Travel the World to Feel Part of It? The Relations Between Long-Term Stays Abroad, Global Identity, and Nature Connectedness

Global identity (i.e., an identification with and concern for people all over the world) and nature connectedness are positively related to people’s pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. Therefore, ways to strengthen them are sought after. Stays abroad have many positive impacts on travelers, and there are preliminary indications that they may also provide opportunities to strengthen travelers' global identity and nature connectedness. In the current study, we thus examined the potential effects of long-term stays abroad on global identity and nature connectedness of young people. We conducted an online survey in three participant groups (N = 292): An experienced group which had returned from a long-term stay abroad, a planning group which intended but had not yet experienced such a stay, and a home group which had neither experienced nor planned a long-term stay abroad. We found a stronger global self-investment (i.e., one dimension of global identity reflecting solidarity and concern for people all over the world) for the experienced group compared to the home group. The groups did not differ with regard to nature connectedness. Moreover, we found that global identity was positively related to the amount of contact with international people met abroad. In sum, our results suggest that long-term stays abroad may increase the global self-investment of travelers, particularly if international experiences with people are made.