The Motivation Factors

behind Educational Tourism

Kenneth Lee Ho Tin

Diploma in International Hotel and Tourism Management

HTMi, Switzerland
Introduction

Tourism is one of the most important industries in any developing and least

developed countries (World Tourism Organization, 2012). 5% of the world wide’s

GDP contributes by the tourism industry and it is the 4th largest export sector. For

example, accounts 6% of the world wide’s exports in service and responsible for 235

million jobs, or one in every 12 jobs worldwide (Tourism & More, 2010). Since

tourism has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world (Holden,

2000). Singtao News (2010) stated that some of the countries and areas mainly rely

on tourism industry for generating revenue as well. For example: Thailand, Macau

and Maldives etc. Nowadays, travel is not a noble or a difficult activity anymore, and

lots of people addicted to it (Ibid). This motivation has become influenced by the

blooming hypermedia like social networks, web-based promotions and greater

leisure awareness. (Abubaker et al., 2014). The travel phenomenon has spread to

different level of groups, countries and ages, especially, teenagers (Wong, 2011).

According to Tourism & More (2010), educational tourism is one of the fastest

blooming sectors of the travel and tourism industry and often overlooked by tourism

professionals and marketers (Ibid). Such as many conferences and conventions have

either an educational instruments for their members or other educational

components etc. Regarding the motivation aspects, the idea of educational tourism is

about self-improvement, relaxation, fun, and the important note is that learning is

for people of all ages (Ibid). People go on an educational tour beside for fun, most of

them are also with learning purposes and experiences (Rodger, 1998).
By the blooming of educational tourism, the combination of tourism and education

has enhanced the performance of tourism industry (Ahmad et al., 2011). Thus it can

be seen, educational tourism has its own market and contribute to the worldwide

tourism industry.

Definitions of Educational Tourism

Figure. 2.1.1 Two Main Components of Educational Tourism

(Abubaker et al., 2014)

In figure 2.1.1, the two main components of educational tourism are tourism and

education, when they are combined together, educational-tourism formed

(Abubaker et al., 2014). Educational-tourism (Edu-tourism) is a type of program

which participants travel to a location either in a group or individually, with the

primary motive engaging in or having a learning experience (Rodger, 1998).

Educational tourists (Edu-tourists) are individuals or groups who travel to and stay

in places outside their usual environment for more than 24 hours, and not more

than 1 year, for the purposes of study, leisure, business or other activities.
However, it should not related to the exercise of an activity remunerate during an

educational purpose tourism (World Tourism Organization, 2012). Tourism & More

(2010) stated that, in lots of countries’ educational system, start from May to August

is the end of the academic year. The high tourism season is coming-up. This is

because most of the countries’ academic year finished and coming-up with the

summer holidays, educational tourism is going to bloom. Educational tourism can be

called by other names as well, such as self-actualization experiences, job

development or career enhancement etc. Here are some examples of the variety of

educational-tourism: school trips, study aboard, overseas study tours, seminar

vacations, alternative spring break travel experiences, educational cruises and skills

enhancement etc. (Ibid). Beside defend the definition of educational tourism, several

theories and models have been used to explain motivation. The following are

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model (Maslow, 1943), Motivation of students to Learn

(Wilson, 1994) and Push and Pull Motivation Factors (Kim et al., 2007) to examine

motivation.

Definition of Motivation

Figure 2.1.2.1 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model (Maslow, 1943)

Donald et al. (1987) stated that, for content theories, the first stage of Maslow’s

hierarchy of needs theory – ‘Physiological needs’ demonstrating and explaining the

motivation factors. Abraham Maslow developed a theory of 5 stages of basic needs.

This theory of personality has influenced a number of different areas. This wide

influence is due in part to the high stage of practicality of Maslow's theory and

describes many realities of personal experiences accurately (Ibid). The theory set as

a pyramid form on 5 stages, each of them has to be satisfied. Otherwise, it is not

possible to move to the next stage. The first stage is physiological needs such as food

and drink, follow-up by safety and security, social needs, esteem and

self-actualization (Rollinson, 2005). As mentioned above, self-actualization is a kind

of motivation factor to attract people go on an educational trip, to see, to smell, to

touch the world (Tourism & More, 2010).

For example, students have their own need to feel, to control and have power over

their own lives. Moreover, students can exercise and validate in their learning

process, they experience intrinsic motivation by learning (Wilson, 1994). Students

can discover their own decisions, effort and choices, enable them to be more

interactive with their coursework, teacher and peers effectively. While students

notice that they are on the track, they will be understand of their responsibility,

quality of work and intrinsic motivation etc. Start from that moment, students can

achieve a higher stage in motivation areas (Anderman et al., 1994).

Motivation of Students to Learn Model

Figure 2.1.3.1 Motivation of students to Learn (Wilson, 1994)

In order to get better understand the theories of motivation, it is divided into two

components – they are content theories and process theories. The former attempt to

‘develop an understanding of fundamental human needs’ (Cooper et al., 1992). In

Wilson’s process theories (1994), figure 2.1.3.1 is demonstrating a model of student

learning motivation. His theory was primarily motivated by three principal needs:

for learning such as curiosity and challenge, for having fun such as variety and active

involvement and for connecting with others such as sense of belonging and

honoured voice (Ibid). Book fresh (2009) published that motivation is mainly based

on the person’s wants and needs. Substitute in educational tourism, if a student

wishes to achieve their wants and needs, then have to motivate himself. Since

everyone is unique and apart from each other. Therefore, his wants and needs vary

from other people obviously. The same idea as people’s stage of motivation. The

different wants and needs in each person vary in intensity based on their goals,

focus and total human psyche as well (Ibid).

Push and Pull Motivation Factors

According to Kim et al. (2007), in order to define the motivation of students whose

have chosen a foreign university for their higher education, it is divided into three

groups, which are ‘’push, pull (country attributes) and pull (university attributes)

motivation factors’’. First of all, for push motivation factors, examples are

‘’Educational experience of studying in a different country’’, ‘’Desire to travel’’ and

‘’Better career opportunity’’ etc. Second, for pull motivation factors (country

attributes), such as ‘’Exploring local culture’’, ‘’Professional popularity’’ and ‘’Ease of

applying student visa’’ etc. And last but not least, for another pull motivation factors

(university attributes), like ‘’Reasonable cost of study’’, ‘’Campus atmosphere’’ and

‘’Wide range of courses’’ etc. (Ibid).

Motivation factors of Study Abroad

International education becomes a successful way for global students to advance to a

higher school level. Therefore, studying abroad is not a difficulty anymore (Study

Skills, 2011).

Since Metro Daily (2012) mentioned, that Switzerland and Australia are the most

popular countries for studying professionals, like hotel’s hospitality studies and

veterinarian respectively. Regarding the push and pull motivation factors mentioned

above, below research are based and focused on comparing Switzerland and

Australia. As tourism industry has bloomed by the Chinese market in advance, hotel

and Tourism Management Degree has been a future mangers’ popular aim to achieve

(Apple Daily, 2009).

According to AASS (2014), one of the most famous places for global students to

study hotel and tourism management is Switzerland because they have the

well-known and professional hospitality studies and schools. There are

approximately 20 hospitality schools, located in different cantons, speaking in

different languages, teaching in different ways, but they have the same aim -

cultivate students to be a manager in hotels all around the world (Ibid). On the other

side, in an official research in 2011, Australia is the 3rd most popular destination for

international students (OECD, 2012). It is the first choice of Asian students who

want to study abroad. As a result, there are lots of English as second language

students from Asia go studying abroad in Australia (IDP HK, 2014). Moreover, they

have their professional courses such as veterinarian studies in the University of

Queensland (WenWeipo, 2010). Based on Metro Daily HK (2012), the most attractive

point of Australia’s and Switzerland’s university is, the tuition fees are reasonable,

around AUD 14,000-35,000 and CHF 25,000-63,000 per year respectively, most of

the Asian middle class families could afford the costs. Therefore, this point above are

attracting global students to choose study in these two countries respectively (Ibid).

According to AASS (2014) Studying hotel and tourism management abroad in

Switzerland is a wonderful experience, it is able to let students to study outside their

home country, evolve self-development and learn local languages during interact

with local people (Ibid). Australia has a relaxed culture, high-quality education

system, work benefits, safe and security and strong economy etc. (IDP HK, 2014)

Therefore, students and parents are pleased to prefer these two destinations (Metro

Daily, 2012).
Traveling is highly motivating and influenced students by their curiosity to explore

the world and experience other cultures while they are studying abroad (Kim et al.,

2007). In Switzerland, students can either travel domestically by urban trains to

Swiss different states, or travel to neighbours’ countries by local trains (AASS, 2014).

However, in Australia, students can only travel locally and also by plane due to the

giant landforms (IDP HK, 2014). In general, both countries government advocate

leading talented people to work and study, especially Australia, to enhance country’s

actual strength, such as educational level. Hence, government is likely to let students

and business people to apply visa (Metro Daily, 2012). Eventually, when they

graduated in a foreign school, it enables students to have better curriculum vitae,

since employers are likely to hire people who have a wider experience (Singtao

News, 2012). Due to the ‘’push and pull motivation factors’’, global students are

motivated and study aboard to enter a higher school in foreign countries (Kim et al.,

2007), like Switzerland and Australia (Metro Daily, 2012).

Conclusion and Recommendations

To conclude, this paper analyses motivation by researching the educational tourism,

more specify is the motivation factors of study abroad. Based on the two main

components of educational tourism – education and tourism, educational tourism is

formed (Abubaker et al., 2014). According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model,

motivation is based on human’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1943). Then based on

this, what drives students to go on educational tourism? - Their Motivation.

Moreover, why students are motivated to participate in educational tourism?

Students are motivated by learning such as curiosity and challenge, for having fun

such as variety and active involvement and for connecting with others such as sense

of belonging and honoured voice (Wilson, 1994). Furthermore, to better measure

and understand the motivation of students study abroad, according to Kim et al.

(2007)’s ‘’push and pull motivation factors’’ Students would like to explore the

world, experience new cultures and also travel for fun during studying abroad (Ibid).

Therefore, it showed that studying in a foreign university to learn knowledge is just

one of the main components to motivate global students, but explore the world is

important either.

For future recommendation, motivation is just one of the factors that drive students

to go on educational tourism. It can spread widely. For example, in this research,

more internal and external factors can be found that attract students to go studying

abroad, not just only their motivation points. Future research can be concentrated or

focus on the specific segmentations mix of why people or students participate in

educational tourism. Such as business compulsory, compelled or forced etc. Those

are very interesting sub-topic can be researched in the next research paper.

On the other hand, in this research paper just focus on study abroad in the existing

empirical research, there are still have lots of activities related to educational

tourism as mentioned above in chapter 2.1. Hence, when working on this topic again,

there should be included widely of the activities of educational tourism which makes

the paper more concrete and substantial.

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