Cultural intelligence (CQ) is critical to students' academic and career success. Drawing on experiential learning theory, the current study investigates the extent to which students' prior international experience and short-term study abroad destinations foster the development of their CQ. We examined the learning of 121 undergraduate students participating in two-week global business immersion programmes in four different locations (Russia, the UAE, the United States and Vietnam). Survey data collected pre- and post-immersion show these short-term study abroad programmes serve as a cultural eye-opener for students with low international experience and contribute to fostering a significant level of CQ development in culturally close countries. Our study uncovers a cultural distance paradox, suggesting that programme destinations with similar cultures to the students' home cultures facilitate a higher increase in the development of students' cultural intelligence. The study provides important implications for higher education institutions in the design and development of short-term study abroad programmes as an affordable, fast-growing and effective format for student mobility.