Page "Love Boat (study tour)" Paragraph 6

However, a by-product of the Study tour's increased popularity was increased competition by parents to register their children especially at large urban centers in New York and California.

In fact, there were often waiting lists to get on the program and for some parents getting their child on the program became a symbol of status and often pertinent or high-ranking connections facilitated the application process for their child.

Students who were interested in attending would often neglect to inform their parents about the Tour's Love Boat reputation for fear of not being allowed to go.

Conversely, some parents desiring their children to find a " suitable Chinese spouse " sent their unsuspecting children on the trip while telling them it was chiefly a Language Study tour.