Leveraging Distinctive Program Advantages to Explore Differentiated Pathways for Study Tours——A Case of the International Cruise Program Study-Tour Base at Guangxi International Business Vocational College

Study-tour (research-travel) education in China is shifting from a question of “availability” to one of “quality.” Homogenized curricula and an overemphasis on sightseeing at the expense of education have become widespread pain points. Entering the market with authentic vocational scenarios, training bases at higher vocational colleges enjoy irreplaceable resource advantages, yet they also risk being reduced to low-priced, “check-in style” visiting products. Taking the study-tour base of the International Cruise Program at Guangxi International Business Vocational College as a case, this paper draws on eight batches of activities conducted since 2025 and distills differentiated pathways from three dimensions: preliminary market research, curriculum design, and publicity. Market research targets teachers, students, and parents to collect market demand and pain points; curriculum design adopts a four-module approach to transform sightseeing into job-based practice; publicity leverages the traditional teaching strengths of the college to provide public-welfare social services, which are then converted into revenue-generating study-tour teaching. By drawing on the professional and training-base advantages of higher education, the differentiated model of “vocational enlightenment experience” in study tours is fully realized.