The Gap Year Gamble

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Title – The Gap Year Gamble
Source – The Independent
Date – 15th April 2008

Following the tragic accident during which 4 young British gap year students and their tour leader died in a bus accident, the debate in the press about whether the risk in taking a Gap Year in developing countries is worth the reward has ignited once again.

Many people have a point of view on the risks involved in such travel and volunteering abroad and it is an industry that has grown out of all proportion over the past few years. This means that choosing the good companies amongst the profiteers, is not always straight forward. The key is in the preparation and planning. Don’t rely on information provided by people with a vested interest in profit from your booking.

Independent travellers go to travel agents seeking out cheap flights and helpful information, they take these ‘fellow travellers’ at their word rather than doing their research first so that they can challenge the assertions of people who ultimately have a job to do which is to sell you those flights and maximise profit for their company. I am not suggesting that travel agents are all crooks or comparing them to ‘second-hand car salesmen’, but they are working in commercial companies and much as they might offer useful information they are limited by their circumstance. Often specific travel agents are linked to specific airlines, even if they don’t have exclusivity contracts; they usually have preferred suppliers that generate better commissions then others. At the worst end of the scale I have heard them provide recommendations that are wholly wrong and which potentially place the customer in harm’s way and at the best end of the spectrum I have seen them offer excellent value for money and great advice. But if you go in without having done your research, don’t expect to come out with the best deal.

Taking advice from the right people is important and the best place to start is to use your own instincts, but to have instincts you must first either have some knowledge and to gain that knowledge you must do your research or seek out impartial advice from people who do not have a vested interest in selling you their product.

The same can be said for almost every element of independent travel or gap years, research is everything and being prepared for the experiences you will face does not detract from the experiences you will have, it will add too them. Too many trips are ruined by the feeling of isolation and being out of your depth when you arrive, many ‘gappers’ return home before the end of their trip because they were simply not emotionally of physically prepared. They had heard or read stories of adventure and excitement and assumed it was that easy, buy a ticket and everything else falls into place. The most streetwise, fall by the wayside when their world is turned upside down and everything they take for granted at home is alien to them on their arrival. But for those who prepare properly the experience can be one that changes them completely for the better and one they will never forget.

As Charlotte Hindle author of the Lonely Planet’s ‘The Gap Year Book’ is quoted as saying in this article “every gap year student should have some skills training to help them travel in a more sensible and informed way. There are very few things in life that we expect to go off and do with no training, why do we assume that travelling in the developing world can be achieved without preparation”

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop sets those attending on the right path, no one can do the research for you, that is not effective, our workshop is not an alternative to your own research, but we provide you with the essential building blocks and knowledge to ensure that you planning is comprehensive and effective.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.