Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF

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ICEF Exchange podcast: The gradual return to student travel

Border reopenings, vaccinations, and welcoming government policies are all starting to emerge in recent weeks. In this episode, the first in the second season of the ICEF Exchange...

UNWTO and IATA launch new dashboard for COVID travel updates

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have released a Destination Tracker tool to help guide governments, organisations, and travellers as to...

Survey confirms that vaccination rollouts are influencing student choice

New QS global research indicates that the introduction of COVID vaccines is strengthening prospective international students’ resolve to study abroad, and that many students now want to begin...

China emerging as a major destination for African students

In less than a decade, China has moved from being the least popular study abroad destination for African students to the most popular for a growing number of...

World travel organisation calls for “harmonised travel and health protocols” to spur recovery in 2021

The severe disruption in global travel that we observed throughout much of 2020 is continuing this year. The latest tracking data from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)...

The link between vaccine rollouts and the attractiveness of study destinations

Over the past few years, various study abroad destinations have seen their international student numbers wax or wane in tandem with their governments’ approaches to post-study work rights...

How the pandemic is shaping the expectations and decisions of international students

The pandemic is fundamentally shaping the lives of young people belonging to Gen Z (born between 1995 and 2015). Across the world, these young adults are confronted with...

Year in review: What we learned in 2020

Year in review? Do we have to? We might all feel a certain reluctance to revisit the year just past, what with its turbulent politics, more apparent climate...

New UNTWO data measures pandemic’s toll on global tourism

The latest UNTWO data confirms that 2020 is “the worst year on record in the history of tourism.” The loss of US$935 billion in export revenues between January...

Vaccine breakthroughs lead to updated forecasts for COVID recovery

COVID-19 continues to ravage people and economies around the globe, but we now know that (at least) three promising vaccines will be available in 2021 to help prevent...

International students increasingly willing to switch destinations for in-person learning

As COVID-19 wears on, tens of thousands of international students’ study abroad plans remain on hold, and those who are enrolled are having a very different experience than...

Changing tactics: How destination marketing organisations are adapting during the pandemic

A feature webinar at ICEF Berlin showcased how three well-established destination marketing organisations (DMOs) have adjusted their marketing efforts during the pandemic. The variety in approach reflects that...

International education begins to look ahead to a greener future

“Build back better” is a phrase that we have all become more familiar with in recent months. It imagines not only an economic recovery after the pandemic but...

Updated world travel outlook anticipates recovery will start in 2021

The latest impact figures from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) show that international tourist arrivals declined 70% in the first eight months of 2020 compared to...

Tracking student intent for study abroad through October

Two recent surveys of prospective students have arrived at very similar observations as to the impact of the pandemic on planning for study abroad. The first comes from...