Effects of Educational Tourism on Social-Emotional Experiences and Well-Being of International Students of Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus, Famagusta

This research aims to investigate the effects and influences of educational tourism on social-emotional experiences and well-being of international students of Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus, Famagusta. This study was a qualitative studythat tried to find out the impacts of educational tourism on international students' well-being. Semi-structured interviews were used with 15 foreign students between the ages of 18 and 35 who were not Turkish Cypriotsto answer the questions. The study indicates that educational tourism has impacts on international students’ social emotional experience and psychological wellbeing. Their lives will change as students plan to travel and leave their country to study and live in another country. These types of changes have been found in this research such as: being independent, communication problem, adapting difficulties in a new place, unfamiliar cultural issues, facing disrespect, panic attacks, safety issues and language barriers. And all these changes happen because of many reasons such as educational issues, acculturative stress and economic issues. These changes bring other impacts in their lives such as homesickness, increasing anxiety, depression, culture chock, increasing sadness and low self-esteem. Keywords: Educational Tourism, International Students, Social-Emotional Experience, Psychological Wellbeing, North Cyprus.