With the conclusion of mainland China’s middle and high school exams and the arrival of summer vacation, the number of student tourists has been gradually rising in recent days; meanwhile, many student faces have also appeared within the Shanghai Expo site.
According to statistics recently released by the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, among group tourists, ordinary groups accounted for 2.8256 million visitors, or 92.35%; primary and secondary school groups totaled 213,800 visitors, or 6.99%; and university student groups reached 20,100 visitors, or 0.66%. The tourism administration anticipates that the Expo is about to enter a peak period for student visitors, with university student groups showing the greatest potential for growth.
An analysis of the “China 2010 Shanghai Expo Visitors Survey” conducted by the Shanghai Survey Corps of China’s National Bureau of Statistics revealed that the majority of visitors—82.8%—were young and middle-aged adults aged 18 to 44; among them, students aged 18 to 24 accounted for 28.8%; those aged 65 and above made up 1.2%, and the remaining 16% were other age groups. This highlights the significant presence of student tourists.
Seizing this business opportunity, many provinces have rolled out summer student group travel discounts to capture the student market. Reports indicate that travel agencies in Yinchuan, Ningxia, have introduced a variety of distinctive tour routes tailored for students; Wuhan has also launched a summer student Expo tour package with a minimum price of 1,450 yuan (RMB). Travel agencies note that visiting the Shanghai Expo has almost become the top choice for travelers. In addition to student group tours, agencies are also offering various family group packages to attract visitors.
Reports suggest that most travel agencies are optimistic about the benefits the summer student influx will bring to Expo tourism. Some agencies report that since July, the proportion of family and student group departures has more than doubled compared to previously booked Expo group tourists, and the trend continues to rise. Other agencies anticipate that Expo tours will capture 60–70% of the domestic summer travel market share, with prices for summer Expo tours also rising accordingly. Prices for summer Expo tours vary depending on themes and itineraries, generally ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 yuan, while fees for students and children are considerably more affordable than those for adults. However, some travel agencies have no plans to introduce Expo tour packages specifically for students.
In addition, to attract student visitors during the summer, the Expo has not only organized Expo summer camps but also introduced discounted group visit measures for summer student groups, with student ticket prices lowered to a minimum of 50 yuan per person. On June 30, the Expo announced the launch of summer student group discounts and convenient group-organizing measures.