To gain knowledge about my chosen app idea which is revolving gap year travel, I have done some research into the statistics and facts about gap years and the students that took them.
Resources
The links below are the articles that I have read and have obtained the below statistics and factual information from:
What is a gap year?
A gap year is typically known as a year-long break before or after university during which students engage in various educational and developmental activities, such as travel or some type of regular work.
Top ten gap year countries
This is a list of the top ten recommended countries and destinations for gap year travel:
10. Fiji
9. New Zealand
8. India
7. Brazil
6. Vietnam
5. Peru
4. South Africa
3. USA
2. Australia
1.Thailand
Cheapest places to visit
Here a few of the cheapest places to travel for gap year students:
- Thailand
- Mexico
- Canada
- South America
- Nepal
- Philippines
- Hungary
- Morocco
Safest places to visit
Here a a few of the safest countries that are recommend for gap year travel:
- New Zealand
- Cambodia
- Tanzania
- Australia
- Costa Rica
- Iceland
- Japan
5 countries to avoid
From reading this online article on ‘Globe link’ website I have taken down countries that should be avoided on a gap year:
- 1. Afghanistan
- 2. Libya
- 3. Iraq
- 4. Syria
- 5. Somalia
What can you do in a gap year?
- Volunteering
- Learn a language
- Work experience
- Explore
- Paid work
- Learn a skill
- Make friends
Top rated activities from across the world
Experts have compiled this list below of the most top rated experiences and activities to do while on a gap year, I thought that this would be a nice feature to include in my travel app:
- Explore Machu Picchu in Peru
- Hike the Himalayan Mountain range in Nepal
- Explore the historic Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia
- Learn to dive among the coral reefs in Thailand or Cambodia
- Spot wildlife on a safari in Tanzania or Kenya
Work opportunities
Here are the most popular forms of work that students do in a gap year:
- Teaching English abroad
- Au Pair
- Casual labour jobs (fruit picking)
- Sports Instructor
- Ski Season jobs
- Camp work
- Take an paid internship
Gap year Percentages
I have compiled a list of percentages based around the idea of gap year travel and the benefits of travelling the world when you are young:
- 97% of students enjoyed increased maturity due to taking a gap year.
- 66% took their studies more seriously when they came home.
- 84% acquired skills they believed would help them be successful in their future careers.
- 96% also improved their self-confidence.
What did I learn?
From this online research I have gathered a great range of knowledge and information surround gap year travel. I have leaned about the most popular countries and destinations that young people tend to travel to on their gap year, I have leaned of the cheapest and safest places, as well as the places to stay away from for young people. I enjoy the research aspect of every project and for this one in particular the research above has given me inspiration on which countries I want to include in my own travel app as well as what opportunities/activities I want to promote.