The experience of studying English in the UK and reputation are among the main factors which would encourage Mexican students to go to there, according to the report, which was presented at the English UK marketing conference this month, in London.

“The overall consensus among agents interviewed was that the UK is considered an expensive destination,” the report states.

“Communicating the value and appeal of alternative city study destinations in the UK is another strategy”

“[This is] further compounded by the perception that London, considered the most costly, is the best place to go.”

As a result, it recommends that competitively priced packages such as giving students a free week of tuition when they buy three “can help aid negotiations”.

Furthermore, “communicating the value and appeal of alternative city study destinations in the UK is another strategy, according to some of the agents interviewed,” outlines the report.

Highlighting other cities, such as Sheffield, Nottingham and Manchester, can help shift the focus from London to other less expensive destinations, it suggests.

In order to market the UK as a destination more preferable to others, agents contributing to the report recommend “selling the experience around the school, and not simply focussing on the school itself”.

Marketing should also highlight another main motivator for Mexican students to go to the UK, that it is seen as the ‘birthplace’ of the English language.

The number of students from Mexico going abroad for ELT programmes has been on the rise over the last four years, the report finds, as many Mexicans see English as a route to upward mobility.

Statistics from English UK show that in 2014, there were 6,292 Mexican students studying in the UK, accounting for a total of 23,869 student weeks, and representing 17% of the country’s outbound ELT market.

“The report highlights the need to also accommodate parents by providing materials in Spanish”

Mexico was also the UK’s 19th biggest sending market in 2014.

When it comes to marketing to prospective students, the report highlights the need to also accommodate parents by providing materials in Spanish.

At the same time, it points out that students often rely on agents “to provide them with information about institutions and course details”.

Personal market engagement is also important in Mexico, in the form of “student-facing exhibitions, interactions with agents and connections with schools”, the report finds.

The market report features data from two previous British Council surveys and reports, as well as secondary information from sources including English UK and the UNESCO Institute of Statistics.

Interviews were also conducted with representatives from 10 organisations, including the UK Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, and education agencies CILC – Estudiar Internacional and Edulynks.