Virus likely to scare off overseas students threatening Gold Coast’s billion-dollar education sector

A senior figure in a billion dollar Gold Coast business is predicting the impact of the coronavirus “will look quite devastating”.

GLOBAL impacts of the coronavirus “will look quite devastating” on the city’s billion-dollar international education sector, warns Study Gold Coast head Alfred Slogrove.

“We had a great year last year but we’re anticipating this is going to have a significant impact on us, like it will impact everyone. But we’re anticipating the global impacts will look quite devastating on the education sector because we’ve got a longer lead time,” Mr Slogrove said.

“So while it’s having an immediate impact on the tourism industry they will recover quickly. We’re not feeling the immediate impact at the moment but we will in the future.

“It’s really going to hurt us in the longer term, particularly in regards to enrolments for next year.”

Study Gold Coast chief executive Alfred Slogrove outside of the Student Hub in Southport. Pic Tim Marsden

He anticipated it would mainly affect enrolments from Asian markets such as China, Taiwan and even Sri Lanka. It is estimated the Chinese education sector contributes $224 million to the Gold Coast’s economy.

Mr Slogrove said the Gold Coast was one of Australia’s best performing regional edu-tourism markets, with foreign students and visiting family and friends contributing an estimated $1.7 billion in total economic value to the region.

“Students across the world are now looking at applying for what they will study in 2021 and this virus will be helping to shape their thinking, so that’s a worry for us,” he said.

“But I have to say as a glass-half full guy, this could also be a positive for us because students that were looking to study in China might look elsewhere like here in Australia.

“It just depends on how long the virus hangs around and how it impacts us.”

Study Gold Coast’s Student hub in Southport.

MORE NEWS

Inside Binna Burra disaster: 60ft flames coming up like a tsunami

Report says Gold Coast now ‘firmly in path’ of cyclones

First look at Gold Coast’s vast New York-style park

In the meantime, Mr Slogrove said Study Gold Coast was continuing campaigns in key markets and a trade mission was leaving for Latin America next week to drum up international students.

“Our advisers there say that the impacts of the coronavirus aren’t being felt there yet, with only one case in Brazil. Much like us they are a little bit sheltered from it all,” he said.

“What the Gold Coast can do right now to help is to give international students and their visiting family members a warm welcome.

“Our reputation as a friendly city, especially during these uncertain times, is extremely important.”

Mr Slogrove said the student hub in Southport was continuing to attract students, despite the coronavirus scare. He estimated 80 per cent of the 150 to 200 students who visited the hub weekly were internationals who went there for support and to feel part of the Gold Coast community.

“With the coronavirus can come a bit of a stigma with international people and students, and we’ve definitely seen more people coming to the hub to build relationships and feel part of a community,” he said.