Athens Olympics Brings Heightened Interest for Students Studying Abroad
CHESTER, PA, August 12, 2004 -
Since the announcement of the return of the Olympic Games to their birthplace in Athens, Greece, there has been excitement and anticipation for the world's largest athletic event. Interest in traveling to Greece has increased as the August 13th start date draws closer, and visits to the StudyAbroad.com Greece portals have reflected that increase.
StudyAbroad.com has noticed an increase in the number of visitors to its Greece portal pages since May 2002, with an average of 823 visitors to those pages each month. Since July 2003, there has been an 8.5 percent increase in the number of searches over the previous 12-month period.
"The popularity of Greece as a study abroad location has increased steadily over the past two years," says Mark Shay, President and CEO of EDU, Inc. "This upward climb can most likely be attributed to the upcoming Summer Olympics being held in Athens as well as an increase in the number of study abroad programs being offered in Greece."
According the Institute of International Education Open Doors publication, study abroad programs in Greece have seen a rise in American student enrollment, with a 13th overall ranking in 2001-2002, an increase of 5.8 percent. During that time, 1,856 students traveled to Greece for their study abroad experience.
Barry Tagrin, Art and Academic Director at the Hellenic International Studies in the Arts affirmed Shay's assessment. "We have received more hits and more interest this season and we have the biggest enrollment yet for Spring 2005, which was more responsive to the Olympic excitement than Fall 2004 because of all the present coverage," Tagrin states. "Greece is steadily becoming a hot destination for study abroad."
"The spirit of friendly competition and camaraderie bring the world together for the Olympic Games," said John Duncan, Manager of StudyAbroad.com. "This spirit can continue between Olympic years through study abroad students traveling to other countries and learning about their customs and cultures. Learning takes place everywhere, not just in a classroom. The spirit driving the Olympic movement is synonymous with the spirit behind studying abroad."
The study abroad movement changes and adapts to current events, as does the popularity of Olympic sports. Similar concerns are raised over traveling overseas for both activities, and both offer living and learning experiences that cannot be found on an everyday basis.
"Real world" education often takes place outside of the classroom, and visitors to Athens for the Olympic Games will be exposed to some of the world's most historic buildings.
The Olympic spirit embodies several qualities, including athletic competition, sport, peace, culture, and education, all of which embodied the ancient Greek culture.
The Olympics themselves are an example of Greece's rich historical tradition, with ancient Greeks waging competitions of athletic prowess as early as 776 B.C. The 2004 Olympic Marathon route is the same as the ancient route that connected the towns of Marathon and Athens, linking ancient and modern.
The Olympic movement brings athletes and spectators from all corners of the world together for a few weeks every other year, and celebrates the characteristics for which study abroad students are looking.
For more information about the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, please visit http://www.athens2004.com.
For more information about study abroad programs in Greece, please visit Greece.StudyAbroad.com.
To learn more about StudyAbroad.com, please contact Matt Ulmer at 484-766-9200 or email mulmer@edudirectories.com.
About StudyAbroad.com StudyAbroad.com is the Internet's leading source of international education information and is a service of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc. (www.edudirectories.com).