ABTA release top gap year destinations on A-Level results day

As students across the UK opened their A-Level results this morning, ABTA released their results of the top 10 gap year destinations for 2016. As many students will now be planning for university, a proportion of students will be preparing for a gap year of travel.

Australia was named as the top destination for gap years, followed by Thailand and the U.S.

Countries predicted to receive an increase in gap year travellers over the next year include Japan, and Indonesia.

According to ABTA, 29,000 students deferred their university applications in 2015, and tens of thousands are set to do the same this year too.

ABTA have seen gap year bookings increase by 20% over the last year, and have also seen a climb in shorter duration trips.

Nikki White, ABTA’s director of destinations and sustainability, said: “ A gap year should be one of the most memorable and formative events in the lives of the thousands of young people who will be heading off overseas in the next 12 months.

“Foreign travel can present a range of challenges, especially in less affluent countries and it is incredibly important that gap year students do their research and plan in advance so they can travel safely and get the most out of their experiences.

“Gap year students also often pay out large sums of money to specialist companies and it is really important that they ensure their money is well spent and placed with a reputable company.”

ABTA’s top ten gap year destinations 2016:

1. Australia
2. Thailand
3. USA
4. Peru
5. Vietnam
6. New Zealand
7. Laos and Cambodia
8. Colombia
9. East Africa
10. India

ABTA’s report can be found here https://abta.com/about-us/press/abta-reveals-top-gap-year-destinations-and-advises-british-teenagers-to-pla