Students should not only learn about these attractions/resources in their courses, but they also should be actively encouraged and required to make field trips to these sites.

Countries in the sub-region cannot expect to develop a sustainable edu-tourism based solely on foreign tourist. These countries need to build and nurture the domestic capacity critical for the long-term success of edu-tourism. Education policies should be revamped to incorporate edu-tourism programs in school curricula from primary to tertiary levels. Students in these institutions should not only learn about these attractions/resources in their courses, but should be actively encouraged and required to make field trips to these sites. This is particularly important because research suggests that interest in the activities that most people engage in as adults were first developed during childhood and adolescence (Mcguire, Dottavio & O'Leary, 1987). By encouraging the involvement of school children in their formative and impressionable years, sub-Saharan African countries will be creating a cadre of future clients to sustain edu-tourism.

National tourism organizations and universities need to work in a coordinated manner to design and create edu-tourism programs that engender interests of nationals of the sub-region. Edu-tourism market results from intra-regional travels. According to the WTO, intra-regional travel, which is travel by Africans to other African countries, constitutes the most common form of tourism in the region. In 1998, almost 40% of tourist arrivals in Africa came from the continent. This figure represents a staggering increase of almost 118% compared with 1989 (WTO). Countries within the sub-region can tap into this vast potential market via education tourism. To stimulate intra-regional edu-tourism travel, member countries can overhaul and strengthen existing travel and immigration protocols of their respective regional blocs to facilitate easy movement among nationals within the sub-region. Furthermore, conscious promotional efforts will have to be undertaken within the sub-region to heighten public awareness of available edu- tourism opportunities and their accessibility. In addition, national tourism organizations and universities will need to work in a coordinated manner to design and create edu-tourism programs that engender interests of nationals of the sub-region.

Sub-Saharan African countries can negotiate with institutions of higher learning in the North to encourage European students to travel to the sub-region Edu-tourism market is represented by the European Union (EU). This region is a large tourist- generating market for Sub-Saharan Africa (WTO, 1998). Most of the countries in the sub-region still have strong ties to these former colonial powers. Education tourism could benefit from this market through several bi-lateral and technical agreements. Sub-Saharan African countries can negotiate with European institutions of higher learning to encourage European students to travel to the sub-region.

North American market comprises universities and institutions offering area studies relating to sub-Saharan Africa Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and the largely untapped African-American market. Promotional efforts and direct contacts will have to be made with these entities to stimulate and tap into these latent markets currently underexploited by sub-Saharan African countries.

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa have to pursue the goal of education tourism separately as well as in a coordinated and structured way through regionalism (Kennes, 1997). At the country level, each country through their National Tourism Organizations (NTOS), universities/colleges and tourism stakeholders will be responsible for identifying appropriate themes to form the framework for the education tourism strategy. In addition, inputs may be solicited abroad from universities/colleges travel agents/tour operators to shape the themes and course content.

The NTOs will set the tourism development policies with advice from the universities and tourism stakeholders. The universities will have the responsibility of providing facilities and equipment, expertise and the necessary academic environment to facilitate learning. The stakeholders will make available the tourism attractions, lodging and transportation. Governments of these countries will provide the infrastructure and super-structure needed to facilitate the smooth operation of the strategy.

The universities collaborating with tourism stakeholders will produce a workable education program than can be divided into two sections:

a)Classroom experience

b)On-site practical experience.

The program schedule should specify the length of the classroom segment and the on-site practical experience. The governments, through their NTOs, will provide resources to set up Community Communication Centres (CCC) in the various attraction sites. These centres will have a resident expert on tourism attractions and subject matter in the curriculum to assist with the dissemination of on- site instruction. In addition, these centres will have up-to-date technological links to the universities. Lessons in education tourism could be delivered through distance learning, the Internet and email. Learning can take place in two phases. In the first phase, participants will spend some time in the university classrooms that are linked to the community centres. This arrangement makes it possible to provide participants the knowledge-base and the perceptual view of what is involved in the next phase. The second phase is the on-site experience where participants travel to the attraction location to actively participate and acquire skills that will reinforce the knowledge acquired in the classroom.

Malaysia is increasingly recognized by students from around the world as the preferred choice for tertiary and continuing education. Today, great numbers of bright young individuals from around the world contribute to the mix of cultures and languages in Malaysia.

One of the primary reasons for the choice of Malaysia as an educational centre is its relatively low cost of living, yet high quality of life. This is augmented by easy accessibility to the latest state-of-the-art educational aids and technologies so necessary in the pursuit of academic excellence in the modern world. In addition, Malaysia’s multi-racial make-up and welcoming nature make it easy for students to discover more about the people, traditions and cultures while pursuing their education.

More than 600 public and private educational institutions ranging from pre-tertiary to university levels currently exist in Malaysia. These include excellent homegrown institutions with numerous foreign affiliations as well as a number of branch campuses of distinguished foreign universities. A qualification from these institutions is at par with that received at home campuses.

A number of prestigious Malaysian universities have also made their mark as centres of scholastic excellence, such as the International Islamic University and the Multimedia University. There are also the more established and prestigious institutions like University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysian University of Science in Penang. In addition, a number of international colleges and universities have established twinning programmes with Malaysian institutions and today names such as Monash, Nottingham and others offer students the choice of completing their entire course in Malaysia or in countries such as Australia, New Zealand or United Kingdom.

Among the obvious benefits of undertaking the bulk of any course in Malaysia are substantial savings without having to sacrifice the quality of education received. Malaysia has a broad range of high-quality yet affordable educational options and courses that are recognized internationally. This has resulted from thousands of foreign students from approximately 100 countries studying in Malaysian educational institutions.

Students considering Malaysia as an option for further education but remain undecided can actually participate in a number of short-term student tourism programmes in which they are exposed to the country, its people and the wide variety of educational choices available. This program has been extremely successful in not just providing students with the opportunity to decide on their education but also with an exciting holiday in Malaysia!

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