WELCOME TO OUR Gap Year - Which Age Group Do Fall Into? PROJECT
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Summary: Gap Year Age Groups - Where do you fit?
Gap Year - Which Age group do you fall into?
There three main age groups of people taking time out for longer term travel:18 – 25 year olds
This is by far the largest group of all; in excess of 210,000 young people take a gap year, and fall into 5 categories:
- Students with time between leaving school and starting at university
- Students who have deferred their university place
- Students using the university summer break to travel
- Graduates who have finished uni but not yet started work
- Students taking time out to work/travel as part of their course
They generally have the smallest budget on which to travel, with an average spend of around £3,000-£4,000.
There are plenty of reasons for and against travel whilst studying, some of which are more obvious than others, but which you still need to consider. Whether on your own or with friends, travelling will improve your personal skills and your self confidence. Experts believe that students who have taken a gap year are less likely to drop out of their courses, and employers often look more favourably at applicants who have gained some life experience whilst travelling – especially if you have done some type of volunteering work.
On the other hand, you may decide that going to university may not be your chosen path after all. Travelling is still a great way of finding out about yourself, and dealing with being away from the family environment. It can also be a great help in making those important decisions about work and career – if only to make you realise that office life is not for you!
30 – 40 year olds
Taking time out for travel is becoming more popular in this age group, for both individuals and couples alike, perhaps before starting a family and all the budget and travel restrictions that come along with children.
Having worked for some time, money is less of an issue than maybe getting time off from the workplace. Employers are beginning to recognise the value in retaining key staff, and are much more open to requests for extended leave than has been the case in the past. The key thing to remember of course is that no one is totally irreplaceable, so be sure that there will still be a job to return to!
Changing career paths and even redundancy can provide opportune moments to take some time for travelling.
Over 50s and Retirees
The number of travellers in this age group has seen a dramatic rise in recent years. Usually the most financially secure of all, many have seen their children grow up and leave home. The mortgage has been paid off, or perhaps the family home downsized to something a little smaller resulting in a boost to the finances.
Hotels and holidays companies have been quick to recognise the potential, and there are several that cater for this age group specifically. Spending the winter months in a sunnier climate is another area that holiday firms have been quick to recognise. It can sometimes be cheaper to stay abroad for 3 or 4 months over the winter than staying at home and paying for heating, lighting etc. Although many tourist destinations do close over the winter months for repairs and renovations, there are plenty that offer year round accommodation often at greatly reduced prices.
With the combination of money and time on their hands the Golden Gapper is perhaps the ultimate traveller, being limited only by imagination and health!
Much more holiday and travel information is available in our bookstore. All the goods and accessories you will need can be found in the Travel Store.