Affiliation:
1. Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management Macau University of Science and Technology Macau China
2. Faculty of Creative Tourism and Intelligent Technologies Macao University of Tourism Macao SAR China
Abstract
ABSTRACTTravel contributes to learning and learning can make travel more meaningful. However, the extant literature that exemplifies how educational travel influences an individual's attitude toward learning is limited. Based on social constructivism and self‐determination theory, and utilizing an online survey (N = 321), this study examines how university students' educational travel experiences lead to changes in academic motivation and wellbeing, which may enhance attitudes toward lifelong learning. The conceptual model of lifelong learning in relation to educational travel, academic motivation, and wellbeing is developed and confirmed. The full mediation effect of academic motivation and wellbeing is established. The survey results reveal a positive relationship between educational travel experience and learners' attitude change in lifelong learning. The study highlights the role of educational travel experience in promoting attitudinal changes toward lifelong learning, which provides implications to both travel companies and educational institutes for design and development of educational travel activities and programs.