who stopped to watch and exclaimed: "It's so cool!"

The children were received by Li Bin, the founder of NIO. Recently, NIO organized a factory exploration summer camp, inviting a group of children to visit the NIO F2 factory in Hefei, Anhui, to learn about the automobile manufacturing process up close.

China News Service learned that NIO's factory visit activities are free for the children of car owners. However, as similar activities are favored by more and more parents, summer "factory study tours" have become a hot business.

Source: NIO

　　The study tour group of nearly 7,000 yuan is fully booked

In addition to NIO, there are many other "big companies" that have opened their doors to children.

China News Service learned from many study and research institutions that the "big factory study and research" products on the market are mostly launched by study and research institutions or travel agencies after being authorized by enterprises. The itineraries range from one day to multiple days, and the product prices vary, ranging from hundreds to thousands of yuan depending on the itinerary. Activities are usually arranged to be led by teachers according to the number of people, accompanied by professional personnel from the company.

"It is summer vacation now, and many children sign up for study tours, and generally the groups are formed. For example, the recent study tour to visit the Geely Automobile Factory on July 27 has a group of 40 people, and the next group of 25 people for five days and four nights on August 4 is only a few people short of forming a group." said a staff member of a Zhejiang study tour institution.

According to the staff, the tour group to visit the Geely Automobile Factory is one day long and costs 498 yuan per person, or 996 yuan for one adult and one child. Children aged 7 and above can participate alone. The five-day, four-night tour group covers Shanghai Jiaotong University, Zhejiang University, GAC Trumpchi Automobile Factory, etc. The fee is 4,580 yuan per person, excluding transportation. The youngest child is 6 years old. Currently, the group has been formed and four classes have been held.

Source: Screenshot of the Geely WeChat Official Account

In addition to local study tours, there are also many out-of-town groups heading to "big factories".

A staff member of a study and research institution allegedly founded by former employees of a large company told China Business Network that they are currently cooperating with several study and research institutions. They recently received a study and research group from Beijing to Hangzhou. The study and research trip to Alibaba was one of the parts of the group's itinerary. The price of the entire study and research product is more than 5,000 yuan, excluding major transportation.

In addition, some educational institutions also took the opportunity to catch the "big factory study" trend and launched related products. A staff member of an educational institution in Beijing said that his company has reached a long-term cooperation with Baidu and can organize children to go to Baidu Apollo Experience Center for study. The trip is one day, the price is 598 yuan per person for external students and 398 yuan per person for internal students. Two sessions have been held so far, with 50 students participating in each session.

Staff at the GAC Trumpchi (Hangzhou) Intelligent Manufacturing Tourism Demonstration Base also confirmed to China News Service that this summer's study tour boom is here. "We usually receive group visitors, with a minimum of 20 people in a group. We can now receive four or five groups a day, and the recent tour schedules are all booked up." However, he also reminded that if you come directly to the base to visit, the park will only charge a visit fee of 68 yuan, and parents can come in groups on their own. If you buy study products from travel agencies or study institutions, the prices are often relatively higher, "because they want to make a profit from the price difference."

Zhang Hua, founder of the platform Tuoyuquan, told China Business Network that the popular summer study themes were mostly humanities, history, sports, and military. "This summer, science and technology, artificial intelligence, and AIGC-themed study tours are popular among consumers, and the fees are not low, but they are basically fully booked." Among the science and technology study tour products listed by Zhang Hua, a study tour group that includes Baidu Apollo Park π Space User Experience Center, iFlytek and other "big companies" has a six-day and five-night itinerary and costs 6,850 yuan per person.

iFlytek told China Business Network that it has been carrying out research and study activities since 2022, and has received more than 50,000 visitors so far. The research and study activities are mainly divided into three sections, namely, visits to the artificial intelligence experience hall, artificial intelligence popular science lectures, and AI experience courses.

"Currently, iFLYTEK has cooperated with large and small travel agencies and study and research institutions, and has accumulated certain stable channels for conducting study and research activities. Our current purpose of conducting study and research tours is not for commercial profit. We hope that through the development of this activity, more children can get close contact with the current development of artificial intelligence and understand the latest technologies and applications in the industry." said a relevant person in charge of iFLYTEK.

An insider at Baidu told China Business Network that Baidu can indeed host various study tours, such as student teams or corporate teams, "and it is common to see them hanging banners, checking in and taking photos at the company," but the specific cooperation model is unclear.

Another person close to a large technology company said that every summer, they do receive many inquiries about visits and study tours for primary and secondary school students, but they are basically rejected directly. "Some leading technology companies have visitor centers, which are mainly used to receive customers on a daily basis, and are also open to employees' relatives and friends for visits on holidays and weekends. Internally, the company strictly prohibits employees from accepting paid visits privately."

Regarding the research and study content announced by some research and study institutions, the person said that unless these Internet and technology companies have their own communication and interaction programs specifically for young people, or their products are aimed at young people, they are generally unlikely to conduct regular research and study cooperation with external institutions at the corporate level, let alone charge for profits. "Some factory companies did develop tourist tour projects in the early years to allow tourists to visit and promote product sales. However, the visitor reception centers of most technology and Internet companies are more business-oriented, and there is not much content to visit and experience."

　　Research and study in large factories has become a trend, and parents are willing to pay for the experience

According to iMedia Research, the overall market for study tours in China will show an upward trend from 2018 to 2026, and the market size is expected to reach 242.2 billion yuan in 2026. Data shows that as of May 9, 1,000 study tour-related companies have been registered this year.

"Study tours at large factories are a trend this year. They are part of both industrial tourism and technology tourism. In the past, most people who visited these companies were adults, such as entrepreneurs, but now young people also have this demand, so it has become a trend that matches the national strategy. I think it may also be a growth point in the future." Zhong Hui, chairman of Shangyouhui Culture and Tourism, said, "For companies, launching study tours is more important than increasing revenue in terms of shouldering social responsibilities, external popularization, and corporate brand promotion."

In recent years, the attention paid to industrial tourism has been increasing. In the "14th Five-Year Plan for Tourism Development", it is clearly mentioned that industrial tourism based on industrial production sites, production processes and industrial heritage is encouraged, and a number of national industrial tourism demonstration bases are built. Some "large factories" are also listed in the local science and technology and industrial tourism demonstration bases. For example, Hefei, Anhui, has the Gree Electric Industrial Tourism Demonstration Base and the NIO Automobile (Technology) Anhui Co., Ltd. Industrial Tourism Demonstration Base.

In this context, "industry + research" has become a new hot spot. A Jiaxing resident who took his child to the Geely Automobile Factory said: "This is a place that every boy can't refuse." During the half-day tour, he and his child listened to the staff's lectures on automobile knowledge and visited the automated production line. "The child said he wanted to come again next time."

In Zhang Hua's view, the high-tech and unique factory landscapes of "Large Factory Study Tours" as well as the ability to broaden children's horizons and improve their cognition are the main reasons why these families are willing to pay for large factory study tours.

In addition, industry insiders also pointed out that the current "large-scale research and study" can further enhance the value of "learning". "When we contacted companies, we found that there are still only a few who can take children to conduct in-depth research and other experiential activities on a certain issue." Liu Jingping, chairman of Beijing Xin'an Research and Study Culture Co., Ltd., told China News Service, "If we want to improve, first of all, the research and study courses need to be designed by specialized education practitioners, and cannot be simply handed over to travel agencies or companies. Second, the courses need to be designed according to the laws of education. For example, it should be clear from the beginning that the starting point of the research and study course design should not be where the place is fun, but how to show the technological core of the company and transform it into a form that students can understand, so that they can actually learn and experience things."

(For more reporting clues, please contact the author Zheng Yijia: [email protected]) (China News Service APP)

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Editors: Chang Tao and Luo Kun