Gap year trends 'changing as more people save in advance'

The number of people saving up in advance for gap years has increased in recent times, it has been suggested.

Speaking to Travel Trends, Peter Ovenden, chairman of the Australia-based Youth Tourism Advisory Council, suggested that fewer backpackers are attempting to seek casual work during their travels.

Instead, they are saving up money before they go away and then taking an accelerated gap year, he suggested.

Mr Ovenden claimed that fewer people are travelling for 12 months or more, taking their time and finding employment in a range of different locations.

"The majority are doing three to six months," he commented.

"So that means while we are seeing the same number of backpacker arrivals, the length of stay is less and spending is down as a result."

Some people may even be taking career breaks, rather than giving up their job to go travelling, he suggested.

With the economic climate remaining tough, people appear wary of leaving a permanent position behind them with no option of returning.

"It's almost as if the pace of life has sped up to such a concept that the concept of bumming around the world for a couple of years has been replaced by the reality of funding those trips and the fear of giving up a job and not having that career anymore," Mr Ovenden stated.

Earlier this week, Liz Harper, head of marketing and digital editor at Footprint Travel Guides, claimed there has been an increase in the number of over-50s choosing to take a gap year.

She suggested that people in this age range either have the time, money or inclination to take a career break, and this is encouraging more to embark on an overseas adventure.

Click here for more gap year information.