View Point
Last year brought many challenges to the education travel market as a whole, the true consequences of which will only be fully realised as the new year unfolds. Consultants and educators are facing a time of uncertainty as the global mood swings between acknowledgement of the importance of increasing cultural understanding by reducing the barriers between different nations and the need for increased vigilance and security.
The terrorist attacks on the USA and subsequent military action in Afghanistan have sent ripples of uncertainty through the education travel industry, despite the fact that the value of increasing understanding and tolerance through education travel is apparent now more than ever. So far, many consultants in key markets report that students have been largely undeterred by recent events and continue to travel overseas to study, but there is a very real danger that measures introduced to reduce the threat of more terrorist attacks, such as stricter visa rules, may prevent many students from travelling overseas to study.
In the last quarter of 2001, some consultants reported difficulties in applying for student visas to the USA due to the closure of embassies, and further barriers look set to be erected as momentum gathers pace for the speedy implementation of the student tracking system in the USA (page 2), together with tighter visa regulations. As it is, student confidence in the USA as a safe study destination has been severely damaged and this, together with difficulties in applying for a visa, will certainly hamper growth of the country's international education industry (page14), and encourage students to look elsewhere. While the country's position as the top world destination for international students would need a severe shift in student trends to be realistically threatened, many institutions are starting to recognise that the USA can no longer afford to be complacent.
Our feature on US universities and their use of overseas consultants (pages14-15) looks at some of the difficulties experienced by educators and agents in their efforts to work together. Many universities in the USA have developed strong and successful working partnerships with overseas consultants, finding innovative ways around the question of paying commission to agents. However, more needs to be done to address the misconceptions surrounding the payment of fees to consultants for student enrolments, which are prevalent throughout the USA, if they are to rebuild student confidence in the country.
Increased barriers to study in the USA mean that study destinations such as Australia and New Zealand look set to gain in the global competition for international students. Australia has already been enjoying a boom in international student interest in recent years (page 10) and many institutions are keen to consolidate their advantage. Natural advantages such as cheaper living costs (page 6), a favourable climate and a reputation for safety, combined with effective marketing worldwide, have dramatically increased this country's share of the global student market. The effects of the new visa regulations brought in last year – which introduced stricter regulations for some key markets – have yet to filter through and many institutions in Australia are waiting to see whether they will be able to hold on to their lead. New Zealand, too, is keen to increase its position as a desirable study destination and a new government-backed marketing brand launched last year will certainly help it achieve its objective (page 4).
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