New body to promote educational travel
(Pictured: Jack Coronna, Chairman, BETA (left), Emma English, Executive Director, BETA (centre), and Viscount Thurso MP, launch sponsor (right).
At the House of Commons on Monday, Viscount Thurso MP launched the British Educational Travel Association (BETA), a new association to promote educational travel.
The new body, whose slogan is ‘education through travel’, has been founded by ten British educational travel producers and suppliers ‘to co-ordinate and promote the commercial, cultural and social activities of Britain’s educational travel sector’ – estimated to be worth over £12 billion per year.
Jack Coronna, president of the Federation of International Youth Tour Organisations and Chairman of BETA, said that the educational travel sector has a “history of being viewed by many as unimportant or of low value not worthy of serious development or promotion”.
He explained: “Young travellers benefit the national economy and the days of the low spending student have long gone. Daily spend may be lower than in other sectors but the average stay is much longer and therefore total spend is often much higher than that of a mainstream tourist.
“One of our key objectives is to change the mindset of those who underestimate the value of educational travel.”
Mr Coronna added: “One in four travellers worldwide is a young person. In many destinations they have a considerable impact on the local economy, as well as making a significant social contribution. BETA will be promoting their interests as well as the commercial organisations that have arranged their travel”.
Speaking at the launch, sponsor Viscount Thurso MP, said: “Britain’s tourism industry generates over £70 billion per year. The producers and suppliers of educational travel contribute about £12 billion. For far too long their worth has been undervalued and I am delighted BETA has taken up the challenge to raise the profile of this important market sector.”
Mr Coronna said that BETA is hoping to work with VisitBritain (the recently formed merger between the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council) and with the Tourism Alliance.
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