Some 1.1 million visitors to Britain took an English language course during their stay in 2013, spending £1.2bn in course fees, accommodation and other expenses, data based on exit surveys from VisitBritain and the Office for National Statistics shows.
People who took an English course during their visit made up 3.3% of all visits to Britain but 5.9% of spending, the Foresight report reveals.
Proportionally, English language courses were most popular among visitors to the North East
In the North East the proportion was highest with 11% of visitors taking a course during their visit. And in the the South West course-takers made up 8% of visitors – twice that of those in London.
Patricia Mullen, Executive and Marketing Director of IH Newcastle, said that the North East’s affordability and standard of living could attract students, while Newcastle specifically is known for its night life.
“Newcastle is apparently 67% cheaper in terms of cost of living than London and the South,” she said, which can be a “deciding factor” among students from Brazil and Latin America, where the school has seen rising demand for longer-term study.
“It is much easier to find good accommodation at a low price as well as being able to mix with English speakers as we do not get such an international mix,” she added.
However, though the proportion of course-takers was lower in the capital than elsewhere, the actual number of visitors who took an English course was the highest in the country by a huge margin.
Visits to Britain which include an English language course are on average twice the length of those that do not
More than 400,000 visitors took an English course in London compared to less than 50,000 in the North East.
Visits to Britain which include an English language course are on average twice the length of those that do not, the survey shows, but result in a lower average spend per night: £1,149 over two weeks, compared to £640 over a week-long visit.
Just 24% of visitors who took an English course said that study was the main purpose of their visit. Twice as many said their primary goal was a holiday, while 14% were visiting friends or family and 9% travelled for business.
Some 217,000 French visitors took an English language course, followed by 124,000 Italians and 96,000 Germans. Eight of the top 10 source countries were in Europe, with Brazil and Japan coming in 8th and 10th.
Unsurprisingly, English courses were most popular during the summer months, attracting more than 450,000 course-takers between July and September.
