Fresh off the press, ALTO’s Global Directions in Language Travel 2009, THE definitive study in the language travel industry, reports on the main challenges and concerns of language travel organisations in 2009, and what these organisations are doing to respond to these challenges.

Global Directions analyses statistics from 272 language travel agents and schools--representing 663 language schools around the world. ALTO thanks its national association partners for helping make the report its strongest yet. Special thanks go out to: AAIEP, ASEPROCE, ASILS, BELTA, Languages Canada, IALC, UED, FELTOM, UNOSEL, EduSA, NYESA, and ABLS.

The main findings of the report were:

• In the first quarter of 2009, language travel respondents experienced reduced levels of growth compared with the same period in 2008. The average reported decline in business was -6%, which is a smaller decline than for the international tourism market in general over the same period (-8%). Language travel organisations are responding to the crisis in a proactive manner, with the majority of respondents looking for new partnerships and opportunities, seeking diversification, or increasing their marketing activities. Very few organisations are cutting back marketing budgets or product ranges. 

• The market grew rapidly up to 2008 in most countries, with double-digit growth rates in many countries. Survey respondents anticipate lower growth rates for 2009, but a resumption of rapid growth by 2010. The language travel market continues to perform better than most other segments of the international travel industry.

• The average language school respondent enrolled almost 500 students in 2008, and the average agent sent over 2100 students—both down from the 2007 figures reported in Global Directions 2008. Both schools and agents tend to be relatively small, with the majority having less than 25 staff. Schools obtained about 60% of their turnover from language travel, compared with over 70% in 2007.

• Products that respondents see as becoming more popular with students in the next three years include intensive English courses, academic preparation, and exam preparation. For the language travel industry as a whole, however, growth was most likely to be predicted in work experience programmes, career development, and volunteer programmes.

Global Directions in Language Travel 2009 is freely available for a limited time to non-members, and can be downloaded here.