By CHEN Zhenfang
New Oriental has been looking for alternative sources of revenue since the upheavals in the tutoring school business two years ago. After having minor success selling gourmet food online, the next stop was tourism with a high-end package tour to Europe.
The 14-day Renaissance tour takes travelers to Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan and Paris. The itinerary is aimed at those aged between 55 and 65 with a focus on history. At 48,000 yuan (US$7,000), it's about twice as much as comparable tours offered by travel agents.
In September, New Oriental led a 200-million-yuan funding round for the tourism platform HuangBaoChe. The two companies will work together in logistics and marketing.
New Oriental claims that all tours will be accompanied by an expert in the Renaissance, in addition to a concierge and a tour guide. The new tour operator has been hiring candidates with education experience across the country. During the tour, ten lectures on the art and history will also be live-streamed.
Lecturers are central to New Oriental’s brand. The company made its name in the 1990s with charismatic lecturers who aroused standing ovations with subjects as boring as the SAT or GMAT. Some of its lecturers turned into celebrity live-streamers for the gourmet food venture.
New Oriental has similar tours already up and running. The school has offered overseas summer programs for high schoolers for many years.
