By Dr. Monique Y. Wells, founder & CEO of the Wells International Foundation (WIF), co-owner of Entrée to Black Paris tours, and member of The Travel Institute’s Professional Educators Program.
Travel is one of the most powerful avenues to building well-rounded, open-minded, critically-thinking youth. Traveling to another state, or even another city within one’s home state, can be a life-changing experience for children, teens, and college students – particularly those who are underserved and have few to no such opportunities.
Traveling abroad is the ultimate mind-expanding experience. And study abroad deepens that experience through immersion, whether for a week, a season, or one to several years. It provides extended opportunities for students to look openly and honestly at themselves, their homeland, and their culture by experiencing different cultures and how those cultures view them.
Here are five benefits that travel professionals will enjoy when supporting organizations that provide study-abroad experiences.
1. Increased Business Opportunities
In this post-pandemic-lockdown world, the travel business is booming. The Institute of International Education (IIE) reports that 83% of institutions that provide study-abroad experiences noted an increase in their numbers in 2022/23 compared to the previous year. (This is true across all institution types and geographic regions.) The results of IIE’s survey of these institutions indicate that during Summer 2022, 58% of reporting institutions planned to offer in-person study abroad programs, and an additional 31% planned to offer hybrid programs. The proportion of in-person study abroad programs was projected to increase to 65% in Autumn 2022 and 64% in Spring 2023.
2. Exposure to New Markets
Supporting study abroad groups exposes travel professionals to diverse markets from different countries and regions. IIE reports that while the most popular destinations selected by institutions planning in-person study abroad in 2022/23 were the traditional European study abroad locations of Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and France, four of the top 15 program destinations were outside of Europe: Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Costa Rica. Travel professionals who support studying abroad can position themselves as experts in international travel and attract a broader clientele from various parts of the world.
3. Repeat Business
By providing services to institutions offering study abroad programs, travel professionals can foster long-term relationships with these organizations, their third-party providers, and even participating students. Building such relationships can lead to referrals, repeat business, and a positive reputation within the study-abroad community.
4. Contribution to Sustainable Tourism
When study-abroad groups visit foreign destinations, they have the opportunity to support local economies through spending on accommodation, dining, transportation, and cultural activities.
The travel professional’s involvement in successful study abroad excursions can positively impact the economic well-being of the communities that students visit through indirect support of increased employment opportunities, infrastructure development, and improved living standards for local residents.
5. Global Citizenship and Social Responsibility
By contributing to the success of study abroad programs, travel professionals support global education and bridge-building between cultures. This has multiple benefits:
a. Students learn to appreciate and respect different perspectives as well as break down stereotypes, promoting a more inclusive and compassionate global society.
b. Their broader understanding of the world can foster innovative thinking and improve problem-solving skills, which increases their ability to tackle global challenges effectively. c. Students with a global mindset are more likely to advocate for sustainable practices, support humanitarian causes, and participate in initiatives that benefit society as a whole.
From a business standpoint, this positive social impact can also enhance the travel professional’s reputation and make the company’s brand more appealing to socially-conscious travelers and organizations.
