Travel Characteristics of University Students and Implications for Domestic Tourism: A Study of Takoradi Technical University

Abstract

Domestic tourism has grown to become a driving force of many economies globally and when developed can stand the shocks of pandemics which affect international tourism in receipts and arrivals. The scope of tourism markets is of different segments, which when given the necessary attention generate benefits to tourism destinations, inclusive of the segment of students’ market. However, students’ market segment is under exploited, requiring attention. Therefore, considering Ghana’s tourism resources and students’ enrolments, the study sought to assess the travel patterns and preference of university students and how implications can be strategically evaluated for the promotion of domestic tourism. The study was limited to students of Takoradi Technical University students. The study employed a quantitative approach and adopted questionnaire as the data collection instrument. Data was analysed and presented using IBM SPSS version 21 and the results were presented in frequencies, tables, pie charts and histogram. Key findings showed that students individually organize their travel, consider safety and location in the choice of destination, and use internet and social media in search of travel information. The study provides content for tourism institutions, enterprises and service providers on the preference and patterns of university students travel. Also, it provides information to decision makers and serves as content to destination managers in giving attention to university students as a market segment in the promotion of domestic tourism.