The role of tourist destination in international students’ choice of academic center: the case of erasmus programme in the Canary Islands

Abstract

The study measures the importance of the university and the tourist destination factors in the international students´ choice of placement for their studies and their further satisfaction. Using a sample from the Erasmus Exchange Programme in the Canary Islands, one of the main European tourist destinations, the results show the potential that academic tourism could have for the host destination and in particular, the importance of the attraction factors linked to the destination rather than those associated with the academic center. Hence, to take advantage of this potential, it is essential to develop collaborative strategies among the managers of the destination and those responsible for the academic center analyzed.

Keywords

• international students
• academic tourism
• destination image
• university