According to a recent report by Future Market Insights (FMI), the educational tourism market is expected to surpass a valuation of US$ 1,947.0 Bn at a robust CAGR of over 17.2% through 2031.

Governments around the world have played an important role in modernizing the education system by developing smart learning programs and aligning the education curricula with global teaching standards. The as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), etc. has led to the adoption of more efficient methods of teaching and in turn delivering an enhanced quality of education. Governments have adopted several initiatives to support the integration of technology into the education system. For example, the UAE has initiated an Innovation Hub by Oracle in Dubai, allowing students to pitch ideas for developing technological changes.

Meanwhile, the UAE government has allocated funds towards ICT development and establishment of 122 innovation libraries in schools with Arabic representation in technology in order to encourage and promote education among Arabic-speaking students. The main objective for integrating new technologies into the educational system is to enable students to adapt to the ever-evolving dynamics of various industries. Moreover, regional governments are focusing on creating an ecosystem led by innovation and a knowledge based economy.

Therefore, the adoption of these technologies into the education system remains a top priority for government authorities.

Key Takeaways from the Educational Tourism Market Study

• India, the U.S., the U.K., France, and Japan among others are the most popular destinations for educational tourism.
• The U.S., the U.K., China, and Australia among others are top-visited countries in the world for educational tourism and are becoming an education hub for international students.
• In terms of course type, master degree will be the most preferred type among consumers, contributing over 71% of global market share
• Students are the primary end-users, enabling the global educational tourism market growth and are expected to generate over 39% of revenue during the forecast period
• Global travel companies are anticipating high growth in the educational tourism sector. Though nascent in certain areas of the world, many travel companies are conducting educational tours, thereby promoting the importance of education and contributing to the growth of the educational tourism sector.
• The concept of informal learning is more appreciated than formal learning, i.e., “education with travel”. Further, the thirst for knowledge has also increased thereby encouraging people to travel across the globe to gain knowledge of different concepts and technologies that they had studied earlier.

“Given the ever-growing demand for higher education and to bring to the attention of the local authorities to the implementation of the national strategy for international cooperation, international student recruitment has become a priority. Implementation of various policies and measures to help recruitment of a higher number of international students will therefore present highly lucrative growth opportunities for the market,” says an FMI analyst.

Impact of Covid-19 & 2020 Market Analysis

Educational tourism has been one of the most affected industries from the very beginning of the outbreak of the coronavirus, with airlines on the ground, the suspension of outgoing and incoming flights, nationwide lockdowns, hotels closing and travel controls enforced.

In the FQ-20, the pandemic limited the arrival of international visitors to a fraction of what they were one year before. Countries all over the world imposed travel restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which broadly affected the overall tourism industry.

Additionally, The Director-General and CEO of IATA reported that financially, 2020 was the worst year in aviation history. On average, US$ 230.0 Mn has been added to business losses on each day of this year, contributing to a net loss of US$ 84.3 Bn dollars.

In 2020, with the extreme effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, in contrast to 2019 estimates, foreign tourism decreased by 22% in Q1 and by 65% in the first half of 2020, which directly impacted the educational tourism industry.

Who is Winning?

Players in educational tourism market adopts a virtual and online approach to connect with potential people. For instance, key players such as GVI Company, EF Educational Tours, and M.K.H Consultancy Services, among others provides virtual internship program and online classes. This approach helps the players to attract more customers.

Few key players in the educational tourism market are Meridean Overseas, GVI Company, Global Volunteers, Capital Tours, Inc., EF Educational Tours, Road Scholar, AAI Edutourz, ACIS Educational Tours, GoIreland, Qadri International Education Consultancy, Intelligent Partners, Futures Abroad, ProEd DMCC, Education Resources Network (ERN), Education Zone, Fact, IQ Education Consultants, M.K.H Consultancy Services, and Stratix Consultants among others.