50,000 come to learn Spanish

THE Costa Blanca hosts some 50,000 foreign students each year, who come to learn or improve their Spanish.
Studying at universities, language schools and private academies, the language students spend an average of €3,700 each per year.
In a bid to further boost this niche market, the Costa Blanca Tourist Board has been in the USA attending the NAFSA international education fair in Boston to promote the area and help make it a national and international reference point for language tourism. According to the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Joaquin Albaladejo, these tourists bring in a lot of revenue.
This type of tourism is welcome in the area, with students coming in low season. According to Albaladejo: “The province is very attractive for these students because there is infrastructure, good weather, leisure, beaches, and people of many nationalities living here, which also helps students feel good.” The tourist board attended NAFSA along with the University of Alicante.