SPORTS AND HEALTH TOURISM AS A TOOL FOR THE SOCIOCULTURAL ADAPTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO THE HOST CULTURE OF RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Aim. This study investigates the potential of sports and health tourism as a means for the socio­cultural adaptation of international students in the Russian Federation. Materials and methods. The study employed an online survey. The participant age distribution was as follows: 18–20 years (82%), 21–23 years (14.5%), and 24–26 years (3.5%). The sample consisted of two target groups: international students (n = 72) and Russian citizens (n = 116). Results. The first stage of the study demonstrated psychological barriers to intercultural understanding among students from different countries. The second stage analyzed the impact of short-term sports and health trips involving both Russian and international students. These trips were found to foster mutual understanding, reduce communication, psychological, and cultural barriers, and strengthen friendly relations. The third stage demonstrated the relationships between the competencies acquired by international students through their participation in various sports and health tourism projects and the effectiveness of their sociocultural adaptation within the university environment. The results provide a framework for organizing structured interaction between Russian and international students through social learning within sports and health tourism. Conclusion. The sociocultural adaptation of international students includes both language use and cultural competencies in the diverse contexts provided by sports and tourism activities in the host country. This approach improves the conditions for international students to accumulate positive experiences.