The Association of German Language Schools and Language Travel Tour Operators has welcomed three new members despite the toll 2020 has taken on German agencies.

Language learners from Germany travelling via FDSV members dropped by 15% in 2019, while length of programs continue to shorten, statistics have revealed.

Education agencies around the globe are appealing to their students to defer study travel plans rather than cancel altogether, as the coronavirus pandemic forces schools to close and students to stay at home. Agents are also advocating for online study options to students, with mixed results, they tell The PIE News.

Germany's association of language tour operators FDSV has admitted three more German language schools as its membership widens further.

The UK has remained top in Germany's outbound language student market, according to the country's agency association, however it warns that the ongoing Brexit negotiations could still scupper the UK's ELT sector.

Courses at German language schools catering to international students can be reviewed in line with European standards for the first time, according to FDSV.

The number of language travellers from Germany has decreased since 2016, despite education agents increasing sales, according to the German Association of Language Travel Organisers.

The German outbound study travel market remained steady last year, according to an annual agency survey, which shows that the number of students going abroad for language study fell by just under 2%.