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Zsuzsa Deli-Gray (ed.)

Cases in Tourism Marketing III

Me, a tourist?? Is that serious?

Zsuzsa Deli-Gray, László Árva
 
Tilli stormed out of the classroom at the end of the lecture, overflowing with indignation and waving her hands demonstratively. Fuming and speechless, she headed straight for the café on the street corner, whose enticing aromas of vanilla and cinnamon tempted passers-by to come inside. She ordered her well-tested rose pepper latte and, exceptionally, added a croissant. She only did this on special occasions, since she usually watched her figure, but she felt that today definitely called for it. In fact, she even popped the tiny chocolate that came with her latte into her mouth before she started to think about what had upset her so much.
 
Educational tourism is a type of tourism in which learning appears among the travellers’ goals. There is no consensus among researchers as to whether educational tourism should be defined solely as travel whose primary purpose is learning, with all other activities being secondary ( Tomasi et al., 2020 ), or whether almost any journey could be regarded as educational tourism, given that some form of learning always takes place while travelling ( Falk et al., 2012 ). The latter view holds that no matter why a person travels – for sports, cultural discovery, or leisure – some degree of learning or skill development always occurs, even passively. Based on this, some scholars even question whether a formal educational institution is necessary for a trip to qualify as educational tourism. Others have tried to define and categorise the measurable outcomes of educational tourism and to analyse the issue that way ( McGladdery and Lubbe, 2017 ). Ritchie (2003 ) identified four categories of educational tourism using two criteria: whether education plays a primary or secondary role in the trip, and the travellers’ needs and preferences. The four categories were defined as follows: educational tourism organised for the purposes of ecotourism or cultural tourism; educational tourism for adults and seniors; tourism organised for or by schools and students; and travel designed for participants in higher education.
 
Since early September, Tilli had been living the student life in the breathtakingly beautiful French city of Bordeaux, as a student of the ESSCA Campus there. She was immensely proud that the semester abroad required by her studies was taking place in the very city she had dreamed of visiting since childhood. She had started learning French in high school, and by her second year of university she spoke it quite well. When the time came to choose where to spend her international semester for her International Management degree, it never even crossed her mind to pick any other country.
Her knowledge of Bordeaux had been somewhat limited: she had heard from her parents about its wines, learned at school that it had once been part of the Roman Empire and even became the capital of the province of Aquitania in the 2nd century BC, and she could locate it on a map – close to the Atlantic Ocean. Yet even with this modest information, she had longed to explore the city and the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in person. During the application process, she listed several large French cities, but she knew perfectly well that Bordeaux was the only option that would truly make her happy. She also very much hoped to be the only Hungarian student there, since she knew that people from the same country tended to group together abroad, solving problems and exploring the city as a team – something she wanted to avoid. She wanted to perfect her French and explore France according to her own plans and pace. She wished to study with French students because she wanted to understand their mindset, work rhythm, and methods better – and to integrate among them.
Moreover, she had set her heart on ESSCA. She had heard about its practical teaching style, the numerous company projects, the vibrant student life on every campus, the personal attention given to each student, and the inspiring professors. She had even attended several open days at the Budapest Campus to get a glimpse into the school’s life and to ask the students countless questions about their courses and the other campuses.
When she received the email confirming her acceptance – and cleverly found out from the university’s international coordinator that she was the only one from her home university to be accepted – she was over the moon. From that moment on, she felt like a French university student already, waking up and going to bed every day with that exhilarating thought until the day of her departure.
Upon her arrival in Bordeaux, she went straight to the university. She had already rented an apartment in advance, at a fairly reasonable price. She regretted a little that it wasn’t in a livelier neighbourhood – she had always lived downtown at home – but she consoled herself with the thought that, according to the photos sent by the real estate agent, she would have a direct view of the Garonne River from her bedroom. About two weeks before, she had also been invited to her new classmates’ Instagram group, which made her very happy; she could already get a sense of the group’s dynamics. She didn’t ask many questions, assuming she would figure everything out once she arrived. Still, she couldn’t wait to meet everyone and begin the semester.
When she reached the campus, she was stunned. This was not what she had expected. Before her stood a beautifully designed modern building. Streams of students were pouring inside, visibly delighted to see each other again after the summer break. Inside, the building was full of surprises – colours, shapes, smiling faces (students and staff alike), plants, a huge mural, and – oh! – a piano in the corner. If only I could sit down and play my favourite Beethoven symphony… The crowd carried her toward it almost automatically. A kindly smiling French girl – speaking incredibly fast – asked her (at least Tilli thought she did) if she wished to play something. Nervously but eagerly, she sat down and began the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. She didn’t look left or right – the world had vanished for her – so she didn’t notice how many heads turned and how people began to gather around. When she finished, the room erupted in applause. The applause went on and on until a boy stepped forward and asked, “Who are you? I haven’t seen you here before. Judging by your suitcases, you must be an exchange student! Your playing was amazing! Please, play something else!”
 
Picture 1. Piano in the great hall of the Bordeaux Campus of ESSCA
Source: The photo was taken by the colleagues of the Bordeaux Campus
 
Tilli played and played, but eventually she wanted to see more of the campus. She stood up, shyly thanked the still-gathering crowd, grabbed her suitcases, and continued down the hallway. Opening one door, she found a fully equipped music room filled with instruments. This is where I’ll spend all my free time, she thought. She closed the door and moved on, finding an art room filled with easels, canvases, paints, and graffiti tools, and then a dance studio.
Tilli began to doubt herself – Was she in the right place? This was too good to be true. Could I really study management in a place like this? She sat down on one of her suitcases, staring blankly ahead. Suddenly, the same boy who had spoken to her earlier appeared beside her and asked what was wrong. Mustering all her French, Tilli explained that she was overjoyed to be there but felt completely lost. She didn’t know where to go or where to start – she had simply “landed” in the middle of university life. Pierre, always smiling, encouraged her to get up, grabbed one of her suitcases, and led her toward the student office. On the way, she learned that they were in the same group, and within minutes she found out where their classes would be, where they usually had lunch, and where students gathered after lectures. Pierre even signed her name onto a wall list for the weekend golf course. He spoke so quickly and said so many new things that Tilli could barely keep up – her head was spinning from the flood of information.
Finally, they arrived at a large lecture hall where the campus director was already waiting to welcome the students for the new academic year. Tilli now regretted having brought her huge suitcases; she was the only one with luggage. The other girls wore stylish yet elegant outfits, high heels, and small backpacks. Dressed in her travel clothes, she tried to hide from curious glances and slipped quietly into a seat in the back row.
Her integration into university life turned out to be surprisingly easy – as if all her classmates had been instructed to make sure she and the other exchange students felt welcome. Tilli loved the atmosphere and enjoyed that several of her courses consisted only of French students. She had never been the most extroverted student, but she always had opinions and liked to share them, just as she did at her home university.
But during today’s class, someone said something that offended her. They had been discussing market segmentation in tourism, when the lecturer mentioned that she was participating in educational tourism. Why would they think she’s “just” a tourist? She had come to France with serious goals – to study, to grow, to understand the region – not as a “tourist,” but as a “quasi-French” student blending in among the French, discussing her observations and experiences with them.
Still, her curiosity outweighed her indignation, and she began searching online for what exactly it meant to be a participant in educational tourism. The more she refined her search, the more fascinating information she found, and her eyes began to sparkle with excitement at every discovery. Meanwhile, her latte was long gone. She sat there, holding the empty cup. The friendly waitress looked at her several times questioningly, and when she saw that this wasn’t getting her anywhere, she walked over and asked if Tilli wanted anything else. But Tilli didn’t even notice her – her thoughts were already far, far away. The waitress shrugged a little, slightly offended, and moved on.
The origins of educational tourism are traced back to the Grand Tours of the 16th century, when wealthy young men were sent on extended journeys across Europe at the end of their studies. These trips could last for a year or even two, and the students’ mission was to improve their language skills, deepen their understanding of European culture, and gain insight into politics. The goal was to acquire the broadest possible knowledge, as these young men would return home to take up high-ranking positions.
At first, such opportunities were reserved for members of the aristocracy, but later the sons of the prosperous bourgeoisie were also allowed to join these tours. Geographically, the early participants were English youths – even Queen Elizabeth I herself supported these cultural journeys. Departing from London, their first stop was Paris, from where they travelled onward to Italy, most notably visiting Venice and Rome. Later, Pompeii and then Sicily were added to the list of must-see destinations. Their route usually continued through Switzerland and the German-speaking regions, and they most often returned home via the Netherlands.
After the English youngsters, students from other countries soon recognised the personality- and knowledge-enriching, as well as reputation-enhancing, nature of these long journeys and set out on their own tours. It was important that every itinerary included Italy – anyone who failed to visit it was considered as though they had never made the trip at all. The travelling students carried letters of recommendation and credit notes with them, since roads were not entirely safe at the time and one had to be prepared for all sorts of contingencies.
Well then, thought Tilli, what would I even do with a stack of letters of recommendation in today’s French shops and restaurants? But of course, that was another era. She imagined herself in the place of those young travellers of centuries past and suddenly felt a strong urge to travel again herself – to visit museums, attend theatre performances, talk with locals…
The internet, however, also mentioned another aspect of these tours: the young travellers often fell in with the wrong crowd, were robbed, woke up not knowing where they were or what they had done the night before – or even in previous days – and many succumbed to the temptations of gambling. Well, that still happens today, Tilli mused. I see it at my home university – how many exchange students lose themselves in the maze of nightlife. Some can’t even finish their semester because they spend most of their time sleeping off their endless late-night programmes. I honestly can’t understand why they come abroad at all if they’re going to throw their studies aside for that.
As she continued thinking, she realized that both back home and here in Bordeaux, she often saw foreigners who seemed completely uninterested in culture – never visiting museums or historical sites, appearing only in bars and clubs. They had come abroad simply to drink, eat, and party until dawn.
Of course, she reflected, this is where the concepts of Venetian and Bolognese types of youth tourism come into play – something one of my parents’ friends mentioned a couple of years ago. She tried to recall the details of that conversation. The Bolognese type referred to students who, within the Bologna educational framework, studied in another country – where learning formed the core purpose of their stay abroad. Naturally, these students also took trips, shopped, and had fun, but their primary activity was education. The Venetian type of youth tourism, on the other hand, described those stays abroad where young people mainly partied, spent money, lived for nightlife – and the “studying” part was merely a cover story to secure scholarships for travel.
Well, I see plenty of both kinds… Tilli thought with a grimace. I don’t want to be, or even look like, a Venetian tourist. I wonder what kind of tourism the professor had in mind when he called me an educational tourist… Surely, he can see how much I study and how seriously I prepare for every class. She felt her irritation rising. Should I talk to him? Or just let it go? This matters to me… I don’t want to be lumped together with those idle students!
She quickly ordered a pain au chocolate. Usually, sweets calmed her down and helped her organise her thoughts when they became tangled. A blow to my figure, sure – but never mind. That’s the least of my concerns when I need a clear head to decide what to do. By the time she had eaten the last crumb, everything already seemed a bit brighter.
Her thoughts soon drifted back to the Renaissance-era students travelling through Europe. Then she noticed in one of the descriptions that some English students had even visited Hungary. This filled her with a sudden, proud joy. She straightened up in her chair, as if everyone else in the café had read the same fact and knew that she was Hungarian.
Scrolling further, she found references to how the students on these grand tours never returned home empty-handed. They filled large chests with artworks, fabrics, jewellery, and delicacies discovered in the cities they visited – things they were eager to bring back with them. Partly as keepsakes of their travels, but more importantly – and likely as the stronger motivation – to show everyone at home how cultured and worldly they were, and thereby secure more influential positions.
Tilli began to wonder… What will I bring home? The entire French “art de vivre”, perhaps – the kindness of the French people, the exquisite food (she glanced sadly at the chocolate smudges left on her empty plate), the feeling of freedom, of being able to be herself without pretence, unlike at home, where she sometimes had to perform a version of herself to be accepted. Here, they accept me as I am. But she couldn’t pack that feeling into a chest – if only she could! She sighed deeply.
Among the souvenirs those early travellers brought home were often paintings – sometimes portraits of themselves. Tilli’s eyes lit up. Once, in Paris, a lesser-known but very sweet painter on Montmartre painted my portrait. I remember – he finished it in no time, and it completely captured who I am. Somehow my personality even shone through, though he had just met me. He was in his thirties, a whimsical dreamer – what was his name again? Hadrien? Yes, that’s it! Maybe I could find someone here in Bordeaux to paint me now – a new portrait of the person I’ve become. She decided she would take a walk along the Garonne on Saturday – perhaps she’d find a few painters there.
Just then, Pierre poked his head through the café door. He looked at Tilli urgently, not understanding how she could be sitting there so calmly when they were due to present a corporate project in the main auditorium in just a few minutes. Seeing Pierre’s alarmed eyes, Tilli immediately realised it was time to go. She paid quickly and rushed back to campus beside him.
The others were already waiting, prepared for the arrival of company executives who, along with their course instructor, would evaluate the students’ strategic proposals.
Tilli loved these projects. At home, she had been used to long theoretical lectures and seminars based on hypothetical examples. Here, everything was different. Theory and practice were intertwined – as soon as they learned a concept, they immediately applied it. It had been only two months, yet she had already visited six companies, listened to more than that number of executives give guest lectures on campus, and worked on real corporate projects assigned directly by managers. During these company visits, students could ask as many questions as they wanted, and afterward they worked on their projects under the instructor’s supervision. Tilli was amazed – they were dealing with real data, real people, real products, and not the imaginary “Mr. Smith” or “Ms. Brown” examples she had known back home. She saw these assignments as professional treasures and threw herself into the work with tremendous enthusiasm.
She also felt her French improving day by day – and on some particularly intense evenings, she even caught herself dreaming in French.
After the presentation, the whole group went together to a club to celebrate the very positive feedback they had received from the company executives and their professor. Tilli and her friends ordered carefully, since they had another report to present the next day; instead of partying, they mainly discussed the day’s events and went home relatively early. However, many other groups were just getting into the party mood, clearly spending large amounts of money on food and drinks, eagerly waiting for the live music to start.
Before they said goodbye, Tilli finally asked the question that had been weighing on her mind all day. “You don’t really think I’m just a tourist here, do you? You can see how important it is for me to be part of the group, to do not only study-related but also other activities together, right?” At first, the others didn’t even understand the question. They looked at each other in confusion and stared at Tilli blankly. After a moment, she reminded them of that morning’s class, when the professor had categorized her as a participant in educational tourism. When the others realized what she was talking about, they burst out laughing.
Pierre, who spoke up first, said: “Tilli, you can’t be serious – you’re joking, right? We just had a class where the teacher introduced the different types of tourism, one of which was educational tourism. If you think about it, you are an educational tourist – you came to another country to study. That’s all. Don’t overthink it.”
Tilli then told them about what she had previously heard regarding the Bologna-type and Venetian-type educational tourism and explained how hurt she had felt being labelled a “tourist.” She also confessed her fear that teachers might think she was there only to have fun and that she didn’t take her studies seriously.
At this point, Pierre became serious: “Tilli, you’re probably the hardest-working member of our group. Look at how much you contribute and how much of our written work you produce. Plus, your midterm exams went exceptionally well – I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get a 20/20 on a paper before. And you did it in two subjects! The professors definitely see and appreciate that. How could you ever think anyone sees you as lazy?”
Tilli thought about what he said and immediately felt better. Before saying goodbye, she asked the others who was planning to participate in the Campus Talent Night with a performance. One girl was going to sing, and one of the boys planned to show his breakdance skills. With that, Tilli felt more confident and signed up herself – to play the piano.
When she got home, she kept pondering whether she really was a tourist or not. She no longer had bad feelings about the word, but still couldn’t fully accept it. She decided, however, that it was a professional term and she had to accept it as such. Still, she resolved that during the winter break she would research the topic more thoroughly and consider whether it might be possible to classify those foreign students who take their studies very seriously into a different category.
Perhaps that could even become the topic of her thesis…
 
Cases in Tourism Marketing III

Tartalomjegyzék

Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2026

ISBN: 978 963 664 217 4

MarketingTurizmus

The publication of the third volume of Cases in Tourism Marketing is truly welcome news from both an educational and a professional perspective. Through real-world, timely, and thought-provoking cases, this collection helps readers – students and practitioners alike – gain a deeper understanding of the complex world of decision-making in tourism marketing. The case studies not only convey professional knowledge but also develop analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking. One of the volume’s key strengths is its focus on issues that define contemporary tourism, including the role of digitalization, artificial intelligence, destination branding, and stakeholder collaboration in tourism marketing. Long-awaited and highly relevant, this third volume is a worthy continuation of the previous collections and will undoubtedly serve as a valuable resource in higher education in tourism, while also being highly recommended to professionals who enjoy reflecting on challenges and opportunities beyond their own immediate field of expertise.

Tamara Ratz PhD

Director, Centre for International Relations, Kodolányi János University

Head of Tourism Department, Professor of Tourism

It is an honor for me to recommend this volume to everyone who wishes to understand tourism marketing not only in theory, but also through its real business and human dimensions. The worlds of tourism and hospitality have undergone fundamental changes in recent years, which makes case studies based on real market situations, decision-making dilemmas and current challenges especially valuable in supporting both learning and critical thinking. This book provides not only professional knowledge, but also encourages a complex mindset, creative problem-solving and the ability to think in connections — exactly the skills today’s tourism professionals need most. I wholeheartedly recommend this volume to students, educators and tourism professionals alike.

Judit Fodor (Liptai)

Group Director of Sales and Marketing, Danubius Hotels

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/deli-gray-cases-in-toursim-marketing-iii//

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