Edu-tourism: vacationing to learn.

When people think of vacationers, they conjure up visions of folks relaxing on the beach or visiting an amusement park with the family Others envision people testing their skills and abilities by participating in sports such as golf or tennis. Still others think of adventures climbing mountains, paddling canoes or white water rafting. There is, however a growing trend of vacationers trying something different. They travel l to learn and participate in an expanding type of tourism, sometimes c ailed edu-tourism.

Even Bill and Hillary Clinton lake time from their busy schedules to attend the annual Renaissance Weekend at Hilton Head, South Carolina, an educational retreat of sorts. Additionally, much conference travel is educational as attendees travel to share new ideas and learn about new trends. Conferences, such as the NRPA Congress, often offer extra educational institutes and experiences to visitors willing to spend an extra day or two in the area.

The most visible representative of this growing edu-tourism is the Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida. Scheduled to open in 1996, the Disney Institute will offer more than 80 hands-on learning programs that range from culinary arts, to topiary gardening, to rock climbing, to story telling. Disney's goal is to have each guest leave with more than just memories of pleasant experiences; guests should leave with new knowledge, skills and a sense of expanded horizons. Somewhat different from other Disney properties, the Institute targets older children and adults, who investigate future career opportunities or develop new sports skills. Through its Artists in Residence programs and Guest Speaker Forums, the resort also offers exposure to a variety of famous personalities including movie critic Roger Ebert and singer/songwriter Randy Newman.

Although Disney has the wide appeal to bring edu-tourism to a broader market, they were not the first to develop the idea. Some would argue that traveling to learn has been going on for centuries, citing tours to Egypt in Roman times and the "Grand Tour" of Europe during the Renaissance. Today, museum trips and interpretive programs at state and national parks also provide educational vacation experiences.

A number of resorts in America have been providing educational programs for years; one of the oldest is at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York. The resort hotel, located in upstate New York, opened in the 1870s and played an important role in the Chatuaqua Movement as it hosted numerous intellectuals and dignitaries of the time. To this day, there are no televisions in the rooms and one of its most popular features is the library. For the last 64 years the resort has created and offered a number of fun and educational programs. Helen Dorsey, of the sales department, claims with pride that the Mohonk Mountain House was offering chocolate-making classes before the Hotel Hershey and that Murder Mystery Weekends originated at their property. The resort prides itself on being a model of educational tourism that others must emulate.

The programs that Mohonk Mountain House currently offers fall into two categories. Some are general learning courses such as Jazz on the Mountain or Classic Film Weekends, while others are skills-based programs designed to develop or refine skills ranging from fly tying and decoy carving to gardening and birding. They also offer several Artist in Residence programs with a week of special access to outstanding teachers in fields such as Writing and illstrating Children's Books or Garden and Landscape Photography. One especially ingenious creation is the Tower of Babel weekend--a weekend of activities based on full language immersion--in cooperation with the local college.

Meg Croot, a nationally known resort activity consultant and president of Creative Recommendations, Inc., suggests that educational programming is a fast-growing area. She considers it a natural progression for resort activity departments as they move from the purely fun activities to activities with educational components. This is reflective of the changes seen in American society as the hedonistic days of the 1980s have given way to the more bare bones 1990s.

Croot, who developed programs for such well-known properties as the Breakers in Palm Beach, the Boca Raton Hotel and Club and the Walt Disney Dolphin Hotel, offers interesting perspectives on edu-tourism participants. She feels that while all ages show interest in these activities, families and active adult seniors are the most likely to actually participate. Programs are becoming more skills based as participants want to "take something home" at the end of their vacation. Croot feels that many of the active seniors want to return to a lost or forgotten hobby rather than develop a new sport or skill

Some of Croot's most successful programs offered at Boca Raton were part of "Simply Fun Seminars" with such titles as "How to entertain the grandchildren" or "Bargain shopping at the outlet mall." Programs that attracted the most national attention began at the Breakers Hotel in the 1980s. These programs--aimed at children of wealthy, society families--offered training in etiquette and financial affairs. The idea of 10 and 12 year olds listening to financial advisors and being briefed about Emily Post caught the attention of the media and was carried on national television.

Later, Croot discovered that the parents wanted to learn more about these subjects too, so additional courses were offered for them. These programs now include wine tasting, topiary, investing and self defense training.

Most of the resorts that pioneered modern edu-tourism are rather upscale and expensive. A visit to the Disney Institute starts at $729 for a minimum three-night stay. Visits to the Breakers, Boca Raton Hotel and Club and the Mohonk Mountain House are also expensive. Some programs at Boca Raton are "value priced" at $199 to $250 per weekend to attract middle and upper-middle class vacationers.

More moderately priced destinations are just beginning to introduce edu-tourism activities. Both Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena, Illinois and Sandestin Resort in Destin, Florida have dedicated staff to develop this new program area, which usually begins with nature-based programming (eco-tourism) and later moves into the hobby and skill areas. Rather than hiring full-time instructors, many properties contract with outside instructors and organizations. Essentially, the resort provides lodging, meals and the guests while the vendor provides special expertise and equipment.

Not all educational tourism takes place in resorts. For years, cruise lines scheduled theme cruises with special programs and guests ranging from famous authors and photographers to NFL cruises with professional football players on board.

Many travel agencies now specialize in group tours to educational destinations. Siesta Tours, Inc. (FL) provides guided tours to the historic interior of Mexico. Their clients are totally immersed in the history and culture of the region rather than just left sitting on the beach sipping margaritas. Agrotours (MD) specializes in developing international tours for farmers who wish to learn more about agronomy in other parts of the world. Their clients, 17 to 45-year-old farmers, travel to specific destinations in order to study special farming techniques. Manager Eija Gamage explains that Agrotour's programs are developed primarily to add to the knowledge base of their clients, but that some general sightseeing and cultural immersion is also added.

One of the most widely known educational travel organizations is Smithsonian Seminars and Tours, which is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Program Manager Amy Kotkin indicates that their market--drawn from Smithsonian Institution members--is growing rapidly. She says that their clients are experiential travelers who seek to increase their personal knowledge through travel. Rather than focusing on skill development at a particular destination, Smithsonian clients travel the globe to experience historic locations and activities. They may have lectures at the Roman Coliseum or tour American Civil War Battlefields with a prominent historian. The Smithsonian began offering programs in the early 1970s and now books over 350 separate tours each year.

The desire to learn while on vacation is not new, but is undergoing new discovery as a popular trend. As these types of programs and vacations become more popular, they will become less expensive and more accessible. Many resorts are developing special educational programs and packages while smaller properties are coordinating educational opportunities in their local areas. Even travel agencies are strong sources of information about educational travel destinations. Another interesting source of information is the World Wide Web. Armchair World (www.armchair.com)and Virtual World (www.vtourist.com/vt/) are examples of websites that provide information about educational adventures and tours. They also introduce some "virtual" destinations using computer simulations. Earthwatch (www.earthwatch.org/) offers both domestic and international field trips that permit participants to work and learn alongside scientists as they study a variety of natural phenomena such as wildlife tracking, archeological digs and monitoring marine mammals.