The achievements of Galway language school Atlantic Language were celebrated on Saturday night last at the annual Language Travel Star Awards in London where the company was named Best Language School in Europe.
Voted on by agents and language travel consultants from across the globe, the Star Awards are the language travel industry’s most prestigious international recognition. The event, which took place at London’s Park Lane Hilton, was attended by some 700 global industry professionals, including schools and agents.
“This is a hugely significant achievement for Galway and indeed Ireland,” said John Daly, managing director of Atlantic. “It shows the world that Atlantic and Galway are global players in providing a quality learning experience to visiting students, together with great hospitality and wonderful culture and experiences. It is a recognition of the hard work of Atlantic’s staff and also recognises the important part played by many others, including our wonderful host families, tour providers, and the many Galway people who make our students’ stays memorable.”
The category Best English Language School Europe, one of 20 categories, placed Atlantic in intense competition with other schools in Ireland as well as the United Kingdom. Following a shortlisting to just six schools, “The competition was very intense in this category; the most votes were cast for this award,” said Amy Baker, presenter of the award and editor of Language Travel Magazine, as she presented Aoife Mulvihill, Atlantic’s sales and marketing executive, with the award.
Atlantic is well known for its language school and the significant economic contribution that it has made to the Galway region since its founding in 1993. The college has, in recent months, expanded its range of part-time courses to include ACCA, CIPD, and FETAC programmes in childcare, business, and human resources management. Launched earlier this year, Atlantic College focuses on offering the same commitment to quality education through a range of carefully chosen career development courses.
“We have learned a lot about students’ needs and providing them with a valuable educational experience over the past 16 years,” Mr Daly said. “This win confirms this is true and our new developments in Atlantic College will show that to even more people in Galway.”
