Unveiling the intersections between tourism industry and student mobility

Abstract

Previous studies have shown how student circuits of consumption are mediated by the interest of commercial actors. However, little attention has been paid to the connections between international student stays and the tourism sector: how they intersect with each other? Our fieldwork in Lisbon (Portugal) showed the central role of student organizations in commercializing the leisure time of international students, approaching them to ‘circuits of travel’ and consumption populated also by tourists. Filling a gap in the literature, we conceptualize international students as consumers surrounded by entertainment industries, pointing out the centrality of touristic infrastructures and destination marketing in articulating their stays. Therefore, we argue that these organizations, in their partnership with tourism and leisure sectors, are contributing to the socio-spatial segregation between local and international students.