INTERNATIONAL education is worth more to Bournemouth than any other part of the tourism industry and helps the town survive, a heated meeting was told.

The remarks came from Bournemouth’s head of tourism to a forum discussing the threats and opportunities for marketing the area to the world.

The International Education Forum (IEF) Executive Business Network hosted a seminar for members, with guests including head of tourism Mark Smith and Bournemouth West Conservative Conor Burns.

Mr Smith said international education was “an industry that is worth more than any other tourism sector in Bournemouth and helps the town to survive”.

He acknowledged the market’s strengths but also warned of barriers to success. Students were nervous about not feeling welcome since the Brexit vote, while government bureaucracy around visas was hitting student bookings, he said.

He said enrolments in the UK were down 23 per cent, while competitors had seen rises – 13 per cent for New Zealand, 16 per cent for Ireland and 10 per cent for the USA.

David Jones, IEF vice chairman and director of ETC International College, spoke of the challenges of competition, especially from Australia, New Zealand and the US. He urged IEF members to think about brand messages in everything they do.

Conor Burns pledged “unswerving commitment” to the sector.

He said: “It is essential that we all work together to collaborate, forge new relationships and build alliances.

“If we do so we can seek to overcome challenges that the industry is facing and achieve better outcomes.

“Let’s also look at how we can positively influence government by working together. We should consider an integrated pitch with Bournemouth University, whose global engagement staff are currently overseas in China.”

David Jones updated members on recent IEF activity, including a trip to the town for 24 industry agents. He spoke of plans to make waves on the Chinese social media app WeChat.

Robin Watson, of event sponsor Lacey’s Solicitors, said there had been a “lively and spirited debate” covering the sector’s main concerns.

The IEF is made up of the key accredited international educational institutions in the area, including many language schools, an independent boarding school, the two universities, White House Guardianships and Bournemouth and Poole College.