The values of sustainable development are actively promoted in the tourism industry. Educational tourism is no exception. The niche of educational tourism has some characteristics related to the impact it has on economic, socio-cultural and environmental sustainability. The increase in the number of trips focused on education is important for many countries with hosting universities and students, which leads to the need to study educational tourism in the context of sustainable development. The purpose of the study was to study the satisfaction with journeys by foreign students, willingness to share their travel experience. A survey was used for empirical research. It was conducted among foreign students studying at universities in Kazakhstan. The study noted that mutual understanding is largely associated with the satisfaction of foreign students. Interactions, warm feelings and personal connections that develop with the locals can really improve the experience of the trip. For the sustainability of tourist destinations, local residents must form a favorable attitude towards foreign students, so it is important to understand what determines the construction of such relations with local residents. The research also notes that the segment of foreign students, although considered as one of the main segments of educational tourism, however, foreign students themselves do not always consider themselves to be in this category. The author concludes that educational institutions, when implementing strategies to attract foreign students, need to take into account the tourist component, offering foreign students the opportunity to travel, get acquainted with local culture, local residents, thereby contributing to the development of educational tourism, increasing its role and significance for the economy of the host territories, achieving sustainable development goals.