Studying abroad is an enriching experience for students — but how are host city communities dealing with UF’s condensation of abroad programs?
During the 2024-25 academic year, nearly 3,500 UF students took part in study abroad programs around the world. As UF’s programs evolve from many small-enrollment offerings to fewer programs serving larger student populations, cultural awareness is more important than ever, according to the UF International Center Study Abroad Dashboard.
But with larger groups of students, the goal of intercultural understanding could become more daunting.
Brooke Reeves, a 21-year-old UF business administration senior, recalled how her experience traveling with over 100 other students in Florence last year meant being more mindful in public spaces when in large groups.
“The biggest thing they said when we got the keys for our place was to abide by their rules and respect them,” she said.
While most other students stayed in UF-provided dorm accommodations, Reeves said she and her friend opted to stay in a local residential area also provided by the university. While it gave her a more immersive local experience, she said she wasn’t close with any of her neighbors.
Some students talked with local residents more often than others, she said. She suggested study abroad program leaders have pre-emptive conversations with residents living near student accommodations and local businesses to determine which spots might be more tourist-friendly.
Aline Panajotov, a Viennese tour guide of 10 years, has a passion for sharing her city with tourists — but she knows most locals in Vienna don’t feel the same.
“They don’t appreciate the tourists, but also tourists don’t follow the rules,” Panajotov said.
What makes the relationship ironic, she said, is that Vienna relies on tourism. The city hit a record high of 20 million overnight stays in 2025. For Panajotov and many other locals, this overcrowding has led to debate about increasing tourist presence.
“[It’s] one of our strongest branches, but most people are criticizing it at the same time,” she said.
Panajotov’s main gripe with tourists, she said, is that they love exploring the city but not its unique aspects. Tourists might visit the Schonbrunn Palace, but they often miss Vienna’s vibrant coffeehouse culture, music festivals and movie nights.
Tim Neziri, the operations manager at Babu’s Bakery & Coffeehouse in Zurich, said some cultural differences give tourists a bad reputation and lead to similar criticisms.
For Neziri, the tables in his cafe are the biggest sign of tourist presence. Often when tourists sit in his cafe, he said, “everything is used, everything is quite dirty.”
Regardless, Neziri has become accustomed to the influx of tourists. He feels Zurich has long been for visitors, and tourism is integral to the city.
“Zurich also lives from the diversity, from the countries, from the people,” he said.
Wojciech Harbacewicz, the front office coordinator at the Citadines Danube Vienna hotel, is also a believer in diversity from different cultures.
While some may suspect a lack of cultural immersion by student tourists, Harbacewicz, a foreigner himself, said he is also “part of that bubble.”
Instead of chastising tourism, he suggests people understand not everyone in Vienna speaks German. He sees the lack of a unified language as a normal outcome of European mobility and English-language instruction during study abroad programs.
Moreover, he encourages students to partake in study abroad programs to gain perspective on life, cultures and their own country.
“The more diverse people you know, the more you learn about the world,” Harbacewicz said.
Ben Devlin, a 19-year-old UF finance junior, said he’s experienced just that. This summer, Devlin’s been studying abroad in Sardinia for the Blue Zones: Sardinia and Ikaria program. He’s found locals are “more accommodating to tourists” in Sardinia.
His most memorable interaction with the locals so far, he said, was when he visited a 95-year-old woman’s home to learn more about the local everyday lifestyle. Devlin’s tour guide thought it’d be interesting for students to meet her because of her personality and life stories.
“She didn’t even want to sit down,” Devlin said. “She just wanted us all to be comfortable.”
He said he thinks locals may not be ready for large groups of students to enter their establishments, but they were just excited for them to spend their money and time there.
Devlin and other abroad students also immersed themselves into Sardinian culture through cooking classes with the locals. The blue zones are famous for their healthy cuisine, emphasizing fruits and vegetables — and, to his surprise, lots of carbs.
“I think they really liked that we’re interested in their daily lives,” he said.
The Blue Zones program has just 25 students, allowing them to interact on a more personal level, Devlin said. When compared to the increasing number of students on high-volume study abroad programs, the number is a lot more manageable for host cities.
Devlin suggests other study abroad programs follow his trip’s lead by encouraging students to interact with the locals.
“I think we really are able to connect with the locals a lot,” he said.
It seems most locals want to preserve the traditions that make the city their home, but it’s difficult to share these traditions with visitors that don’t care to know more.
Contact Kendall O’Connor at koconnor@alligator.org. Follow her on X @kmoconnor.
