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Journal of China Tourism Research
ISSN: 1938-8160 (Print) 1938-8179 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wctr20
An Investigation of Travel Behavior of Chinese
International Students in the UK
Rong Huang & Xiaoran Tian
To cite this article: Rong Huang & Xiaoran Tian (2013) An Investigation of Travel Behavior of
Chinese International Students in the UK, Journal of China Tourism Research, 9:3, 277-291, DOI:
10.1080/19388160.2013.812898
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19388160.2013.812898
Accepted online: 14 Jun 2013.
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An Investigation of Travel Behavior of Chinese
International Students in the UK
在英中国留学生旅游行为的调查
RONG HUANG
XIAORAN TIAN
The aim of this article is to examine, from a tourism perspective, the experience of
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.
KEYWORDS. Student travel, international students, China
本文从旅游的角度调查在英中国留学生的经历。研究人员分析三百二十一份有
效问卷，把在英中国留学生的旅游动机分为四类：放松、自我提高、经历文化
和探险。在英中国留学生与在澳大利亚、新西兰及美国的中国留学生有相似也
有不同的旅游行为。他们普遍满意在英的旅游经历；他们的忠诚体现在他们再
次来英旅游的高动机和向他们亲戚朋友推荐英国的偏高倾向。超过百分之四十
二的在英中国留学生已接待了他们家庭的来英探望，可见在英留学生在英国的
探亲访友的市场重要性。这项研究对英国学校和旅游业也是有价值的。
关键词：学生旅游，留学生，中国
Introduction
Huang (2008a) argued that the provision of higher education for international students
has become an important source of income for Western universities, and that these
students have attracted research attention. Considerable research has been conducted
on educational issues related to international students such as learning styles (Barron,
Journal of China Tourism Research, 9: 277–291, 2013
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1938-8160 print / 1938-8179 online
DOI: 10.1080/19388160.2013.812898
Rong Huang is an Associate Professor in Tourism Marketing in the School of Tourism
& Hospitality at Plymouth University, Plymouth, United Kingdom (E-mail: rong.huang
@plymouth.ac.uk).
Xiaorn Tian is a PhD candidate in the School of Tourism & Hospitality at Plymouth
University, Plymouth, United Kingdom (E-mail: xiao.tian@plymouth.ac.uk).
277
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2002; Ramburuth & McCormick, 2001), acculturation (Nicholson & Stepina, 1998;
Shih & Brown, 2000; Zhang & Dixon, 2003), and teaching problems and strategies
(Briguglio, 2000). To date, most other research has concentrated mainly on the eco-
nomic benefits of international students (Michael, Armstrong, & King, 2003) and
motivational decisions on place of study (Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002; Son, 2003;
Taylor, 2001). However, in the field of tourism, relatively little research has been
conducted on the whole experience that international students have during their stay
in host countries (Huang, 2008a).
According to The World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation
(WYSETC), the youth and student travel market accounted for 20% of total interna-
tional arrivals in 2010, generating receipts of $165 billion (U.S.). Much of this money
remained with locally owned businesses and communities, thus contributing to pov-
erty alleviation and sustainable economic development (Tjolle, 2011). A review of
relevant literature revealed that international students have become important parti-
cipants in the international tourism industry (Huang, 2006; Kim, Jogaratnam, &
Noh, 2006; Kim, Noh, & Jogaratnam, 2006; Michael et al., 2003; Ryan & Zhang,
2007; Sakakida, Cole, & Card, 2004; Shoham, Schrage, & van Eeden, 2004; Son &
Pearce, 2005). China has become one of the biggest contributors to international
student numbers in Britain (Higher Education Statistics Agency [HESA], 2012). As
Huang (2006, 2008a, 2008b) emphasized, international students were not only stu-
dents in the UK, but also tourists in the UK. Furthermore, some researchers
(e.g., Bischoff & Koenig-Lewis, 2007; Huang, 2011; Michael et al. 2003; Tham
Min-En, 2006; Weaver, 2003) recognized the importance of international students
to the visiting friends and relatives (VFR) market. Hence, in order to attract more
Chinese tourists to visit Britain, better understanding of the travel behavior of
Chinese international students would be very useful (Huang, 2006). Given the eco-
nomic importance of the Chinese student market, it is imperative for both the educa-
tion and the tourism sectors to understand the expectations and experiences of
Chinese students in the UK.
Against the background of the preceding perspectives, the purpose of this study is
to examine, from a tourism perspective, the experiences of Chinese international
students in the UK. More specifically, the study has three objectives:
1. To understand their travel motivation;
2. To establish their travel behavior patterns; and
3. To determine the importance of Chinese international students to the VFR market
in the UK.
The remainder of this article is organized as follows. The next three sections
provide the background of this study by critically reviewing existing research
on student travel in general, and the travel behavior of international students in
particular. It also reviews literature related to the importance of international stu-
dents to the VFR market. In the section of methodology, an empirical study of the
experiences of Chinese international students in the UK is presented. Findings are
then presented detailing the profile of respondents, travel motivation, and past travel
experiences, including modes of travel, types of accommodation used, and satisfac-
tion with their experience. The findings related to the importance of Chinese interna-
tional students to the VFR market are also addressed. Finally, managerial
implications for the tourism industry, limitations of this study, and plans for future
research are discussed.
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Student Travel
Jabaudon (2004) pointed out that the youth tourism industry played a vital role in the
development of international tourism; 140 million young people traveled internation-
ally each year. It is worthwhile to note that the educational tourism market has grown
rapidly in recent decades, whilst still retaining significant growth potential, and there
has been an increasing number of specialist travel professionals offering specific
products (Jabaudon, 2004; Kelly & Brown, 2004; Townsend & Lee, 2004).
University students, with approximately 20 weeks of free time during holidays, have
a high propensity for travel because they had few external commitments (Richards &
Wilson, 2004; Ritchie, Carr, & Cooper, 2003). Research by Fordham (2006) sug-
gested that foreign exchange students were embedded tourists; their time in the host
country and the depth of adaptation might make their form of tourism appear more
authentic than other kinds of travel. It has been argued that the university student
population should be considered as a significant market for the tourism industry
(Carr, 2003, 2005). However, Field (1999) said that despite the size and growth of the
university student population, the student market has been ignored because of the
assumption of its low market value (Babin & Kim, 2001; Richards & Wilson, 2004;
Ritchie et al., 2003).
A review of relevant literature indicates that different aspects of the student
market have been investigated and researched in previous studies. These include: (a)
the aspects and determinants of student travel behavior (e.g., Chadee & Cutler, 1996;
Gallarza & Saura, 2006; Morgan & Xu, 2009; Phau, Shanka, & Dhayan, 2010;
Shanka & Frost, 1999; Shanka & Phau, 2008; Xu, Morgan, & Song, 2009); (b) student
travel motivation and decision-making process (e.g., Canally & Timothy, 2007; Chen
& Kerstetter, 1999; Heung & Leong, 2006; Kak-Yom & Jogaratnam, 2002;
Llewellyn-Smith & McCabe, 2008; Michael et al., 2003; Son & Pearce, 2005);and
(c) the importance of international students to the VFR market (e.g., Bischoff &
Koenig-Lewis, 2007; Michael et al., 2003; Taylor, Shanka, & Pope, 2004; Tham Min-
En, 2006).
Travel Behavior of International Students
International students come from different backgrounds and cultures, have different
values, and might not regard the same products and services as adequate and satisfying
(Babin & Kim, 2001; Gallarza & Saura, 2006; Kim, 2008; Shanka & Phau, 2008).
Therefore, successful international tourism marketing depends upon the understanding
of the cultural background of tourists whom the marketers are attempting to target and
how this background determines the expectations of these tourists (Reisinger & Turner,
2003).
From the early 1990s, researchers were looking at culture as a determinant of
student travel behavior. National cultures, as part of psychographic factors, have a
moderating effect on tourist behavior (Chadee & Cutler, 1996; Frost & Shanka, 1999;
Reisinger & Mavondo, 2004; Ryan & Gu, 2007; Sakakida et al., 2004). However, when
using cultural dimensions to analyze behavior, it is important to avoid stereotypes, as it
is not only culture that influences behavior; other sources of diversity, including demo-
graphic characteristics, also impact international students’travel behavior (Hsu &
Sung, 1997; Xu et al., 2009). It is worth pointing out the geographical allocation of
previous research; little research has been conducted on the travel behavior of Chinese
Journal of China Tourism Research 279
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international students. Exceptions do exist. Ryan and Xie (2003) found relatively high
levels of independent travel by Chinese students in New Zealand. They tended to travel
in groups and use private cars, but spent relatively lavishly if only because they
preferred motel and hotel accommodation to cheaper alternatives like backpacker
hostels. Also, unlike their northern European counterparts, there was low participation
in adventure tourism activities; they preferred more passive ones. A cluster analysis in
the work of Ryan and Xie (2003) indicated three main groups were labelled as being
combined motivation traveller, social traveller, and new experience explorer and
adventure seeker. Ryan and Zhang (2007) assessed the extent to which this market
segment undertook travel within their country of studies and the degree to which they
were motivated by features usually regarded as motivators for holidaying by visitors to
New Zealand. Wang and Davidson (2008) offered an exploratory assessment of the
perceived image of Australia in the Chinese student market. Based on an evaluation of
international students as tourists and by conceptualizing international student experi-
ence in relation to different tourist experiences theorized in the existing tourism litera-
ture, Huang (2008b) considered the experience of international students from China at
one British higher education institution. By looking at the influence of students’
satisfaction with their role as hosts for the friends and family sector while also providing
some data on students’own holiday motives and assessments of New Zealand, Liu and
Ryan (2011) provided some insight into the role of Chinese students as hosts for
overseas travel. Zou and Tang (2011) investigated the differences of travel behaviors
between the Chinese students studying in the United States and domestic students at a
university in the midwestern United States.
The Importance of International Students to the VFR Market
The importance of international students to the VFR market is gradually being recog-
nized by researchers. Several studies examining the student-related VFR market were
carried out in Australia. Weaver (2003) noted that besides their education-related
activities and expenditure, international students also had a long-term impact on
tourism in Australia. A study by Michael et al. (2003) in Melbourne showed that
even though international students played an important role in initiating visits from
their friends and family, only limited marketing of destinations has occurred at uni-
versities. Taylor et al. (2004) investigated the significance of VFR visits to international
students in Western Australia and found that between 1-1.7% of international tourist
expenditure in 1999 could be attributed to this sector. Tham Min-En (2006) stressed the
importance of international students in generating repeat visits and choosing activities
undertaken during the visit.
Bischoff and Koenig-Lewis (2007) addressed this matter from a British perspective
and examined the overall volume and frequency of such travel, the extent to which
student hosts were involved in tourism-related activities, the differences between host-
ing friends and relatives and between VFR visits made to the UK and international
student hosts, and students’expenditure patterns while hosting guests. Bischoff and
Koenig-Lewis (2007) stressed that this segment could represent an important compo-
nent of tourism demand and that it should arguably receive much more attention from a
marketing perspective than it has in the past. However, apart from their work, very little
attention is paid to international students from a VFR market perspective. As the
national tourism marketing agency, VisitBritain (2012) is gradually recognizing the
importance of British education as a tourism resource and also the quicker growth of
280 Rong Huang and Xiaoran Tian
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visiting families market compared to its visiting friends market; however, VisitBritain
seems less certain of the linkage between international students to Britain and its VFR
market.
Methodology
This study elicited information regarding the demographic profile of respondents, their
recent travel behavior, characteristics of the travel behavior, and satisfaction in the
UK. The questions about the demographic profile of respondents and their travel
behavior and satisfaction were developed based on a review of literature (Huang,
2006, 2008a; Ryan & Zhang, 2007; Xu et al., 2009).
The questionnaire measured 14 motivating push factors, such as “to seek adven-
ture,”“to take a rest/to relax,”and “to try new food.”These were measured using a
seven-point Likert scale (1 indicating “absolutely wrong”and 7 indicating “absolutely
correct”). This measure was chosen as a means to determine the respondents’attitudes
to a range of potential complex issues related to their decision to travel in Britain. The
seven-point Likert scale was adopted because, as Cooper and Schindler (2008) high-
lighted, “the advantages of the 7- and 9-point Likert scale are better approximation of a
normal response curve and extraction of more variability among respondents”(p. 309).
In order to establish the travel behavior patterns of students, single-choice questions
were used to identify preferred transport, accommodation, and times of travel. As for
their satisfaction and loyalty, five-point Likert scales were used to indicate the students’
opinions, as Finn, Elliott-White, and Walton (2000) argued that this type of scale was
good enough for the respondents to place themselves and make a difference between the
responses. Furthermore, other studies on student travel and the VFR market have also
used such scales (e.g., Bischoff & Koenig-Lewis, 2007; Llewellyn-Smith & McCabe,
2008; Xu et al., 2009).
The following steps were undertaken to ensure a high response rate. Firstly, a
questionnaire in English was designed and the questionnaire was then translated into
Chinese. A back translation method (Sperber, 2004) was used in order to avoid any
misunderstanding. Secondly, a pilot study with 30 students was undertaken. Polit,
Beck, and Hungler (2001) defined this as a test-run for the questionnaire in quantitative
research. Hair, Money, Samouel, and Page (2007) commented that a questionnaire
should not be administered without first being evaluated or pre-tested by a small group
of respondents. After the pilot study, the wording of two of the questions was amended,
and the placing of demographic questions was moved from the end of the questionnaire
to the beginning of the questionnaire. Furthermore, two questions (“After finishing
your study, will you come back to visit Britain?”and “Will you suggest Britain to your
friends/relatives as a vacation destination to visit?”) were deleted as the piloted students
thought the two questions were repeats of the questions that asked them to indicate
their likelihood to return and recommend. Thirdly, the authors uploaded the revised
questionnaire to Renren (a Chinese social media website) as the 285 friends of the
authors in this website are all Chinese international students who studied or are study-
ing in the UK. Through this channel, 186 questionnaires were returned. For those
friends who did not reply, the authors sought their support via e-mail and asked them to
pass the questionnaire to their Chinese friends who also studied or are studying in the
UK. Through this effort, a further 158 questionnaires were returned. The questionnaire
survey was carried out between May 1, 2011 and June 30, 2011. In total, 344 ques-
tionnaires were returned but only 321 of them were usable.
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Responses to the questions were analyzed with the use of SPSS Version 18.0.
Descriptive statistics were first computed, followed by the principal component factor
analysis using varimax rotation to determine whether distinct dimensions of motivation
exist among Chinese international students in the UK. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin
(KMO) statistic and Cronbach’s alpha values were referenced to confirm the results
of the factor analysis.
Findings and Discussion
The profiles of the sample are summarized in Table 1. The respondents were predomi-
nantly female (62%); their ages mainly ranged between 22 and 26 (48%) and under 22
(38.9%). Approximately 55% of the respondents hold an undergraduate degree and
38% of them hold a master’s degree.
Travel Motivation
When Chinese international students were asked to indicate their travelling motivation
in Britain (as summarized in Table 2), it is clear that the most popular motivations for
travelling in Britain are “to take a rest/to relax”(mean ¼5.89), followed by “to discover
new places”(mean ¼5.79), and “to learn about culture and ways of life”(mean ¼5.31).
The highest level of agreement in the motivation of “to take a rest/to relax”seems to be
consistent with the finding reported by Ryan and Zhang (2007)’s research of Chinese
students’travel motivation in New Zealand. This also confirms Huang (2008a)’s
research of Chinese students in Britain, namely, that “to relax”was also an important
reason for students’travel.
A desire “to discover new places”and “to learn about culture and ways of life”were
two other important reasons the Chinese students gave for taking a vacation, thereby
confirming the findings of Clarke (1992) that young travellers are typically looking for a
novel experience.
The least popular reasons are “to escape”(mean ¼2.47), “to seek adventure”
(mean ¼2.96), and “to visit friends/relatives”(mean ¼3.75). The low score on seeking
Table 1. Profile of Respondents.
Categories Frequency %
Gender
Male 122 38
Female 199 62
Age
Under 125 38.9
22–26 154 48
Above 26 42 13.1
Education
Undergraduate 177 55.1
Postgraduate Taught (PGT) 123 38.3
Postgraduate Research (PGR)` 14 4.4
Others 7 2.2
282 Rong Huang and Xiaoran Tian
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adventure is consistent with Xu et al. (2009)’s research of travel motivation of Chinese
students in China. The relatively low score on “to visit friends/relatives”seems to
support the findings of Ryan and Zhang (2007). Such low scores imply that these
motives are not seen as important reasons to take holidays in Britain.
A factor analysis was conducted on the 14 motivational items so as to discover the
underlying motivational dimensions. The principal component factoring method with a
varimax rotation was used to uncover the motivational dimensions. Varimax rotation
was used because it “redistributes the variance among factors more evenly and pro-
duces less complex factors”(Kass & Tinsley, 1979, p. 134). Furthermore, to determine
whether the factoring procedure was appropriate, the KMO statistic (.704) was refer-
enced. According to Kaiser (1974), the measure was marvellous, indicating that it was
safe to proceed with the factor analysis. Based on Child’s (1970) recommendation, only
those factors with eigenvalues equal to or greater than 1.0 were extracted. Results of the
initial analysis indicated that four factors with eigenvalues exceeding 1.0 existed.
Factors having eigenvalues less than 1.0 were not further processed because these
factors were considered no better than a single variable (Tucker, Koopman, & Linn,
1969).
Another two criteria were used to determine the viability of each dimension. First,
only items with factor loadings of at least .40 were retained (Tabachnick & Fidell,
2001). Each dimension was subject to reliability testing. Items that reduced the relia-
bility of a dimension were eliminated from further analysis, and only factor dimensions
with Cronbach’s alpha values greater than .60 were deemed acceptable. After these
criteria were applied, the optimal number of factor dimensions was found to be four.
The final four tourist motivational dimensions/factors were named as relaxation (F1),
self-improvement (F2), experience culture (F3), and adventure & excitement (F4). The
motivational dimensions are presented in Table 3.
Table 2. Travel Motivation.
Travel motivations Mean Standard Deviation
to take a rest/to relax 5.89 1.552
to discover new places 5.79 1.447
to learn about culture and ways of life 5.31 1.600
to seek diversion and entertainment 5.28 1.765
to alleviate stress 5.25 1.701
to explore historical and cultural heritage 5.13 1.710
to try new food 4.69 1.806
to live exciting experiences 4.66 1.874
to improve my English level 4.56 1.606
to meet new people 4.08 1.597
to integrate myself into society 4.04 1.732
to visit friends/relatives 3.75 2.165
to seek adventure 2.96 1.884
to escape 2.47 1.830
Note: a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 7 is used (1 indicates “absolutely wrong”and 7 indicates
“absolutely correct”).
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From the analysis, it is clear that the most important motivational dimension is
relaxation. This finding seems to suggest that the desire for relaxation is shared by
Chinese international students in the UK and also Chinese international students in
New Zealand, as reported by Ryan and Zhang (2007). In that sense, it can be argued
that Chinese international students have few differences from many other tourists.
Hence, they should be an important tourist group to be targeted by local tourism
businesses and organizations. However, it must be noted that the processes of relaxa-
tion among Chinese international students are generally those of social interaction with
their peers rather than engagement in adventure or visiting friends/relatives. One factor
that might account for this is that as international students, they face significant
pressure to succeed, and travelling is a good way for them to relax.
Furthermore, it is important to recognize that the self-improvement dimension
becomes the second most important dimension, which includes “to meet new people,”
“to integrate myself into society,”and “to improve my English level.”Nowadays many
Chinese international students enroll in popular subjects in British universities (HESA,
2012), and some Chinese students complain that they seem to be studying in China
instead of in Britain (Spencer-Oatey & Xiong, 2006). This really goes against their
original intention of gaining knowledge and communicating with people from other
cultural backgrounds and understanding other cultures (Huang, 2006). Therefore,
Table 3. Travel Motivation Dimensions.
Travel motivations Relaxation
Self-
improvement
Experience
culture
Adventure &
Excitement
To take a rest/to relax .809
To seek diversion and
entertainment
.783
To alleviate stress .778
To try new food .513
To meet new people .796
To integrate myself into
society
.795
To improve my English level .762
To explore historical and
cultural heritage
.815
To learn about cultures
and ways of life
.776
To discover new places .692
To seek adventure .858
To live exciting experiences .683
Eigenvalue 4.231 2.203 1.558 1.298
Variance explained
(percentage)
30.219 15.734 11.125 9.273
Cumulative variance
explained (percentage)
30.219 45.952 57.078 66.351
Cronbach’s alpha .738 .821 .851 .553
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travelling around the UK to meet people may be a necessary supplement for them if
they are to achieve their original goals. Findings from the current research support
Starkey’s argument (Bright, 2004) and warn higher education institutions in Britain to
rethink their recruitment and customer service strategies and what exactly they want
from Chinese students.
Previous Travel Experience
As for the number of occasions of previous travel experience in the UK (as shown in
Table 4), 42% of the respondents reported more than five times, 21% of them reported
4–5 times, and 35% reported 1–3 times. Only six students (less than 2%) reported no
experience. From the above, it is clear that the majority of Chinese students did/do
travel when they were/are studying in the UK. This result is consistent with Huang’s
(2006, 2008a) emphasis to consider international students as tourists.
Regarding the mode of transport during their travel, travel by train was rated
highest (47.7%), followed by coach/bus (30.2%), and own car (13.4%). This result
confirms Huang’s (2006) research of travel mode used by mainland Chinese students
in the UK. However, this finding does appear to contradict most studies done in
America (Chadee & Cutler, 1996; Field, 1999; Hsu & Sung, 1997; Sung & Hsu, 1996)
and Australia (Frost & Shanka, 1999), which suggested that the automobile was the
most frequently used transport by international students during their travel. Such
difference might be due to the fact that outside of a few big cities, there are very few
passenger trains in the United States and Australia.
The result of this research indicates that more than a quarter of the students
travelled by bus or coach during their travel in the UK. These figures bode well for
the future of the public transportation industry, with the younger generation showing
Table 4. Past Travel Experience.
Categories Frequency %
Past travel experience
Never 6 19
1–3 times 113 35.2
4–5 times 67 20.8
More than 5 times 135 42.1
Mode of travel
Rental car 19 5.9
Own car 43 13.4
Coach/bus 937 30.2
Train 153 47.7
Other 9 2.8
Type of accommodation
Hotels 117 36.4
Bed &Breakfast 61 19
Youth Hostels 60 18.7
Friends relatives’place 79 24.6
Other 4 1.3
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such a high usage. These figures are also useful for transport providers such as National
Express, railway franchise operators, or Stagecoach because it is demonstrated that the
international student market is using their services. The needs of international students
could be considered when developing future transport strategies, given the potential
significance of international students’travel. However, many transport operators may
be unaware of the size of the international student market, given the limited market
research and promotion of this valuable sub-sector of the British tourism industry.
As for the nature of accommodation chosen by the Chinese international students
in the UK when travelling, the main types of accommodation used were as follows:
36.4% of them indicated that they would stay in hotels, 24.6% would stay with friends
and relatives, 19% would stay in bed and breakfast inns (B&B), and 18.7% would stay in
hostels.
The finding seems to be contrary to popular beliefs that students typically look for
cheap accommodation. Instead, the results suggest that the student market is no
different from other markets in demanding higher-quality standards than in the past.
Nearly 20 years ago, Bywater (1993) already noted that the trend in the student and
youth market was moving toward greater demand for fewer hostel beds per room and
more private facilities. This appears to run contrary as well to Sung and Hsu’s (1996)
and Field’s (1999) findings that international students are more likely to stay at friends’
or relatives’houses when travelling. However, this result agrees with Ryan and Xie
(2003)’s finding that Chinese students in New Zealand prefer hotels to cheap alter-
natives. Three factors might account for such findings. First, a lot of hotels are listed on
different websites, and it is easy to find affordable places through the Internet. Second,
as very few students have relatives or friends in Britain, it is impossible to stay with
them. Third, students do not have much experience with B&Bs or other similar
accommodation in China. Therefore when they are in Britain, they are more comfor-
table choosing “hotel-type”accommodation, with which they are more familiar.
When the students were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with their travel in
the UK (1 indicating “very dissatisfied”and 5 indicating “very satisfied”), their experi-
ence seems to be positive, as the result shows a mean of 3.91 and a standard deviation of
only .507. When they were asked the possibility of coming back to visit the UK after
their study (1 indicating “very unlikely”and 5 indicating “most likely”), the result is
also positive, with a mean of 3.90 and a low standard deviation of .873.
The Importance of Chinese International Students to the VFR Market in the UK
When the students were asked whether their family/friends would visit them during
their study in the UK, 42.1% of them said yes. Furthermore, when they were asked
whether they would suggest that their friends/relatives visit the UK (1 indicating “very
unlikely”and 5 indicating “most likely”), the result was very positive, with a mean of
4.25 and a standard deviation of .792.
These results are certainly consistent with studies done in Australia regarding
international student-generated VFR (Michael et al., 2003; Taylor et al., 2004; Tham
Min-En, 2006). Furthermore, they confirm the findings of Bischoff and Koenig-Lewis
(2007) that international students studying in the UK have attracted, and can attract,
their family and friends to visit, and they should be considered as an important segment
of international tourists to relevant cities.
A recent report on the China market and trade profile by VisitBritain (2012)
suggested that 28% of Chinese tourists were extremely likely to recommend Britain
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for a short break or holiday; however, this response was not overwhelming when
compared to the 39% of all international tourists who were extremely likely to recom-
mend Britain for a short break or holiday. Comparing the findings from VisitBritain
and the current research, it is worthwhile to note that Chinese international students
seem to be more willing than their compatriots who visit Britain for leisure or business
purposes to recommend Britain. The findings from this research can be strong evidence
to support the development of a VFR niche market based on Chinese international
students. Given the large number of Chinese international students who studied or are
studying in the UK, a range of specific research questions concerning the nature and
characteristics of student-generated VFR tourism should be investigated by
VisitBritain as well as other destination management organizations in the UK in
order to gain opportunities from this market.
Conclusions and Implications
To summarize, this exploratory study suggests that the travel motivations of students
fall into the following four categories: relaxation, self-improvement, experience culture,
and adventure. The research identifies some similarities of travel behavior patterns
among Chinese international students in the UK and their compatriots in Australia,
New Zealand, and the United States. Most of them seem to be frequent travellers and
prefer hotels to cheaper alternatives. However, Chinese students in the UK tend to
frequently use trains instead of either rental cars or their own cars during their travel
when compared with their compatriots in other continents. Results show that Chinese
students in the UK are generally satisfied with their travel experience in the
UK. Furthermore, their loyalty as customers is illustrated by their high intention of
repeat visits and recommending the UK to their 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 of their importance to the VFR market in the UK.
The aim of this research is to examine the experience of Chinese international
students in the UK from a tourism perspective. The results suggest that educational
institutions and the tourism industry have influenced the student travel experience;
therefore, practical implications for these two important stakeholders are discussed
below.
It has been noted that Chinese international students in the UK are frequent
travellers. Apart from relaxation, self-improvement is a very important consideration
for their travel. Hence, if educational institutions want to attract this group of custo-
mers, they should emphasize not only their teaching excellence but also other educa-
tional experience from non-mainstream educational activities. They may introduce the
cultural and historical background of the cities where the institution is based; they may
also provide some case studies on local people’s life and culture. They could help
mainland Chinese international students integrate into the local community so that
the students will have a better understanding of the local and British culture. This might
include organizing field trips to heritage centers nearby such as National Trust sites.
The educational institutions can join the National Trust at a very low annual price, and
they can then bring as many students as many times as they want to the properties
owned by the National Trust.
With the changing demographics of international travel, international students will
represent a growing proportion of international travel. Therefore, the tourism industry
needs to pay more attention to this group, and detailed research on the characteristics of
Journal of China Tourism Research 287
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this group would certainly be very important for the tourism industry when setting up a
proper plan to attract these profitable customers. Destination management organiza-
tions (DMOs) such as VisitBritain could collaborate more actively with universities
with a view of targeting international students and their VFRs more effectively as a
market segment. One approach could be the provision of information kits about Britain
and relevant travel information at the time of students’enrollment or at orientation.
This could enhance the motivation of students to travel around the UK. Whenever
possible, VisitBritain should make staff available for presentations to groups of inter-
national students. This research has identified a range of preferences of Chinese inter-
national students concerning travel. Progressive tour operators, destination cities, and
local chambers of commerce may utilize the results to develop strategies that will
capitalize on opportunities presented by the market while overcoming potential bar-
riers. Airlines, accommodations, and vendors of products and services targeted at the
international student market may find the knowledge helpful in tailoring their services
to the needs of this market.
There are obvious limitations to this study. The sample is restricted to friends of the
two researchers in a British university. Given the different characteristics among British
universities, the results may not be applicable to Chinese students in all British uni-
versities. However, as very little research has been done on the travel behavior of
Chinese students in the UK, this study lays a foundation for future research. China
will continue to be a growing source of both students and visitors in the coming years;
therefore more research related to Chinese travel behavior should be done. Issues for
future research include the kind of tourism activities that Chinese students will engage
in during their travel. Regarding Chinese student-generated VFR, a range of questions
could be asked, such as seasonal distribution, types of visitors, length of stay, and
expenditure by hosts and visitors.
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