Pro Linguis, one of the largest and oldest education agencies in Switzerland, has gone into liquidation. The study travel agency, which has been owned by Kaplan since 2008, has around 300 partner language schools. Several parties are in discussions about its future.
Global currency fluctuations and an ageing population made 2015 a difficult year for Swiss agencies. English continued to be the most sought after language, but the Swiss Association of Language Travel Agents said turnover was down.
English language study has lost ground to the French language learning market, according to the Swiss agency association, SALTA. English study, however, still dominates demand but clients' needs are evolving as instruction in schools improves levels of proficiency. Meanwhile, online bookings are also up.
The UK is still the most popular destination for the Swiss, but the USA is catching up quickly, new research has shown from SALTA. Among all language destinations, the UK catered to the majority of Swiss students last year with 21.6% (around the same as in 2010), while the US catered to 19.3% – up 4%.
