Travel Alienation and Coping Strategies of International Students: A Qualitative Exploration of the Role of Social Support

Drawing on the transactional model of stress and coping, this study explores how international students experience and cope with travel-related alienation, while paying attention to the role of social support. Based on in-depth interviews of respondents from South Korea, the study identifies six types of travel alienation: powerlessness, normlessness, meaninglessness, social isolation, cultural alienation, and self-estrangement. The coping strategies—problem-focused and emotion-focused—emerged as responses to these experiences. Social support—including emotional and informational support as well as institutional support—was identified as a key element in mitigating alienation and facilitating coping. By shedding light on the under-explored issue of travel alienation among international students as a vulnerable group, this study bridges tourism and social psychology. The study offers recommendations for universities and authorities to reduce travel alienation by improving multilingual support, promoting social inclusion, enhancing the authenticity of tourism experiences, and offering meaningful tourism information.