For over 170,000 Australian students, visiting the nation’s capital is a rite of passage. From touring parliament house, to visiting the war memorial and of course going to Quest-a-con, this excursion provides an enriching learning experience. Educational tourism and the growing popularity of the trip has meant schools are booking up to 3 in advance with the excursion industry in Canberra boosting approximately $150 million to the local economy. However, with Covid and the cancellation of many of these trips, this figure has decreased significantly. So why is this excursion so popular and what happens if students can’t go? Joined us earlier was Dr. Naomi Dale, Program Director for the Bachelor of Business and the Bachelor of Event and Tourism Management at the University of Canberra.