engleski

Exploring the factors influencing student study abroad destination choice:a case of Croatia

In terms of destination branding, Croatia is mostly perceived as a country receiving tourists, and is completely overlooked as a country receiving international students. Existing research on the motivations and decision-making process is, therefore, often directed solely to tourists, where research of international students who choose to study full-time or international exchange programmes in Croatia is very weak. Through undertaking qualitative research grounded in constructivism, this research seeks to understand why and how students choose to study in Croatia. Three focus groups were conducted with international students currently studying at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management from the following markets: Americas, Asia and Europe. The findings reveal that there are many distinctive differences within each of the examined markets with regards to the factors of choosing Croatia as a study destination for their international student exchange, whereas (non)motivations for full-time studies in Croatia are the same among all the respondents.

Destination branding, study abroad destination, Croatia, higher education, branding culture, brand communication

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