After a very busy spring season of workshops and fairs aimed at building outbound business for Brazil’s study abroad sector, the clear message is that Brazil is booming – with some of the sizable education agency businesses in the country forecasting growth of around 20 per cent in student travel in 2012.
Brazil’s booming economy and the ability of the ‘class C ‘ social class to now afford study abroad is the chief driver of rising interest in study abroad opportunities. Santuza Bicalho, CEO of STB agency in Brazil, told The PIE News, “We believe that Brazil is going to explode in terms of sales!”.
Brazil’s economy has been steadily improving and it is now the world’s sixth-largest economy. BMI, a company organising student fairs and workshops across the country, estimates 365,000 Brazilians may travel abroad to study in 2012. Samir Zaveri, Director of BMI, said the forecast was based on a survey of agencies in the country in August 2011.
Zaveri’s company organises the popular Salao do Estudante fairs that visited key cities in Brazil this month. He said, “The fairs were featured on the main evening news of all four major TV channels on the first evening of the fair in Sao Paulo – something that has never happened before. We had queues of nearly a half a mile to enter [our event].”
His company also saw over 40 education agencies exhibiting at his events; Brazilians typically prefer to book their courses overseas via a reputable education agency.
One such agency is STB, widely considered to be the largest education travel agency in Brazil, which sent over 60,000 students abroad in 2011. The company organised its own international workshop this month, focused on enabling its staff to be trained by its overseas education partners, and fostering greater dialogue about what Brazilian customers want.
Bicalho at STB believes that at least 15 per cent growth this year is achievable – and she also points to a growing trend of segmentation and sophistication of consumers. Clients want more than “just a language course”, and STB is developing new products to match its clients expectations. It also runs a separate “luxury” travel brand, B360, for clients who want tailor-made trips.
“Brazilian students truly believe that speaking English will give them a boost when they are looking for a better job”
At the other end of the scale, many of the new breed of travellers still want to be able to work part-time. For this reason, relates Eduardo Witzel of Intercambio Global, Ireland is also becoming more popular, given its work rules.
“Many are going to Ireland, where it is still permitted to work, so they can study and work to help them to improve their level of English and to help them to travel, buy things and to live in Ireland,” he says. “Interest in taking part in a course abroad has just rocketed in Brazil; Brazilian students truly believe that speaking English will give them a boost when they are looking for a better job.”
Bicalho told The PIE News that Brazil’s outbound market was set to prosper in the long-term, as many of the newly wealthy C class were now investing in higher education in Brazil and would, in time, consider education overseas. “The Brazilian lower middle is building its assets – house, car, savings, etc.,” she said. “Currently they can afford to go to university in Brazil, so it will take another 5 to 10 years for [some] to be in the position to invest in education abroad.”
She also pointed to a trend of young professionals aged 26-30 delaying marriage and children to invest in their careers and study abroad.