Educational tourism as a strategy for sustainable tourism development : perspectives of universities in Windhoek, Namibia

Abstract

This study aimed to explore educational tourism as a strategy for sustainable tourism development in Windhoek, Namibia. Despite educational tourism being one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel and tourism industry, it has often been overlooked in academic, professional and marketing circles. The study applied a qualitative methodology in exploring how three Windhoek-based universities could leverage their educational tourism potential to enhance sustainable tourism development. Based on twenty-three interviews conducted with international students and international relations-related staff across three Windhoek-based universities, and implementing a thematic analysis, the key findings suggest that the universities enrol both long-term degree-seeking and short-term semester-based exchange students. Although both categories of students provide a source of sustainable educational tourism receipts, no active structures are available for attracting these students. The findings also revealed that educational tourism has the potential to contribute to sustainable tourism development in Namibia. The potential can be realised through stakeholder engagement and clear educational tourism policy development. Respondents concur that the Windhoek-based universities possess the potential to attract international students to enrol in their programmes. Their enrolment will contribute to the enhancement of cultural exchange and socio-economic leverages. The study proposes new insights into educational tourism development in the Namibian context, the need for focused strategies, the development of policies and stakeholder engagement to capitalise on this tourism niche. The outcomes present practical information prompting Windhoek-based universities to recognise the importance of active participation in the promotion of educational tourism while contributing to the extant literature on the subject, especially in the developing context.