VisitBritain published the results of their report into the ELT sector, proving that these visitors stay longer and spend more than average travellers
In 2018, 614,000 travellers to the UK took an English language course during their stay
Every year VisitBritain adds extra questions to the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey to help us better understand the needs and characteristics of overseas visitors to Britain. One of the questions that we added during 2018 asked departing visitors ‘Did you go on any English language courses while on this visit?’
The table shows that the number of visits from overseas in 2018 that encompassed an English language course stood at almost 614,000, or 1.5% of all visits, with spending by those who took a course amounting to £940 million, or 3.5% of all spending. The typical visit lasted for over twice as long as the average visit but had a slightly lower spend per night. These two attributes combine to result in the average spend per visit being £1,532, more than twice the £658 when looking across all inbound visits – this spend is for the whole of their trip, so would cover any accommodation, shopping and excursions costs alongside course fees.
| Measure | Took English language course | Share of total | All visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visits (000) | 614,000 | 1.5% | |
| Spend £(m) | £940 | 3.5% | |
| Average length of stay (days) | 19 | 7 | |
| Average spend per night | £79 | £91 | |
| Average spend per visit | £1,532 | £658 |
| To learn more about the characteristics of these visitors, read the new Foresight report here or click on the image below. |
