The college student travel market: exploring the key factors influencing higher education Arab students' travel decisions

The purpose of this study was to determine the key factors influencing Arab college students' travel decisions in terms of their selection of tourist attractions, accommodation, mode of transport, restaurants and travel agency. The study also sought to identify whether there are significant differences in travel decisions of Arab college students that could be attributed to socio-demographic variables. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 200 Arab college students. The study revealed that reputation and quality were always the most influencing factors on Arab college students' travel decisions, especially when they are choosing accommodation, mode of transport, restaurants and travel agency. On the other hand, the study showed that Arab college students are less likely to be affected by media publicity when choosing tourist attractions, accommodation, mode of transport, restaurants and travel agency. Finally, the study discussed both the theoretical and managerial implications related to Arab students' travel market, and possible future research directions.