A Level results were announced yesterday (Thursday, August 15) and many young people will be deciding what to do or where to go next.
Taking a gap year has long been a popular choice for some students, and thanks to the numerous options now available for all budgets, tastes and time-frames they are more accessible than ever before.
Round-the-world tickets continue to be as popular as ever, but young travellers are now looking to visit more destinations and search for more meaningful travel experiences – they are also visiting a wider variety of destinations. These trends were identified in STA Travel’s inaugural travel trends report, published earlier this year.
Key findings of the report included:
- STA Travel is witnessing a growth of interest in experiential travel, ‘voluntourism’ and animal welfare projects. It offers 50 volunteering projects in almost 40 countries around the world, ranging from working with animals and conservation projects, to helping local communities. A total of 90% of the survey’s respondents said they would consider volunteering on their travels.
- The cause STA Travel’s customers felt most passionate about was mental wellbeing with 73% of respondents saying this. This was closely followed by human rights, climate change, animal welfare and gender equality. Today’s travellers are looking for meaning, culture and purpose. Often leading dual lives on social media, they crave wellbeing and mindfulness and the need for authentic experiences when travelling.
- STA Travel has seen an increase in sectors and one-way flights which reflects growth in multi-city and round-the-world itineraries. It also backs up feedback from its branches and research that people are trying to squeeze more countries into one trip. Even in a two-week break, people want to see as much as possible, ticking countries off the list, according to STA Travel.
- Round-the-world tickets are more popular than ever, but customers take far more varied and exciting routes than they used to. STA Travel has played a pivotal part in opening up round-the-world routes, thanks to its ever-increasing number of air contracts and unique contracting system.
- 81% of respondents believed that travel would enhance their CV. Communication and organisation were two skills that were pinpointed by respondents as being life skills that are enhanced by travel.
Further key statistics and trends from 2019 to date:
- Top destinations are still Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. The USA, Vietnam, Bali, Peru and India are also in the top 10.
- The biggest growing destinations this year are Japan (land bookings are up 30% up on last year) followed by Tanzania (up 21%) and Ecuador (Galapagos bookings) are up 15%.
- There is a huge rise in the number of people booking campervans, demonstrating that the freedom of being able to go where you want when you want and get off the beaten track clearly appeals to many. Campervan rentals are up 27% compared to last year.
- Group travel remain very popular. This shows that travellers want the social experience of meeting like-minded individuals, plus the safety and security of travelling in a group and the benefits of travelling with a local guide with local knowledge.
- Working holidays are still a popular option for many, and not just to Australia but also New Zealand, Canada and Japan.
Tim Fryer, Country Manager UK and France said: “Our findings demonstrate how what constitutes a gap year, or any significant period of time away, has changed considerably over the years. People’s preferences and the options they have are numerous, making gap years more accessible than ever before. Also, taking time out is no longer just for students – lots of people are simply looking for a career break or to shake things up during retirement with a ‘golden’ gap year.
“It’s great that regardless of age, budget or timeframe, anyone can not only enjoy taking some time out but reap the rewards that it can bring. Whether volunteering on a charitable project, working in a foreign country, learning a new skill or language or simply travelling to new places and meeting new people, time away has such a positive impact on personal development and mental wellbeing.”
