Fifth International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies

Abstract

The study examined American college students’ international service learning (ISL) experience in Costa Rica. The ISL trips were designed to provide students with socially-responsible and environmentally conscious experiences as a way to raise their awareness of tourism negative impacts on Costa Rican Afro-Caribbean and indigenous communities they visited during their trip. Participants included 63 students enrolled in faculty-led international service-learning classes that traveled to Costa Rica between 2016 and 2019. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Skype prior and after the trips. In addition, students reflected on their 10-day experience daily in their travel journal. The interviews were transcribed verbatim; two researchers coded both interviews and journal reflections to identify emerging themes. Participants reported the ISL was an important part of their trip because it facilitated cultural immersion, and enabled them to give back to the community and connect with people and natural settings they visited. The results of the study suggest there may be an increased demand for trips with a service learning component among college students, arguably because of service learning’s potential to facilitate a meaningful connection between ISL’s participants and destinations’ natural and cultural environment.