Travel industry evidence suggests that fewer young people plan to go backpacking this summer, due to the recently announced increase in tuition fees.
This September will be the last academic year before the cap on tuition fees is raised. From September 2012, many institutions have said they will charge the maximum £9,000 per year in fees. Major travel companies have reported a drop in the sales of gap year holidays and many students are believed to be planning to try to go to university this summer or spend the year working and saving up. It is expected that a proportion will now choose to delay their gap year until after they graduate.
Ticket to Ride Group said it was seeing a rise in bookings from people in their 20s and 30s. The travel company, which specialises in sea and surf gap holidays, said this reflected a general trend towards more people taking a career break. Its co-founder, Will Hayler, added that people’s expectations of gap years are changing and many people now want one which will help them gain work experience or qualifications, or which provides clear social benefits.
Stuart Bensusan, Director of Essential Travel, commented: “Students who take a gap year will not be exempt from escalating university fees and all indications are that backpackers are certainly travelling less.”
