Universities as stakeholders that influence students’ intention to visit a place

Abstract

Place branding is gaining significance as destinations compete for scarce resources and visitors. Universities have great potential to influence the attitudes and behavioral intentions of the next generation of visitors, yet little research exists that explores the role or impact universities have on place branding. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), we therefore tested the influence that universities have on individuals’ attitudes toward and intention to visit Turkey. Data analyzed from 226 students suggest that universities influenced potential visitor attitudes, which led to the forming of behavioral intention to visit a particular country, and eventually resulted in actual behavior (visiting Turkey). To build value and attract visitors, universities should be involved in the place branding processes. This paper fills this gap and contributes to the literature by analyzing the impact of universities’ activities on the formation of visitor intentions to visit Turkey.