Educational Tourism Statistics By Trends, Regions, Benefits And Developments

Introduction

Educational Tourism Statistics: Educational Tourism is defined as exploring the world with several learning experiences, as it involves collecting lots of historical evidence, skills, and knowledge on a wide range of topics. Educational or Edu tourism is another form of tourism that has accumulated enormous interest worldwide in recent years. Back in the 17th century, the first educational tourism was observed as the “Grand Tour”, which was only popular among the youth of the British aristocrats.

Educational tourism includes both domestic and international travelling, but after COVID-19, due to governments’ restrictions, the rate of international travelling has decreased, and domestic travel has increased. This article includes several statistical analyses from different insights of recent years that will positively guide you in understanding the overall article better.

Editor’s Choice

• According to Market.us reports, the global market size of the education tourism industry will reach around USD 584 billion by 2025.
• Mize’s survey analysis in 2024 elaborates that the educational tourists aged 16 to 25 (including high school graduates, university students, and young professionals) accounted for 41.2% of the market, and tourists aged less than 15 are estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15% from 2025 to 2030.
• Grand View Research further states that as of 2024, the college segment had a share of 36% in the global market for educational tourism, while postgraduate tourists will grow at a CAGR of 14.7% from 2025 to 2030.
• Furthermore, educational tourism among students made up a share of 30% in 2024, and the governmental officials’ demand for educational tourism will reach a CAGR of 15.7% in the forecasted period.
• Based on the purpose segment, the professional segment of educational tourism secured 34% of the share, while the academic purpose will make up an annual growth rate of 14.1% CAGR between 2025 and 2030.
• In 2023, over 62% of high schools in the U.S. organized educational tours for seniors students, highlighting their growing popularity in experiential learning programs.
• As of 2024, the North American region captured a 28% share of the educational tourism market, followed by the European region with a 20% global market share.
• The Asia Pacific region will grow at a CAGR of 14.6% in the above forecasted period.
• Meanwhile, the United States’ edu tourism market held around 70% of the share during the same period.
• According to Wikipedia, in 2024, most international students came from Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, and South America.
• About 69.8% studied full degree courses, while 30.2% joined short programs like exchanges or language classes.
• Around 56% of all international students studied at universities in the Seoul Metropolitan Area.

Educational Tourism Market Trends

(Source: market.us)

• As the above graph elaborates, the global market size of the education tourism industry will reach around USD 584 billion by 2025, up from USD 513 billion in 2024.
• The estimated market size of the global edu tourism industry is USD 666 billion (2026), USD 759 billion (2027), USD 866 billion (2028), USD 987 billion (2029), USD 1,125 billion (2030), USD 1,283 billion (2031), USD 1,462 billion (2032), and USD 1,667 billion (2033).
• The market’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) will be 14% from 2024 to 2033.

(Source: thebusinessresearchcompany.com)

• This industry includes quite controversial reports, as mentioned in the analyses of the Business Research Company, that the market size of educational tourism in 2025 will account for around USD 430.48 billion.
• Moreover, the market is estimated to reach up to USD 680.46 billion by the end of 2029, with a growth rate of 12.4% CAGR from 2025 to 2029.

(Source: mize.tech)

• On the other hand, the above graph shows that by the end of 2031, the global valuation of the educational tourism market will reach USD 1,947 million.
• The young age group, edu tourists, captured a more than 40% market share. Most of them were college students, who held the biggest shares in the education (32.3%) and job (39.8%) categories.
• A survey done by Skyscanner states that 54% of edu tourists prefer experiencing cultural heritages, and 48% choose tourist spots.

Types of Educational Tourism

• Language schools
• Youth travelling
• Workshop travels
• Student exchange programs
• International scientific research programs
• Skill enhancement in tourism
• Cultural and heritage tourism
• Personal development and self-discovery tourism
• Tourism education

Educational Tourism Statistics by Region

Europe

• According to a report by Mize, in the European region as of 2023, more than 3 million people went to Athens to explore the Acropolis due to educational tourism.
• Meanwhile, almost 12 million edu tourists were welcomed by Rome’s Colosseum.
• Independent educational travellers are more interested in art, architecture, and philosophy; students preferred Greece and Italy as their top priority destinations.
• The next suitable location is France due to the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Paris is known as the home of the Sorbonne University, a centre for intellectual and scientific development and the World’s most prestigious university.
• Other popular destinations for educational tourism in this region include the UK, Vienna, Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Geneva, Krakow and Prague.

Asia

• Tokyo, Kyoto, the Great Wall, and Beijing’s Forbidden City are popular destinations in the Asian region for educational tourism.
• As of 2023, the number of international edu tourists in Japan has increased due to traditional tea ceremonies and samurai history, resulting in more than 25.07 million visitors.
• Every year, China attracts millions of educational tourists due to historical sites such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.
• India was historically famous for Nalanda University, once the centre of mathematics and astronomy. It now ranks among the most prominent in international educational tourism.

North America

• Mize’s report further elaborates that the United States and Canada continue to attract students worldwide.
• In the 2022/23 academic year, 1,057,188 international students chose to study in the U.S. because of its wide range of courses, advanced research centres, supportive funding, and multicultural atmosphere.
• Canada also saw strong growth, with a 29% rise in study permits between 2022 and 2023, welcoming 1,040,985 new international students.
• North American universities such as Harvard, Stanford, McGill, and MIT offer unmatched educational and cultural exchange programs.

Oceania

• Environmental and marine sciences knowledge is mostly observed in Australia and New Zealand, which allows attracting a wide range of edu tourists.
• As of 2025, almost 717,500 international students have enrolled, but only 270,000 students from other countries will be accepted to Australian universities.
• According to the reports of ICEF Monitor, in 2023, New Zealand hosted 69,000 international students, up by 67% from 2022.

Africa

• Egypt is famous for its ancient civilisation in this region. The Pyramids themselves attract approximately 14.7 million educational visitors.
• Other places include museums about pharaonic history and the Valley of the Kings.
• Cape Town is a top educational spot in Africa. It is known for its culture, fun nightlife, low costs, and UCT’s 18% international student population (the university accepts only 5,000 applications from other countries annually).

By Country

• According to market.us, in 202, India accounted for around 13,73,817 educational tourists from the United States of America, which is 22.19% of foreign tourists.

Furthermore, the number of educational tourists who came from other countries to India in 2024 is stated in the table below:

• As of 2024, more than 1.1 million international students will be available in the United States by the end of 2025.
• This number will grow by 3 to 4%, resulting in billions of dollars of revenue for the U.S. economy.
• Meanwhile, over 500,000 educational tourists were available in the United Kingdom in 2024.
• Most came from the USA, India, and China, while 60% were in higher educational programs. They are expected to spend over £1 billion.
• In the last 5 years, the educational tourism sector of the UK has grown by 8%.

Benefits of Educational Tourism

• Increase the valuation of the unexplored place and make it available for trips, tours and excursions.
• Enhance international collaboration by opening channels for more exchange programs, international scientific research programs and many workshop travels.
• Educational tourism can improve a location’s or region’s positive image, which allows it to attract foreign tourists.
• Thus, increased tourism allows this industry to grow alongside other sectors, like hospitality and entertainment.
• Rapid infrastructure development is another benefit of edu tourism.
• Huge benefits are observed among travellers, as such tourism helps people increase self-confidence and independence, promotes cultural awareness, and facilitates intellectual and cognitive growth.

 International Student Mobility Trends of Educational Tourism

• In August 2024, a report published by the European Union Student Exchange Program stated that every year, colleges and universities in the United States send more than 75,000 students to the United Kingdom, Argentina, Italy, and China.
• According to the Indian Express report, around 132,620 Indian students chose Canada for their further higher education.
• According to the Times of India reports, in 2023 to 24, international students added over USD 43 billion to the U.S. economy and enriched campus diversity.
• In early May 2025, European leaders met at the Sorbonne in Paris and announced a plan to attract more students and researchers worldwide, with a budget of approximately USD 540 million (€500 million).
• According to a report published by USA Today in March 2025, the Department of Homeland Security started deleting thousands of foreign student records from the immigration database.
• According to Le Monde reports in 2024, France hosted 400,000 international students and aims to reach 500,000 by 2027 through its “Choose France” plan.
• As of April 2024, the total number of international students available in South Korea was 208,962, and this is expected to reach 300,000 by 2027, under its “Study Korea 300K” program, as mentioned in a report analysis of Wikipedia.

Recent Developments in the Market of Educational Tourism

• According to Grand View Research’s reports, the Global Educational Forum, organised by the UNWTO in October 2023, played an important role in enhancing the future of tourism.
• As of August 2023, Egypt started the EGYAID program to boost scholarships and education tourism.
• market.us reports stated that in November 2023, students joined the Climate Leaders Fellowship Summit in Guatemala, started by Rustic Pathways, to work on environmental projects.
• During the same time, EF Education First began new STEM tours, which let students learn through real activities and meet science experts.
• Global Educational Travel started new STEM trips in Asia in February 2024 to meet the growing interest in science and tech education.
• Meanwhile, Mastereign Group partnered with STIC Travel to create special learning tours in Singapore for Indian students.

Conclusion

After completing the article on Educational Tourism Statistics, I learned that the educational tourism industry is an enormously growing market that involves both learning and travelling, which helps enrich minds and broaden horizons. Technological integration, sustainable travel practices, and a strong focus on mental wellness have reshaped how people view educational journeys. As global interest in education and cross-cultural exchange grows, educational tourism will continue to thrive as a meaningful, purpose-driven form of travel. All the above analyses will be beneficial for understanding the market trend effectively.