EXAMINING ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF CROATIAN AND SERBIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND ITS IMPACT ON TRAVEL TO THE USA

Given historical, religious, economic, cultural and ethnical differences between Croatia and Serbia, level of exposure to USA/Americans, recent bilateral relationships with US Government, and the fact that Serbian people gave some of the lowest ratings in the world to USA/Americans in several Median Gallup Polls, speculations were that Serbian university students would have lower expectations of traveling to USA in general or to take classes at a university in the USA, as well as lower ratings about USA/Americans than their Croatian counterparts. Although no significant difference was detected regarding expectations to travel to USA in general, Croatian students expressed significantly higher expectations to take on-campus or online classes with USA University. Surprisingly there was no significant difference between Croatian and Serbian students' views on USA leadership, quality of current and future life in USA, how open, free and influenced by religion is the American society. Furthermore, while Croatian students perceived Americans to be friendlier and more likable, Serbians felt that Americans are better educated and harder workers. Since studies were conducted in Croatia in 2008 and 2010, the paper will also examine any shifts between these two studies. The Croatian students' results from 2010 will be compared and contrasted to the Serbian students from 2010. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]