Brazilian outbound market steady, despite currency challenges

Held at the Renaissance Hotel in Sao Paolo, ST Alphe Brazil 2025 welcomed more than 100 agents from Brazil and wider Latin America to meet with educators and service providers from around the world, and StudyTravel Magazine spoke to some of them about current trends and market conditions.

Market size: At the start of the event, Brazilian agency association BELTA gave a presentation to delegates on its most recent market research, covering the full 2023 calendar year.

The survey, which Alexandre Argenta , President of Belta, said represented 569 sales points across the country and approximately 70 per cent of the market, showed an average business growth of 21.68 in 2023, comfortably exceeding pre-pandemic volumes. Alexandre said that he believed the forthcoming report on 2024 trends will show further growth.

Meetings at the ST Alphe Brazil 2025 conference.

The value of the market for contributors to the survey was estimated R$4.6 billion, close to a US$1 billion industry, and would comfortably exceed that value when direct sales and government scholarships are included, Alexandre said.

Exchange rate: At the beginning of 2024, the exchange rate was around R$4.85 to US$1, but by the beginning of this year the rate was R$6.2, although there has been a slight rebalance since.

Alex told delegates that when currency jolts happen the study travel market can get stuck temporarily, but is resilient and quickly readjusts.

Ana Beatriz Faulhaber , Executive Director of CP4 Cursos no Exterior/ Traveller , advised that she expected this year would be a boom, but the exchange rate has caused some students to think twice, and similarly, Emanuelly Silveira advised that for Fluencypass the year started full of hope, but the exchange rate had dampened demand.

However, Clarice Piroli , Managing Director of Language Office , told StudyTravel Magazine that business was up so far this year, despite the exchange rate.

Shifting destinations: As a result of the reduced purchasing power, Brazilian students are considering options and looking for more cost-effective programs, as Clovis Homero de Almeida Junior , Director of USB Intercâmbio , advised.

Claudia Farina , CEO of SIP Student International Programs , expects to send the same number of students as last year, but that the destination profile will be different, adding that “It will be a good year for Europe”, particularly destinations that can offer work opportunities. It was a point backed up by Clarice, who said that it is a more common occurrence that students change their initial plans, and cited Germany as a growth destination.

A downward impact on the market, according to Diogo Rõdrïguēs , Owner of YES – Young Education Studies Intercâmbio , is that some higher education institutions, particularly from North America, are going directly into the market.

Noting restrictions in student policies in Canada – typically the most popular destination for Brazilian students in Belta and StudyTravel Magazine surveys – Clovis said that the market had now readjusted but the loss of work rights for public-private college students was a loss in 2024.

Other trends mentioned included that summer school students in the top end of the market want less language and more refined products as many clients already speak English proficiently, Diogo said, while Clovis sees steady growth in the high school segment, particular in semester abroad programs.

Alexandre Argenta, President of Belta, presenting at the ST Alphe Brazil 2025 conference.

Agents adapting: As a result of shifts in the market, more price-conscious clients and other impacts on business, such as caps and work right changes, agents are adapting and constantly looking for new ideas and partners.

“We have to innovate all the time, Innovation is the key word,” said Ana Beatriz, who has worked with partner schools to create a new UK product for this year and is working with an influencer who will travel with groups. “Things change quickly, we need to be smart and have options for students,” commented Claudia. “We always have to find alternatives and broaden the view of what we can offer. Knowledge is essential,” added Clarice.

Advice for educators: With underlying demand for study abroad still strong but the market impacting by policy changes in the traditionally popular destinations and cost issues, Claudia said, “Countries need to be smart to grab a piece of the market.”

In his presentation to delegates, Alex highlighted the breadth and depth of the market and urged educators to pay attention to all regions of Brazil and different types of agents across the country.

He highlighted some of the differences in the market by breaking down the research findings by region. Although language courses were the most sold product by agents in every region, high school courses were second in six of the eight regions examined, while study and work was second for agents in Sao Paulo state and undergraduate degrees were second in Bahia/Pernambuco (professional certificate/diplomas third).

In displaying the different agent types, Alex showed that 35 per cent of agency branches in the research had less than 50 clients in 2024, but at the other end of the spectrum six per cent served more than 1,000 clients and 18 per cent sent between 501 and 1,000 clients overseas.

“The Brazilian market is really mature,” Alex said. “Everything has been here for a long time, there is space for all kinds of providers and agents.”

More information: Click on the links to access Belta’s presentation slides, StudyTravel Magazine’s news story on the Belta research on 2023 business, StudyTravel Magazine’s Agency Survey Brazil article, published in June 2024, and photos from the ST Alphe Brazil 2025 event.

The ST Alphe Brazil 2026 conference will take place from 18th to 20th March 2026. See here for more information.