2024. Almost 4 years have passed since the height of the pandemic. The despair at the time is already beginning to appear in history books, and exchange, one of the areas that suffered the most, managed to survive.
In fact, not only survive but also excel in these last two years. Pent-up demand returned with a vengeance, which even caused some types of problems, such as an increase in the cost of rent when staying abroad.
As a result, some new trends have emerged in the exchange market. And I’m going to say here what I think for 2024. I hope you like it.
Increase in collective stays
Although collective stays are always the preference of exchange students, there are those who like to have their own space. But this is getting more and more expensive. So the trend is an increase in collective stays.
There are even hostels specializing in serving exchange students, and until then this type of accommodation was concentrated on people who would not spend more than 1 month in other countries.
This trend is unlikely to change in 2024, and I believe it will become even more expensive to rent a house or apartment in some countries, such as Ireland.
Short-term exchanges
Until before the pandemic, exchange was seen as an experience for those who are teenagers, or who are entering adulthood. Recently graduated university students, high school students, were practically predominant in the agencies.
Even though this remains the target audience, the truth is that people from other age groups are also interested in this experience. However, they face a big problem: time.
Therefore, short-term exchanges, between 1 and 3 months, should be in greater demand in the coming years, and I believe that both schools that receive international students and exchange agencies should pay attention to this.
Custom packages
Another point that I also see highlighted for 2024 are personalized exchange packages. I know this is a delicate issue, as it is not easy to customize packages, but as far as possible this can be tested.
The greater the personalization, be it in the service, in the way the exchange is being financed, in short, all of this will make a big difference.
For example: you can establish partnerships with hostels, restaurants, and create a completely personalized 1-month package for those who want to have this experience.
Exchange financing
Finally, the worst phase of the increase in interest rates is already over, so I also believe that interchange financing should emerge as a market trend for the coming years.
It will be easier and more controlled to take out financing to have this life experience abroad. These are the points that I believe are very relevant trends for exchange in 2024. And you, what do you think?
