The teaching of the English language to foreign students last year generated some €64 million for the Maltese economy, according to Alex Lanczet – General Manager of the Institute of English Language Studies (IELS) in Sliema.
Speaking during the inauguration of refurbished premises – an investment to the tune of €3 million over the past two years – Mr Lanczet said that last year the industry hosted some 75,000 students leaving a ripple effect on various sectors of the Maltese economy including employment, tourism and the entertainment and catering industry.
He said that IELS – part of the Mizzi organisation – and which has a total of three schools and a three start hotel – has seen its business grow by 40 per cent since 2009 and is expected more growth in the coming years.
The three IELS schools in Malta and Gozo consists of 150 classrooms which can accommodate over 1,500 students of all ages daily.
The facilities are open all year round.
The refurbished premises were inaugurated in the presence of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis