Long-term Impacts of Tourism Student Exchange Program

Abstract

The student exchange program as part of educational tourism certainly provides added value and benefits that contribute to sustainable tourism development. This study aims to identify the long-term impact of tourism student exchange programs in ASEAN. Student exchanges provide students with the opportunity to gain in-depth insight into global perspectives and cross-cultural understanding especially related to tourism studies. This study uses a qualitative method by interviewing seven informants enrolled in the program in the period of 2018 to 2019 to Thailand and Malaysia. Descriptive analysis of the first code cycle is used to analyze and answer the research objectives. As a result, students sense long-term changes from the program as improving communication in foreign languages, self-confidence, sense of independence, and responsibility in decision-making or participant actions, priorities for the future, and intercultural understanding.