Canada remains one of the world’s most popular travel destinations for international students, according to two recent surveys, and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic has further cemented its position as a preferred study destination.
In May 2020, Navitas Insights first surveyed its global network of agents to see how COVID-19 is impacting study-abroad destinations. Survey data shows Canada’s reputation as a destination for international students has been boosted by the government’s response to the pandemic. At the time, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada were the top.
Navitas repeated his survey in September to see how agent perceptions changed over the course of the pandemic, and what this means for international education in the short and medium term. Canada’s ranking improved slightly overall. However, it is now competing with the UK, not Australia or New Zealand. Her 65% of surveyed agents said they agreed/tend to agree with the greater interest in Canada as an educational destination compared to other countries.
“Canada’s consistent performance is commendable,” he wrote Navitas report author Jon Chew. “Canada is second only to New Zealand in terms of the government’s response to the coronavirus, and to the extent that it is safe and stable. In terms of openness and hospitality, Canada is second only to the UK.”
The US continues to lag other English-speaking destinations based on how it handles the pandemic. Data from Navitas Insights shows that Canada continued to attract students before the pandemic began to dampen interest in Australia among international students, taking the top spot despite a decline in the number of students choosing to study in the United States. I stayed.
In 2019, about 6 million students studied abroad. Of these, 2.5 million chose to study in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
But in May 2020, just a few months after the COVID-19 pandemic began, he surveyed agencies by Navitas and found that about three out of five were concerned about potential changes in market share. I was able to provide insight with a high degree of confidence. These agents tended to report a sharp increase in market share in Canada and a significant decrease in the United States. According to the report, the agent expects the US market share to drop from 44% to 37% after COVID-19. Canada’s share will increase from 19% to 21%, while the UK will increase by 1% and Australia will decrease by 1%.
