Page 12 - StudyTravel Magazine April 2025 Issue

AGENCY Q&A AGENCY OF THE

MONTH

INDUSTRY SPEAKS

This issue, Barbara Santuz, new President of
Italian agency association IALCA, answers our
questions about outbound trends, including the This month, Almatur www.almatur.
growth of the high school sector, and lists pl in Poland, has been recommended
future social engagements for the association. by IELS www.ielsmalta.com in Malta.
Olga Stanichevskaia, at the school,
explains why.

Olga
Stanichevskaia

“Almatur is one of the most profes-
sional and resilient partners we
www.ialca.it work with. The satisfaction, safety,
segreteria@ialca.it and wellbeing of their customers is
their top priority. We recommend
Number of members: 28 Almatur for their professionalism
Types of members: Italian language consultants & travel and dedication and for the positive
agents impact they have on the lives of
so many students. Their commit-
Please reflect on the association’s recent activities. ment to a holistic experience that
In 2024, we gained new members, participated in a fam trip in Spain, followed includes educational excellence,
by a B2B event in Verona, organised by Andalucia Trade. We attended the hand-picked accommodation,
Didacta fair in Florence, and successfully organised the 5th Salone delle cultural programme and safety of
Lingue in Rome. The year ended with the election of the new board, which will their students aligns closely with
be in office for the next three years. We are currently working on organising a our own values.”
fam trip to New Zealand, which we hope to be able to finalise this year.

How did Italy’s outbound agency market perform in 2024? Adam Fronczak,
The market has recovered well after the pandemic. In the post-Brexit period, Almatur, Poland
Ireland continues to be the main destination for the mini-stay market due to
the challenges posed by the need for a passport to enter the UK. However, “Cooperation with IELS is not just
the increase in the cost of flights and services is an ongoing challenge for business, but a long-standing,
those focussing on summer study vacations and mini-stays. The Young Adult fruitful relationship. Founded
sector is experiencing significant growth, as students finishing their studies in 1956, Almatur is the longest
increasingly feel the need to acquire language skills before entering work. operating travel agency in Poland.
For over 12 years we’ve come
Is the high school sector growing for member agencies? to greatly value our partnership
The high school sector was crucial during the pandemic period. High school with IELS. Olga’s professionalism
programs are definitely the fastest-growing, and an increasing number of and dedication to developing our
IALCA agencies are focusing on this specific sector. The role of the specialised collaboration have been invaluable.
consultant is particularly important in this field, as it requires specific skills. Working with Olga gives us the

IALCA agencies have participated in various secondary-focussed events and confidence that the impossible
actively collaborate with secondary school associations through webinars. becomes possible. Thanks to IELS,
we can offer clients high-quality

Read more at: https://studytravel.network/magazine/issues/853 language courses in Malta.”

APRIL 2025 9