Mapping Educational Tourists' Experience in the UK: understanding international students

Abstract

Provision of higher education for international students has become an important source of income for Western universities and these students have attracted research attention. Based on an evaluation of international students as tourists, by conceptualising the international student experience in relation to different tourist experiences theorised in the existing tourism literature, this paper considers the experience of international students from developing countries at one British higher education institution. It reports the results gained from an empirical survey. The research indicates a high level of student satisfaction, although there is still much scope for improvement of particular facets; for example, language concerns and the mixing of UK-domiciled students with those from overseas. The conclusion focuses on the potential and implications for British universities to use the research results to highlight positive experiences and encourage good practice, and also provides some suggestions to international students on how to study and live in the UK.

Notes

1 D Leonard & L Morley, ‘Preface’, in ukcosa, The Experiences of International Students in UK Higher Education: A Review of Unpublished Research, 2003, at http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/about/pubs_research.php, accessed 17 December 2007.

2 E Okorocha, ‘Some cultural and communications issues in working with international students’, Journal of International Education, 7 (2), 1997, pp 31–38.

3 T Mazzarol, ‘Critical success factors for international education marketing’, International Journal of Educational Management, 12 (4), 1998, pp 163–175; T Mazzarol & GN Soutar, ‘Sustainable competitive advantage for educational institutions: a suggested model’, International Journal of Educational Management, 13 (6), 1999, pp 287–300; and Mazzarol & Soutar, ‘”Push–pull” factors influencing international student destination choice’, International Journal of Educational Management, 16 (2), 2002, pp 82–90.

4 bbc, ‘Advertising for overseas students’, at www.bbc.co.uk, accessed 26 January 2000.

5 bbc, ‘Overseas students’ plans unveiled’, at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4917642.stm, accessed 16 December 2007.

6 The Higher Education Statistics Agency (hesa), ‘International students in UK higher education (he) in 2006’, at http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/about/statistics_he.php, accessed 16 December 2007.

7 bbc, ‘UK learning exports “worth £28bn”’, at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6999661.stm, accessed 16 December 2007.

8 Ibid.

9 LA Cai, J O'Leary & C Boger, ‘Chinese travellers to the United States—an emerging market’, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 6 (2), 2000, pp 131–144.

10 Changping Luo, ‘Studying abroad is a channel for capital loss in China’, China Business Herald, 20 November 2003, at www.cb-h.com/shshshow.asp?n_id=2667, accessed 16 December 2007.

11 S Bird & G Owen, ‘Class divides Chinese who profit in Britain’, The Times, 13 February 2004, p 12.

12 hesa, ‘International students in UK higher education’.

13 Leonard & Morley, The Experiences of International Students in UK Higher Education.

14 Okorocha, ‘Some cultural and communication issues in working with international students’.

15 E Cohen, ‘Who is a tourist? A conceptual clarification’, Social Research, 39 (1), 1974, pp 164–182; and R Sharpley, Tourism, Tourists and Society, Huntingdon: elm Publications, 2003.

16 Cohen, ‘Who is a tourist?’.

17 E Cohen, ‘A phenomenology of tourist experiences’, Sociology, 13, 1979, pp 179–201.

18 hesa, ‘International students in UK higher education’.

19 M Jay, Downcast Eyes, Berkely, CA: University of California Press, 1993.

20 C Crawshaw & J Urry, ‘Tourism and the photographic eye’, in C Rojek & J Urry (eds), Touring Cultures, London: Routledge, 1997, pp 238–256; and P Macnaghten & J Urry, Contested Nature, London: Sage, 1998.

21 D MacCannell, The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class, New York: Schocken Books, 1976, p 3.

22 J Urry, The Tourist Gaze, London: Sage, 1990.

23 Ibid.

24 K Meethan, Tourism in Global Society: Place, Culture, Consumption, Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2001.

25 On this subject, see CM Hall & B Weiler (eds), Special Interest Tourism, London: Belhaven, 1992.

26 Mazzarol & Soutar, ‘Sustainable competitive advantage’.

27 MacCannell, The Tourist.

28 S Lash & J Urry, Economics of Signs and Space, London: Sage, 1994.

29 N Feifer, Going Places, London: Macmillan, 1985; and J Urry, ‘The consumption of “tourism”’, Sociology, 24, 1990, pp 23–25.

30 Feifer, Going Places.

31 Meethan, Tourism in Global Society; and Urry, The Tourist Gaze.

32 P Walker, ‘Market research: a poor substitute for a scholarly investigation into international education issues in Britain’, Journal of International Education, 10 (1), 1999, pp 6–13.

33 A Bohm, D Davis, D Meares & P Pearce, ‘Global student mobility 2025: forecasts of the global demand for international higher education’, Media Briefing, idp Education Australia, 2002; and D Greenaway & J Tuck, ‘Economic impact of internationals in UK higher education: a report for the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals [cvcp]’, London: cvcp, 1995.

34 ukcosa, Benchmarking the Provision of Services for International Students in Higher Education Institutions, at http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/about/pubs_research.php, accessed 17 December 2007.

35 C Pelletier, ‘Project report’, in ukcosa, The Experiences of International Students in UK Higher Education.

36 For examples, see HK Al-Harthi, ‘Overseas students’ reaction to interculturality: a study of the experience of Omani students in England’, ma dissertation, Institute of Education, University of London, 1997; and M Ames, Oxford Brookes: The International Student Experience, Oxford: Oxford Brookes University, 1996.

37 According to Pelletier, among 21 studies reviewed, seven were devoted to (mainland) Chinese students, three to Japanese students, and five to students from Arabic-speaking countries. Pelletier, ‘Project report’.

38 For examples, see Ames, Oxford Brookes; M Kwok, ‘Homesickness, stress, social support, personality and health: a study of home and overseas students’, ma dissertation, University of Surrey, 2002; TB Tin, ‘A study of the group interaction patterns of overseas Malaysian students on British undergraduate programmes: framing of ideas’, PhD thesis, University of Southampton, 2000; and E Taylor, ‘Seminar skills for Japanese students: misunderstandings and affective factors’, ma dissertation, Institute of Education, University of London, 2000.

39 S Sung & CHC Hsu, ‘International students’ travel characteristics: an exploratory study’, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 1996, 5 (3), pp 277–283; and CHC Hsu & S Sung, ‘Travel behaviour of international students at a Midwestern University’, Journal of Travel Research, XXXV, 1997, pp 59–65.

40 I Michael, A Armstrong & B King, ‘The travel behaviour of international students: the relationship between studying abroad and their choice of tourist destinations’, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 10 (1), 2003, pp 57–66; K Kim, G Jogaratnam & J Noh, ‘Travel decisions of students at a US university: segmenting the international market’, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 12 (4), 2006, pp 345–357; and R Huang, ‘A study of gender differences—the travel behaviour of Chinese international students studying in the UK’, Tourism: The European Journal of Tourism Research (Croatia), 54 (1), pp 63–69.

41 See, for example, Y Sakakida, ST Cole & JA Card, ‘A cross-cultural study of college students’ travel preferences: a value-oriented perspective’, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 16 (1), 2004, pp 33–39; A Shoham, C Schrage & S Van Eeden, ‘Student travel behaviour: a cross-national study’, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 17 (4), 2004, pp 1–10; A Son & P Pearce, ‘Multi-faceted image assessment: international students’ views of Australia as a tourist destination’, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 18 (4), 2005, pp 21–35; K Kim, N Jeonghee & G Jogaratnam, ‘Multi-destination segmentation based on push and pull motives: pleasure trips of students at a US university’, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 21 (2–3), 2006, pp 19–32; and C Ryan & Z Zhao, ‘Chinese students: holiday behaviours in New Zealand’, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 13 (2), 2007, pp 91–105.

42 Son & Pearce, ‘Multi-faceted image assessment’.

43 Ryan & Zhao, ‘Chinese students’.

44 R Huang ‘The experience of Chinese international students studying in the UK: a tourism approach’, PhD thesis, University of Derby, 2005.

45 ukcosa, The Experiences of International Students in UK Higher Education.

46 Cohen, ‘A phenomenology of tourist experiences’.

47 B Ritchie, N Carr & C Cooper (eds), Managing Educational Tourism, Clevedon: Channel View, 2003.

48 Ibid.

49 AJ Burkart & S Medlik, Tourism: Past, Present and Future, London: Heinemann, 1981.

50 K Kalinowski & B Weiler, ‘Educational travel’, in Hall & Weiler, Special Interest Tourism, pp 15–26.

51 Ritchie et al, Managing Educational Tourism.

52 C Smith & P Jenner, ‘Market segments: educational tourism’, Travel and Tourism Analyst, 3, 1997, pp 60–75.

53 C Roppolo, ‘International education: what does this mean for universities and tourism?’, in M Robinson, N Evans & P Callaghan (eds), Tourism and Cultural Change, Sunderland: Centre for Travel and Tourism, 1996, pp 191–201.

54 The National Trust is a registered charity for permanently preserving places of historic interest or natural beauty.