Tourism and study abroad options: The use of sources of information by Indonesian postgraduate students to choose an overseas university

Abstract

How international students decide to choose overseas universities for their future studies and tourist destinations remains scarcely reported. This retrospective case study examines how Indonesian students explore information that influences their decision to choose their overseas university. Anchored in an interpretative paradigm, data were collected through a qualitative questionnaire distributed to 19 Indonesian postgraduate students who just completed their studies in six different countries. To complement the questionnaire data, semi-structured interviews with the same participant group were also conducted. Findings showed that the participants found university websites, social media, and reference group advice valuable. Finally, implications and recommendations are also presented for future studies.