Tourists' Attitude Change: U.S. Students Visiting the USSR

The aim of this research was to determine whether the touristic experience of US students visiting the USSR affected their opinions and attitudes towards the Soviet people and their institutions. Both before and after the visit a sample of students travelling to the USSR for the first time was asked to complete a structured questionnaire that measured attitudes towards the Soviet people, their political beliefs, and their institutions. The results, compared with those of a control group, showed that in general the touristic experience did not change the attitudes and opinions of US students towards the USSR and the Soviet people.