The activity that caught the attention of Winnie Loke Wai-wah and her teenaged son Loke Yue-heng in 2003 was a debate camp run by the National Forensic Consortium at UC Berkeley. Both had searched the Internet to find a course on public-speaking, an area that Yue-heng, then 15, had always been interested in. The two-week programme was being held at a suitable time and looked rigorous enough for Ms Loke to feel her son would be learning as well as having a new experience.

'Hong Kong parents like to choose academic camps in the US that give test preparation,' Ms Loke said. 'But I think it's important to give kids a break. The public-speaking course was a good compromise. It was not messing about, but provided some fresh air.'

The debating programme certainly was no 'leisure' camp for the former St Joseph's College student who had transferred to boarding school in Pennsylvania in 2002. 'It was very hard work, requiring days spent in the library doing research before presenting the information,' Ms Loke said. 'Some participants were aiming at the National League. It was an eye-opening experience for him.'

Choosing from the Internet may take some courage, as Ms Loke admits, but more information on camps is available at the Hong Kong branch of the non-profit International Institute of Education (IIE) in Sheung Wan. The institute, an independent organisation first established in 1919, promotes educational ties and exchange between the US and other countries.

The Hong Kong branch provides information for those interested in secondary school and higher education in the US and has a library with directories on summer programmes, and staff to answer questions and give advice on visa procedures.

Sharon Lee Wai-sheung, IIE education adviser, said that they generally had inquiries from two main groups of parents in relation to summer camps: those from international schools looking to send older secondary school students to the US for pre-college experiences and looking for courses that might be useful for students' future; and parents with younger secondary school children at local schools, seeking more cultural programmes that exposed youngsters to the US way of life, ahead of sending them to the country for further study and before they get immersed in preparation for the HKCEE.

Despite the range of options, though, it appears that the US is not as sought after among summer school students in Hong Kong as other English-speaking destinations. EF Education and the Hong Kong Study Tours Centre take groups overseas to many different locations and both said that considerably fewer choose the US than other English-speaking countries.

Florence Chow Ching-yee, assistant programme manager of the language travel programme at EF Education, said that for their language and activity tours, the ratio of those going to the US compared with the UK or Australia is about one in five. Her tour groups to the US involve students aged between 12 and 18 years, and usually include home stays.

The last time the Hong Kong Study Tours Centre ran a US tour in 2002, just one group of 15 students went there out of around 1,500 booked on overseas summer tours, according to Fifi Tang Fei-fei, deputy executive director. The company is offering another US tour this year.

Cost is not necessarily a factor, according to operators. But the extra effort students and their families need to make to obtain a US visa is. This requires not only the correct documents but also attendance in person at the consulate.

For those looking to go to the US independently, timing of the school year can also play a part, according to Ms Lee of IIE. While many US schools finish in June, Hong Kong students finish in July. This restricts the US camps they can attend. 'Every day in school is very important to parents here,' she said. 'They won't say 'OK, you needn't go to school for a week.''

And while the United States may be the land of opportunity, it seems the country is too much the land of the free for some Hong Kong families. 'Parents may think the UK is more traditional and the US is too wild,' Ms Chow said.

In Ms Loke's case, the debate camp proved an inspiring choice, with Yue-heng signing up for the Model UN at his school in the autumn term following his experience. However, Ms Loke pointed out that such a course may not suit all parents as there was no close supervision after the day's debates.

'There were activities during the day and free time in the evening, as some students were commuters,' she said. 'As Hong Kong students are usually more protected, it may be better for parents to sign them up in camps where all the students are boarders so it will be easier for them to adjust.'

This was echoed by Ms Lee, who said boarding school programmes in the US were often the preferred choice. 'Discipline is important to Hong Kong parents and perhaps movies give the idea that in the US you can do whatever you like. Parents are scared they will learn to be too free.' Location was another factor, with parents looking for a programme in a state where they had relatives or friends.

Given the number of options available, Ms Loke suggested families thinking of a US summer programme could narrow down their choice by determining initially what they wished their child to gain from the experience. 'Parents should decide their focus first, whether they want their children to get ready for TOEFL or SAT, to gain more cultural exposure, to have a good time, or a combination of all three,' she said.

Meanwhile, feedback from those who do go on US summer tours shows it to be a rewarding destination. 'Many really enjoy the US lifestyle and when they come back say they would like to go there for further study. They find people very friendly and the food portions big enough,' Ms Chow said. 'Some host families even have swimming pools. This is really difficult to find in the UK.'