Gap Years
The gap year has become such a widespread phenomenon that it’s become increasingly hard to define exactly what one is. These days if someone says they’re taking a gap year they could mean any number of things; an extended working holiday abroad, volunteer work or simply time out travelling, typically between A-levels and University.
One thing’s for certain however – the gap year has become extremely ubiquitous over the last ten years or so. Not too long ago taking time out to travel was perhaps only an option available to a privileged minority, most people would have regarded the idea of a taking a year out as pretty frivolous.
According to recent estimates the gap year market is now valued at £5billion and is predicted to rise to £20billion by 2010. Clearly the gap year phenomenon isn’t just a flash in the pan; young adults have come to regard this opportunity to see the world and gain “character building” experiences before the responsibilities of further education and making a living take over as an expected right of passage.
Interestingly however a recent survey has suggested that a surprising number of students are opting to squirrel away money that might have gone towards a gap year, saving instead towards a deposit on their first home.
Recent years have also seen a significant diversification of the gap year market; not only are there more types of gap year experience to consider the places gappers are choosing to visit are increasingly far from the beaten path. Last year saw a growth in travel to places like Panama and Borneo and there’s a definite tendency towards more adventurous destinations.
With a generation of gappers jetting off to such exotic locations and taking part in such a diverse spectrum of activities it would be easy to forget that most of these intrepid travellers are kids just out of school whose parents will quite understandably want to ensure are safe. As much as there might be some romance associated with taking a more spontaneous approach to travel its important that gap years are properly organised and safe. Gappers and their parents would be well advised to check out sites like www.gapadvice.org.uk before jetting off.
There’s also an onus on maintaining contact with home. Indeed, it’s now common for young travelers to pack expensive electronics like laptops and mobile phones an unfortunate side effect of which is that they may become more conspicuous targets for crime. The importance of a good travel insurance policy shouldn’t be underestimated and do make sure you’re covered for all activities you might take part in. A good option might be a dedicated backpacker travel insurance policy such as those offered by Essential Travel Insurance and Go Travel Insurance; these should offer better value for money and are more likely to cover a broad range of activities.