CEBU WELCOMES OVER 100 INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AGENTS FOR ESL FAMTOUR

Cebu hosts over a hundred international education agents from five Asian countries from April 15-19, 2024 on the Grand ESL (English as a Second Language) International Familiarization Tour, the biggest of its kind since the Philippines launched education as a tourism product in 2010.

The agents, from the key markets of Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and South Korea, are inspecting ESL schools and accommodations. They will be meeting with learning program providers, visiting points of interest and participating in planning and networking workshops from April 16-18. 

The Cebu Association of Language Academies (CALA) is organizing the event, with the support of the Department of Tourism -Central Visayas (DOT7), partner-agencies Bureau of Immigration and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Province of Cebu. The tour carries the theme “Love the Philippines and Explore English in Cebu”.

Gelena Asis-Dimpas, DOT7 Chief Tourism Operations Officer cites the event as “a significant milestone in the evolution of Cebu as a prime ESL destination.”

Dimpas presents on Friday, April 19, the region’s strategic direction for education tourism, emphasizing DOT7’s support to education service providers and plans for market expansion under its ESL7 and Edux7 Tourism programs.

Pursuant to the National Education Tourism Strategic Action Plan, the DOT has sustained assistance to the international education sector through continued presence in emerging markets, facilitating better travel connectivity to and from these markets, rationalization of the Special Student Permit fees, enforcement of safety standards, training of ESL teachers, and development of off-program tourism destinations. 

The ESL7 Program, with proactive participation from CALA, particularly its DOT-accredited members, earned Cebu the top spot among English language learning destinations in the Philippines. The country itself is ranked by the Lucerne-based EF Education First Group second only to Singapore among 23 Asian nations assessed for English proficiency. It holds the 20th spot on the global index for 2023.

“We look forward to an upward growth path for Cebu and Central Visayas where ESL is concerned. We have the tourism fundamentals in place and continue to improve on existing conditions,” Dimpas says.