‘It wasn't my sole purpose for going down there’ — An inquiry into the Spring Break experience and its relation to risky behaviors and alcohol consumption

Abstract

In an effort to further existing knowledge of the Spring Break phenomenon and its connection to risky behaviors and alcohol consumption, 14 undergraduate students from a large Mid‐Atlantic North American University, going on their first Spring Break experience, were interviewed before and after Spring Break. Adopting a qualitative framework, interviews were transcribed verbatim and subsequently coded and analysed until a clear picture of the participants’ Spring Break experiences emerged. Results showed a discrepancy between spring breakers’ perceptions and expectations for Spring Break and their actual Spring Break experiences, particularly in relation to alcohol consumption. After Spring Break, most participants noted that Music Television's (MTV) promises of alcohol‐fuelled sex parties were found not to be true, or were confined to specific places. Furthermore, no significant differences between their on‐campus drinking behavior and Spring Break drinking behavior were reported. Rather than regarding Spring Break as an excuse to drink without restrictions, it is suggested that some college students may view the experience as a continuation of practices engaged in during the rest of the year, lending support to the notion of a tourism–leisure behavioural continuum. Implications for leisure research and directions for future research are discussed.

Key words:

• university students
• spring break
• alcohol consumption
• risky behaviour