Destination Motivation, Cultural Orientation, and Adaptation: International Students’ Destination-Loyalty Intention

Abstract

This study aims to understand factors predicting destination-loyalty intention in international education. A sample of 378 long-term (n=195) and short-term (n=183) international students participated in the study carried out in 2014 through an on-line survey at the University of Bergen, Norway. Using a series of hierarchical regression analyses, the researchers found that among short-term students, destination motivation (pull), orientation to mainstream and heritage culture together with psychological adaptations were the most important variables influencing their decision to revisit and to recommend the destination to others. Among long-term students, the same variables with the exception of psychological adaptation in addition to sociocultural adaptation were the significant predictors of destination-loyalty intention. This study discusses the results from a social, psychological and international education perspective as well as their implications for destination management.