Australia is "perilously close" to hitting key vaccination targets which will allow international travel to can be "more open", the country's education minister has said at English Australia's annual conference.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many English language schools to close or temporarily stop offering their services to international students in the wake of travel restrictions. BONARD analysis suggests which direction the market is heading in.

Border closures in Australia have led to a AU$2.7 billion loss for the country's economy from income that would usually be generated by the ELICOS sector, according to new analysis.

EC English has announced its Australia and New Zealand operations are closing with immediate effect, along with 3 school sites in the UK and US. CEO Andrew Mangion cited unsustainable business pressure and lack of government support for travel-reliant businesses in Aus and NZ contributing to the decision.

ELICOS commencement figures in Australia dropped to a 14 year low in 2020, recording a year-on-year fall of 43.3%, according to English Australia.

Australia’s English language providers “face extinction” in 2021 unless they are given additional government support and international students start returning to the country "at scale", a peak body has cautioned.

The Australian government has pledged $231.6 million to "ramp up" domestic marketing activities to encourage Australians to travel again.

ELT providers can harness the positives from Covid-19 and use them to reinvent what and how they deliver, according to speakers at the English Australia 2020 virtual conference.