Educational travel is our industry’s future
TravelMole guest comment by Emma English, executive director, British Educational Travel Association
Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, last month announced at the latest BETA Youth Travel Workshop that the education travel business is the future of the UK tourism industry.
Naturally, I agree and would go on to say that it is a great endorser of Britain itself, with young people travelling from this country giving value to the world.
Travel agents and the whole spectrum of the tourism industry, inbound and outbound, benefit from young people’s early exposure to the travel bug. In fact, the use of travel agents by young travellers has increased sharply, according to the latest figures from the World Tourism Organisation.
And, says the UK Office of National Statistics, in 2006 visitors to the UK to study, for example, spent an average of £1,742 per visit, and stayed longer, compared with just £527 for business travellers, £470 for general holiday visitors and £379 per head for VFR traffic.
In the same year, 16 to 34 year-old visitors spent an average of £565 per visit, much more than 35 to 54 year-olds at under £500.
The sector also includes those organisations who manage the high level of outbound travel by young people from the UK, contributing to the 25% of all international youth tourism arrivals.
So it is now becoming clear that, while specialist knowledge of this sector is essential in meeting the ambitious needs of youth and student clients, the sheer scale and rate of growth in this sphere of tourism make it a mainstream market, with opportunities for the whole travel trade.
Moreover, the educational travel sector benefits Britain as a nation. Outbound British travellers explore, work and study and return here with a clearer knowledge of the world, having also, by their example, promoted Britain as a destination for others to visit.
Additionally, this country’s image and effectiveness on the world stage is enhanced by, for example, the 340,000 (and rising) students currently in who return home, often taking up influential positions in industry and politics.
BETA’s key role in all this is to enhance the success of its members by providing a wide range of business opportunities that bring like-minded entrepreneurs and experts together.
In doing so, the association is widely regarded by its members as providing an outstanding service.
Young travellers to and from this country are seeking a special time of discovery.
Just the same as with those countries visited by outbound UK travellers, the regions around Britain also have the opportunity to provide a memorable experience that will influence young peoples’ judgment of these areas, and of Britain, forever.
*Travel firms wishing to take advantage of the opportunities of education travel should visit www.betauk.com for advice, guidance and a list of events that provide current and potential members with a competitive business edge.
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent