Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Trend Toward Combining Visits With Vacation

  • By Kurt A. Stahura
  • 01/01/17

Combining Visits With VacationA current trend involves families incorporating college visits into traditional vacations. For example, at Niagara University, we find that students often tour the world-famous Niagara Falls and the surrounding area during their visit.

College visits often take place during students’ sophomore, junior and senior years of high school. Many families book these trips during spring break or in the summer in an attempt to gather information about institutions to find the perfect match for their students’ next chapter.

With so many great college cities and towns across the United States, combining a family vacation with the all-important campus visit makes sense for three reasons. First, financially, a campus visit already involves hotel and transportation costs, so parents are getting the most from their investment. Second, from a time perspective, parents have a finite number of vacation days each year, so combining the two is efficient. Third, it may be the last time a family is able to travel together for a while, so it makes the journey memorable and it serves as a bonding experience for parents and siblings: Everyone gets to be part of the prospective student’s “adventure.”

About the Author

Kurt A. Stahura, Ph.D. is dean at College of Hospitality & Tourism Management in Niagara University, NY.

Featured

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Rowan University, HPE Partner on New Learning Initiative

    Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., recently announced that it has expanded its partnership with enterprise technology provider HPE to improve research capabilities and hands-on learning opportunities, according to a news release.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.