One of the most vocal education agencies and exchange program providers in Brazil has acquired two companies to form its own conglomerate – the CI Group.
CI Intercambio, as it used to be known, merged with entertainment travel company Amaze Travel, and also acquired educational travel agency Trilha Educação.
The acquisitions make CI Group “the largest educational travel company in Brazil”.
“In the last 10 years, we have noticed an increase that has intensified with the pandemic that suggests the need for experience outside the classroom,” said CI’s director Victor Hugo Baseggio.
“In an increasingly connected and digital world, the activities provided by Grupo CI generate real interactions and connections with the world and society, helping young people absorb the content taught in the classroom and on the internet, broadening horizons and visions about the subjects studied,” added Baseggio.
The merging of the three companies comes under a concept which CI is attempting to pioneer in Brazil – the idea of “edutainment”.
“We have created a complete ecosystem of learning and experiences, where a child can have their first contact with the CI Group in a program with the school at the age of three for a day on the farm with Trilha Educação.
“Then at 11 years old they can do a first junior program to Canada with CI, followed by a graduation trip in primary or secondary School with Amaze, then return to CI to have a study/work experience in Ireland, and finish with a graduation ceremony and gala party at its college organised by Amaze.
“This proposition is unique in Brazil and maybe even in the world,” Baseggio elaborated.
“We are preparing to triple numbers in the coming years”
Amaze Travel has a decade’s experience in creating travel experiences, especially for graduating K-12 students, as well as general experiences to Mexico and even Disneyworld.
While Trilha Educação focuses more on national educational travel, they do also provide travel to US universities – in addition to trips to Silicon Valley.
Both companies embedding into the CI Group is what has created, Baseggio said, their own spin on the idea of edutainment, with which they will continue to hinge operations on in 2023 and beyond.
The concept, according to a report from India-based market analyst Mordor Intelligence, has seen exponential growth, and that segment of the sector will continue to do so – a prediction from Mordor says it will grow 17% per year for the next two years.
After tallying 50,000 students through CI Intercambio in 2022, the new CI Group is aiming even higher.
“We are preparing to triple the number in the coming years,” the statement added.
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