More gappers head to south america

South America is fast becoming the must-see destination for gap year travellers, according to new figures from youth and budget travel experts, STA Travel.  29% more gappers are planning to soak up the culture and history of South America this year compared to 2007.       

Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, San Jose and Lima all make it into STA Travel’s top 10 fastest growing destinations. This growth in popularity has largely been driven by falling airfares, prompted by an increase in airlines flying into the region.  Nepal and Vietnam also make it in to the top three as gappers look to get off the traditional gap trail and find more challenging destinations.     

STA Travel’s top 10 fastest growing destinations for 2008 with lead in return fares are:

1) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – flights from £795 with British Airways
2) Kathmandu, Nepal – flights from £585 with Qatar Airways
3) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – flights from £555 with Royal Brunei
4) Cairns, Australia – flights from £949 with Cathay Pacific
5) Buenos Aires, Argentina – flights from £625 with Alitalia
6) San Jose, Costa Rica – flights from £725 with Delta Air Lines
7) Brisbane, Australia – flights from £765 with Etihad
8) Lima, Peru – flights from £819 with Delta Air Lines
9) Las Vegas, USA – flights £589 return with KLM
10) Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – flights from £455 with Ethiopian Airlines     

Australia still remains the most popular destination with 5% more gappers planning to head there this year compared to last year.  Whilst the traditional tourist spots continue to do well, other cities such as Cairns, Brisbane and Perth are attracting more gap year travellers due to the good all year round weather conditions, abundant job opportunities and the new two year working holiday visas.   

STA Travel’s managing director, John Constable said: “The list of fastest growing destinations is significant because young travellers often set the mainstream industry trends for the future.  South America is the ‘hot’ destination this year and we have seen volume to destinations such as San Jose and Lima grow by as much as 39% over the last year.     

“We have also seen changes in the way young people approach their travels.  More and more gap year travel is becoming shorter and better planned to get the most out of their time abroad.  The once carefree, spontaneous year of travel is now a three to six month carefully researched trip often involving voluntary projects, learning a skill and earning money along the way.”   

A recent survey by STA Travel shows that one gap year trip is not enough for many young people, with 35% saying that they planned to take another.  81% of respondents said that spending time overseas during their gap year left them wanting to emigrate after completing their studies.
 

More Information

STA Travel has over 25 years experience in student, budget and independent travel.  They offer a unique range of flights, accommodation, adventures and expeditions in 90 countries.  They send over 6 million passengers away each year and now have over 400 branches worldwide.  They have just been voted a UK CoolBrand 2006 for innovation, style and desirability.

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