Amid a constantly changing world with rapid advancement in information and technology, you strive to keep up your competitiveness. Apart from gaining experience through work and study, many people would equip themselves with various skills and widen their horizons in spare time in order to augment their knowledge, so they would not be out of touch with the world. In recent years, study tour becomes increasingly popular. The good

thing about it is there are many destinations to choose from and the journey can last from a few weeks to a few months. If people can take a break from work, manage to make time for study overseas or in China, definitely they can enjoy travel while studying and broadening their horizons.

China is undergoing rapid development. Many people from Hong Kong choose to join China study tours in recent years, so as to brush up their Mandarin and improve their ability to blend into China's market. Apart from study tours focusing on learning Mandarin, tours with curriculum related to business management and social culture of China are also available. The contents cover China's status quo, social culture, economic development, business law and financial management, etc. Among these, some programmes would even arrange for students to visit or work as interns in enterprises in the Mainland. This is a cherished experience for people at work. For accommodation, some programmes will arrange for students to stay in host family or dormitory at universities. This allows students to not only save a lot on accommodation, but also learn more the local living style.

As talents with international perspectives are popular in the job market, overseas study tour is a "hot pick". Staying overseas not only let students experience foreign cultures and broaden their horizon, but also provides a chance for students to immerse into a genuine foreign language environment. Students can learn and apply right away, and their language proficiency will be greatly enhanced. Study tours can also widen one's social circle. Students get the chance to meet people from different parts of the world, and get to know different cultures. Many students become more proactive and communicative after study tour.

Apart from short-term study tours, if you can make more time, you can consider participating in the "Working Holiday Scheme" which lasts for as long as 12 months.

Through the "Working Holiday Scheme", Hong Kong residents aged between 18 and 30, and holding a valid Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) or British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport, can choose to go to Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, Canada or Japan to work, experience life and culture while earning some money for traveling expenses. Youngsters can broaden their horizons and gain valuable experience for their future development.