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The scientific expedition tour is not a simple sightseeing, but more emphasis on the scientific investigation objectives in the tourism process, which has higher requirements for the ability and cognition of tourists, and can also bring tourists knowledge, skills and even character and other aspects of improvement.
The Antarctic expedition travel program has recently become popular on the Internet. A list price of 1290,000 yuan, a 17-day Antarctic expedition, the start of the sale of seconds. Not only Antarctica, but also the Arctic, islands, craters, tropical rainforests, East African savannah, the Ancient Tea Horse Road, ......More and more people are going to distant places for the purpose of deeply understanding and appreciating the scientific beauty and humanistic stories behind the scenery.
In my opinion, scientific research tourism is actually a 'research tourism' that adults and minors of all ages can participate in, it is not a simple sightseeing, but more emphasis on the scientific research objectives in the tourism process, with the characteristics of exploration and participation. Wu Weijia, a master's tutor at the School of Culture, Tourism and Geography of Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, told the reporter of "Workers" that the threshold for scientific research tours is not as high as imagined.
Spend nearly 10,000 yuan to participate in the volcano scientific research project
"Expensive" is the primary reason why most tourists are shy away from scientific expeditions. Indeed, the hotly discussed polar expedition is basically more than 100,000 yuan. However, polar expedition is only a relatively special and professional product in scientific expeditions, and it cannot represent the whole story.
The reporter saw in the "China National Geographic Science Investigation"** that the price of the products being sold is 12,000 yuan at home and abroad, covering natural science expeditions, world heritage investigations, historical and geographical investigations and other directions.
On a large tourism platform, the average price of Kenyan animal migration scientific research products for about 10 days is 1About 30,000 yuan. If the standard investigation of the "extended version" and "upgraded version" of the study tour is carried out, the scientific research tour products on the market with astronomy, hydrology, karst caves, and rocket launches as the objects of investigation have a cost ranging from hundreds to thousands of yuan.
Gu Mengxin, a senior at the International High School of Longyou Huwai Chinese School in Rugao City, Jiangsu Province, participated in an Arshan volcano expedition this summer for 9,800 yuan. "Each section of the itinerary is accompanied by experts from different fields, and there are separate practical or theoretical sessions in the evening. ”
What surprised Xiao Gu even more was that among her teammates, there were those engaged in clinical medicine, water management, primary school students, and middle-aged people, and everyone talked about travel, geography, and life together, which benefited her a lot. This trip also strengthened her determination to apply for the geography major.
Wu Weijia believes that the scientific expedition tour should still be a relatively niche project in the short term, "after all, the product is much higher than ordinary sightseeing tourism, and many routes have higher requirements for physical and mental power, which actually has higher requirements for the financial resources, ability and cognition of tourism consumers." But she also said that such products can provide tourists with many aspects of knowledge, skills and even character.
Antarctica is also a distant place that can be reached
According to the International Association of Antarctic Tourism Operators (IAATO), China is the second largest source country for tourists landing in Antarctica. As early as the 2017-2018 Antarctic tourism season, the number of Chinese tourists reached 8,273, accounting for 16% of the world's Antarctic tourists, second only to the United States. In the 2022-2023 Antarctic tourism season, the number of Chinese tourists reached 1,464.
Li Zhuoran is one of the people who realized the "Antarctic dream". At the beginning of this year, she accidentally booked a trip to the three islands of Antarctica on the 40th day of the ship, and went on a 22-day scientific expedition. When talking about how the trip made her feel, the word she said the most was moving. "Because it is an international ship, most of the people on board are friends from all over the world, and you will find many '**** masters', including 14 polar trips, astrophysicists, and 83-year-old grandmothers with their nieces to fulfill the promise made 50 years ago ......In this process, I also realized that only by communicating and going out can I broaden my horizons and see more people's lives. ”
Li Zhuoran said that the Antarctic expedition is actually very safe, and the only "danger" she encountered was when she encountered an "angry" female seal during landing, and chased tourists for two kilometers until everyone boarded the boat. "Experienced explorers and scientists will be there to protect the tourists, so it's just a thrill. ”
In addition to enjoying the scenery, Li Zhuoran's harvest also came from various lectures on the ship. "From climate, geology, birds, fish, to human history, biosecurity lectures, now I can recognize eight species of penguins, seven species of whales, various species of sea lions and seals, as well as the stories of many explorers, the routes of the Antarctic territory, and various bays and island ......The knowledge gained will also be applied during landing expeditions or observing from the deck. ”
For those who are thirsty for knowledge, scientific expeditions are more cost-effective
Unlike general travel, scientific expeditions are usually led by experts in history, archaeology, geology, nature, flora and fauna, etc., with scientists and industry experts traveling, and the whole process is a very niche destination, with more immersive explanations and adventure-like experiences, which are quite cost-effective for travelers who care about experience and people who are eager for knowledge-based journeys.
Wu Weijia believes that for the target customer group, scientific tourism products may develop in three aspects: knowledge-based routes, post-80s and post-90s tourists have strong physical fitness and ability to resist pressure, and have strong cognitive ability for new things;Participatory routes, design and launch scientific research courses suitable for the corresponding age groups, so that parents and children can deeply participate in the travel process;The experiential route, aimed at the high-net-worth middle-aged market, is closer to the luxury type of tourism supporting facilities, and pursues personal meaning in the travel experience.
Although the threshold of funds, knowledge and skill reserves required for scientific expeditions is not as high as imagined, in many aspects, there are still many requirements and challenges. Most of the scientific research destinations are sparsely populated and relatively far away from the city, so it is difficult to get a timely response from the rescue team in the event of a security incident or extreme event, and tourists also bear the risks caused by diseases and crisis events during the activities.
At the same time, cross-border scientific research tours are a cross-regional behavior, and tourists must abide by local policies and regulations. More importantly, it is necessary to strictly abide by the relevant regulations of the organizers of scientific expeditions to avoid damaging the ecological environment and natural specimens that are concerned about scientific research and investigation.
As an emerging form of tourism, scientific research tours should not only consider supporting facilities and emergency plans, but also adjust the relevant laws and regulations and cooperation plans between countries in a timely manner. Wu Weijia said. (Reporter Su Mo).