An Investigation of Travel Behavior of Chinese International Students in the UK

The aim of this article is to examine, from a tourism perspective, the experience o f Chinese international students in the UK. Three hundred twenty-one usable questionnaires were collected. This research suggests that the travel motivations of the students fall into the following four categories: relaxation, self-improvement, experiencing culture, and adventure. Certain similarities and differences of the travel behavior patterns between Chinese international students in the UK and their compatriots in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States were identified. Chinese students in the UK are generally satisfied with their travel experience in the UK Furthermore, they are loyal customers, which is illustrated by their high intention of repeat visits and recommending the UK to friends/family. More than 42% of them had had visits from their families back in China since they arrived in the UK to study; this provides strong evidence for their importance to the visiting friends and relatives (VFR) market in the UK. The implications of these findings to educational institutions and the tourism industry in the UK are also discussed.