Page 49 - StudyTravel Magazine August 2018 Issue

MARkET ANAlYSIS StUdytrAvel mAgAZIne AUgUSt 2018

Market Analysis:
France

The French market shows yet more growth on the previous year with
recovery in several areas, as SIÂN LEWIS reports.

Our analysis of the French language teaching market made an impact in the Mexican and Colombian
in 2017 shows growth after a turbulent period of student markets.
recovery. While business has not yet fully returned to Italy held on to the top spot in StudyTravel
2015 levels in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris Magazine’s analysis of inbound student trends,
and Nice, many educators are hopeful for the future. followed by Germany and China. William Rubinstein
“2016 was a really bad year,” relates David at International House Nice www.ihnice.com reports
Sampere, at France Langue www.france-langue. there were large numbers of Italians requesting stage
com. However, enrolment fi gures were much and language programmes in 2017. Helen Watts
more encouraging in 2017, he says. Similarly, Jean at Alpine French School www.alpinefrenchschool.
Labeyrie from inlingua La Rochelle www.inlingua- com in Morzine, meanwhile, reports a good level of
larochelle.com reports that their school experienced enrolments from the UK, Swiss-Germany, the USA,
steady growth in 2017, with enrolments doubling or Italy, Spain and Russia in 2017 and a healthy increase
tripling in volume every year. “2017 was our best in summer bookings over the previous year.
year to date and is growing every day,” he says. With regards to student age range, William
According to its 33 member schools, Groupement reports an increase in teenage enrolments and a
FLE reported a seven per cent increase in the number decrease in adult bookings. “I have been in this
of international students studying at its centres in business for 33 years and have never seen so many
2017, compared with 2016 fi gures. Student weeks requests for school groups and students for our
also rose, albeit marginally, to 151,000 in 2017. summer camp,” he comments. Elody Vincent at
However, there were big differences between Alliance Française Lyon www.afl yon.org, notes their
student week fi gures and actual student numbers at school’s new programmes, Immersion in Lyon and
France Langue, with a business increase of 12 per Summer School, generated good levels of interest.
cent in student numbers and 26 per cent in weeks, “Designed to help students enhance their skills
relates David. dramatically in a short period, they include intensive
Best performing student markets varied consider- French courses, workshops and amazing outings in
ably depending on school. David notes Brazil’s eco- Lyon and the region,” she explains.
nomic recovery played a key role in enrolment increas- There was also an increase in average length of
es from this market, while in-country representatives stay, from 3.7 weeks in 2016 to 5.4 weeks in 2017,

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