The contribution of international students to the VFR tourism market in Malta

Abstract

People who migrate for study purposes will have friends and relatives who will visit them in the receiving country. Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) are a potential market which has been underestimated although some scholars have tried to evaluate its contribution to the tourism industry. The aim of this study was to analyse the potential VFR tourism generated by international students at the University of Malta.

This research took the form of a quantitative study which involved a sample of 60 students enrolled at the university. The bulk of the students derived from EU countries, although some of these were Third Country nationals. The main findings can be summarised as follows, namely that initially international students opt to study in Malta because this is the ideal place to pursue their tertiary education due to the island‟s climate and culture. The students who took part in this research find the University of Malta affordable in comparison to other universities found in English-speaking countries. Once they decide to come to Malta, international students receive visits from their friends and/or relatives at least once a year either from their country of origin or neighbouring countries. These VFR guests participate in tourism related activities and share similar travel patterns with Malta‟s inbound tourists. Most importantly, VFR travellers visit Malta during shoulder months when there is no seasonal concentration of tourists such as in summer months.