escorted tours gap years destinations

ou’ve seen the Yes, it’s still very much an increasingly encompasses CVs and offer a new perspective YYouTube clip ambition for countless 18-year- graduates as well as pre-uni on the world.” – the one where olds before they head off to adventurers. Either way, an The working gap year is a posh chap university, but our tough financial escorted tour is a good option for increasingly popular, providing called Orlando climate means a lot of those younger travellers as it provides an easy way for young people goes to ‘find school-leavers will be taking parents with the reassurance of to fund their gap year and gain himself’ in shorter trips – a ‘snap year’ rather group , while also allowing valuable work experience in the Burma on than a gap year – than those their kids to make new friends. process. Jeavons says Contiki has his ‘gap before them. Then there are the Donna Jeavons, Contiki sales experienced growth on a number yah’ (if you career-breakers to consider: a and marketing director for the UK of its longer tours, which clients haven’t, growing number of people in and Europe, says: “Bookings for often tag on to the start or end Google it their 30s and 40s are taking longer itineraries in culture-rich of their working gap year. and treat time out from their hectic jobs to destinations like Latin America Increasingly popular itineraries yourself to a see the world. Last but not least and southeast Asia have seen include The Explorer, which visits giggle). are the so-called grey gappers, a significant increase in 2016, Peru, Argentina and Brazil, and Though the cliché of the the ever-increasing number of so it’s clear the average young the operator’s 15-day Big Tiki tour privileged school-leaver heading retirees who are keen to spend a traveller is more discerning than of the North and South Islands of off with a backpack to travel chunk of their retirement fund on ever. From trekking the ancient New Zealand. The 20-day Grand the world still exists, the gap a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Inca Trail to staying with a local Canandian tour, featuring stop- year has grown up somewhat, family in Vietnam, young people offs in Boston, New York, Toronto, encompassing a much wider, w THE SCHOOL-LEAVER are seeking out life-changing Vancouver and the Rockies, has more complex audience. This term is widening and now experiences which can bolster seen a 95% year-on-year

Bridging

Gap years are growing up, meaning more potential bookings, says Aby Dunsby the gap @AbraDunsby Hiking in Iceland

56 travelweekly.co.uk 25 August 2016 25 August 2016 travelweekly.co.uk 57 escorted tours gap years destinations

booking rise, highlighting the US’s popularity as a gap year choice. US specialist TrekAmerica is also a great choice for gap year students topping or tailing working, studying or volunteering in the Americas, with its escorted tours providing them with a time-saving, cost-effective way of touring the States and meeting people. The operator keeps deposits at £100 or 10% of the total trip cost to maintain its appeal to its 18-39 audience. For clients on a round-the-world ticket, recommend a cross-country tour, such as TrekAmerica’s Southern Sun trip linking New York and Los Angeles, as it allows young people to travel point-to-point without flying. Those who want a dash more UK country manager, says: “Travelling preferred choice. However, a more comfort can opt for one of its four is an expected rite of passage for surprising destination is Iceland, new Plus tours, which feature twin- most young people, and the majority sales to which are up 54% this year. share accommodation, rather than will try to fit in a trip of some kind Fryer says the country, as well as the camping or budget lodging on its over the summer, whether it’s being popular with ‘snap gappers’, is regular tours, extra included activities embarking on a round-the-world year- increasingly being included in multi- and a larger group size. long gap itinerary or a shorter stop itineraries with North America. If they’re not working abroad in ‘snap gap’ of a few weeks.” the US or Australia, some young gap STA’s most popular gap year w THE CAREER-BREAKER year-takers are reducing the amount destinations remain Thailand, Australia, Whether they’re ditching their job of time they spend travelling to suit the US, Peru and New Zealand, for good and using the time away to their budget. Tim Fryer, STA Travel’s showing that longer trips are still the reflect on a career change, or taking a break to fulfil a dream trip before settling down and having kids, this is an audience worth knowing about: the career-breaker will often have a clear idea about what they want to sample do during their time away and is also product likely to have money to spend. “Rather than students on gap years, we are seeing more people in their TrekAmerica 30s and 40s taking career breaks,” offers a new says Daniel Pawlyn, head of business 56-day Ultimate development at Intrepid Travel. “They Transcontinental will often book six or seven trips with trip, departing us over an eight or 10-month period, June 2017, and they tend to combine group travel from £5,269. with independent travel.” trekamerica. This is great news for agents, as co.uk career-breakers often mean extra chances to earn commission on Wendy Wu Tours multiple tours as travellers make up for offers a 13-day the gap year they never took or travel Discover Japan to destinations they missed the first tour from £4,590 time round. That could include India, including flights Central or South America, ticking off from Heathrow, ABOVE: epic experiences such as watching the domestic Monument sun rise over the Taj Mahal or trekking , Valley with to Macchu Pichu. They’re also more accommodation TrekAmerica likely to want to delve deeper into a and all meals. left: local culture and get off the beaten wendywutours. Taj Mahal, track, says Pawlyn. co.uk India Clients looking to avoid the

25 August 2016 travelweekly.co.uk 59 destinations gap years escorted tours

Left: in Ecuador

right: The Deccan Odyssey, India

below: Itsukushima Shrine, Japan

tourist traps should also consider marketing at Wendy Wu Tours, a longer ‘gap year’ adventure. tours that encourage clients to whose core client age is between Wendy Wu Tours has a number develop a greater understanding Activities include 40 and 65. “Our Discovery Tours of short stays that could work of the country they are visiting. offer activities including cycling well at the start of a trip, such G Adventures’ Local Living tours cycling in Xi’an, riding along the city walls in Xi’an, as its five-day Classic Cambodia see clients lodging in unique a Vespa in Saigon riding a Vespa through Saigon journey. “These allow guests residences for most of their trip, or hiking in the rice or hiking in the rice terraces in to experience a new culture in with a local host to give them terraces in Longji Longji, which can run alongside the safety and comfort of one insider access to a destination. well-known attractions.” our tours, allowing them to An escorted tour affords For retirees, trip lengths range settle into their . Shorter experiences that career-breakers from month-long adventures trips could also be a great way would struggle to arrange on their to full-on round-the-world to end a larger journey with ; own: think watching a Waorani has launched a new range of trips. Colin Wilson, group sales expert guiding and authentic warrior hunt in the Amazon in ‘bucket lister’ holidays for 2017 director at Travelsphere, says experiences,” says Briggs. Ecuador, or helping to make which offer adventure without its customers tend to opt for With retirees increasingly byaslag, a local cheese, while scrimping on the older market’s longer breaks, be it 30 days opting for more-adventurous living on the Mongolian steppe. penchant for luxury. Its new touring around Australia, two destinations, an escorted ; benjamin palmer

Hidden Treasures of Gujarat rail weeks in China or 32 days tour allows clients to soak ; wendy wu tours w THE GREY-GAPPER tour, for example, offers clients circumnavigating the globe. up the sights and sounds of The kids have flown the nest, the old-style glamour aboard the “We are seeing a real increase a destination while travelling pot is full – what better Deccan Odyssey while tagging in the demand for escorted safely alongside a local expert ; carinda harris

time to start ticking off that on to experience local holidays to India, Bhutan, Burma, guide. Among Collette’s new ; G adventures bucket list? The grey-haired gap traditions and cultures. China and the US, while closer to destinations for 2017 are year market is getting bigger, “Travellers often want to see home Iceland, Italy and Croatia India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, ; cosmos : boa campbell and that’s reflected in the type of the sights but also enjoy a more remain popular,” he says. providing further evidence that s holidays that tour operators are authentic travelling experience,” An escorted tour can also be grey‑gappers have a desire to travelsta offering. Cosmos Tours & Cruises says Ben Briggs, head of a great way for retirees to begin explore long‑haul. PICTURE

60 travelweekly.co.uk 25 August 2016