Perspectives for Tourism Development in the Post-Pandemic Period in the Opinions of University Students

Abstract

The dynamic growth and evolution of tourism in recent times and its growing importance for the economies of many countries has been drastically hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has not only affected tourism through travel restrictions and the associated difficulties faced by the tourism industry, but it has also changed people’s tourism preferences (mass tourism has been replaced by more sustainable tourism), as well as their motives for undertaking tourism. The aim of this study is to assess students’ views on the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in shaping their tourism experiences and beliefs about the future of tourism in the perspective of the pandemic and its global implications. The issue is of interest given the young age of the study participants and the belief that they are key influencers in shaping the image of global tourism in the post-pandemic period. The participants of this study were 196 students from higher education institutions in Gdansk, representing both tourism- and non-tourism-related majors. The aim of this study was achieved using the diagnostic survey method, collecting information about the respondents’ beliefs based on a research tool in the form of a survey questionnaire. The results suggest that tourism activities and students’ motives for engaging in them may change after the pandemic expires compared to before COVID-19. In general, studying tourism is associated with moderate attitudes towards the aftermath of the coronavirus compared to the more radical responses of students who do not study tourism. A limitation of this pilot study was the geographical restriction of the respondents to the Polish population, which makes it difficult at this stage to draw more generalized conclusions.

Exploring the Key Attributes Influencing University Students’ Domestic Accommodation Choice: A RIDIT Analysis

“…Yu (2023) observed that many Chinese citizens have integrated travel into their daily lives, that is, have developed a preference for engaging in local leisure activities, which may have reduced the frequency with which they engage in long-distance travel. In summary, tourist behaviors and motivations have changed because of the pandemic in terms of, for example, destination choice, use of tourist services, travel frequency, measures of preserving health, and sense of travel safety (Olszewski-Strzyzowski, Pasek, & Lipowski, 2022).…”

“…The travel behavior of university and college students changed after COVID-19 and are continuing to evolve (e.g. Olszewski-Strzyzowski et al, 2022;Țicău & Shahrazad, 2022;Yu, 2023). However, research in their preferences regarding accommodation during domestic travel remains sparse and warrants further exploration.…”

An Empirical Assessment of Students’ Tourist Preferences during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Gender Perspective: Evidence from Poland

“…Over the last couple of years, student tourism has grown to become one of the fastest developing segments of international tourism. Its growth translated into tremendous social and economic opportunities for local communities, because the traveling youth stimulate local tourism businesses, get involved in closer social relationships with their hosts, and support environmental protection [37].…”