A school excursion to Canberra is a rite of passage for many young Australians.
On average 160,000 students from around the country visit the capital each year, according to National Capital Educational Tourism Project (NCETP) leader Garry Watson.
"Most of the schools that visit this month will have booked well over 12 months ahead; sometimes we have bookings for three years ahead already," Mr Watson told ABC Radio Canberra's Adam Shirley.
Students visit many attractions including the Museum of Australian Democracy, Parliament House, the High Court and, of course, a highlight for many — Questacon.
Students travel from as far as north as Darwin and from remote parts of Western Australia and will stay on average for three days and visit between 12 and 14 different attractions.
"Seventy per cent of the kids come from rural and remote areas from across Australia," Mr Watson said.
It is also not uncommon for students to return to the capital long after their school camps.
One ABC Radio Canberra listener Tim said he fell in love with the place after visiting on a school camp more than a decade ago.
"I made up my mind then that I would go to university in Canberra," he said.
Well-known politicians, too, have had similar experiences.
"I often quote Joe Hockey, who told me he looked over the balcony at Old Parliament House on his school excursion and said, 'I'm going to be one of those'," Mr Watson recalled.
"John Howard also came down on a school excursion to Canberra and the War Memorial had a profound effect on him."
Quality of excursions rank better than in the US
Mr Watson said he took pride knowing the quality of school excursions to Canberra was superior to those offered to students in the United States.
"They admit that the quality of the offering that we offer here in Canberra is a far higher order than theirs," he said.
Mr Watson said he was told this by the head of education for the Smithsonian Institution — the world's largest museum — when visiting Washington DC.
"The difference is that our education facilities have highly qualified presenters and explainers that take them on that journey," he said.
"If it's in America, that group of kids will be led by their classroom teacher.
"If it's in Australia, in Canberra, that group of kids will be led by a highly trained, really engaging presenter, educator or facilitator who knows the subject matter intimately."
Mr Watson added that school excursions were worth around $140 million to the ACT each year.
