Gap+Year+Tourism

Gap Year Tourism

Not sure what to do after finishing high school? Not everyone manages to have their life planned out by the end of Grade 12. Don't worry. Take a year to find yourself & see the world. Grow a little.

A 'gap year' refers, most commonly, to the practice of taking a year off between high school graduation & university/college. It can also refer to taking a year off between university/college graduation & starting a career path. The concept of the 'gap year' has existed for a long time in the U.K., Australia & New Zealand, therefore the tourism infrastructure surrounding this niche is very well developed.

The 'gap year' is a relatively new concept in Canada, and as a result the tourism industry infrastructure is not quite as well developed, but it is growing quickly.

Someone who takes a gap year is called a 'gapper'.

Given that the target market for this particular example of niche tourism is the 18 - 25 age group, nearly all of the best resources are on-line. As you browse through these resources you will see that there is a huge range of activities that can be undertaken in this year off. The good news for you is that the gap year is becoming more common in Canada, and in fact it is looked upon quite favourably by some universities/college and employers. This is more than just 'travelling'....WAY more!

NOTE: Remember, as you look at these resources you are looking for infrastructure development in the travel & tourism industry, and in other industries (think of education as an 'industry'.)

= Magazine/Newspaper Articles = All of these articles reflect the growing positive attitudes of universities/colleges & employers towards the idea of students taking a year off pre or post university/college. The articles also point out the benefits of a gap year.


 * [|This recent article] is from our own local paper, The Record. It discusses the emotional benefits of a gap year.
 * [|This magazine article] ,while being a few years old, does highlight the differences in attitude to the gap year that exist between Europe/U.K. & North America.
 * [|This article], from Peterborough Ontario, is about the experience of a local high school graduate who took a gap year, must of it paid for by the travelling scholarship she received.
 * [|This article] from Australia gives some insight into the impact that gap year tourism can have on the tourist dollar earnings in a county. Read to find out what it was that Tourism Australia did.
 * [|This article] discusses how some universities are developing their own administrative & academic infrastructure around the rising popularity of taking a gap year.
 * [|This article] discusses how the Federal Govenment is developing its own administrative infrastructure around gap year tourism. This article does question the cost of this infrastructure.
 * [|This article] out of the Toronto Star discusses the rising popularity of taking a gap year after high school & the benefits such a year might bring.
 * [|This article], from the blog pages of the Wall Street Journal, talks about the increase in, and the benefits of a gap year.

= University & College Resouces =
 * [|This page] is part of York Universities web site. It outlines the accommodations that it makes for potential students to take a gap year before undertaking full-time post-secondary studies.
 * [|This page] is part of the University of Toronto web site. It outlines the assistance that U of T gives to students who are considering taking a gap year.
 * [|This site] is part of the Acadia University (Nova Scotia) web site. It outlines what they have to offer for potential students who wish to take a gap year.
 * [|This site] is part of the Algonquin College (Ottawa) web site. It outlines they opportunities they are offering to potential students who wish to take a gap year.
 * [|This site] is part of the McGill University (Montreal) web site. This site is a great resource for students contemplating a gap year. It asks questions, gives answers and a list of possible activities & organizations that might be of assistance.

= Books =

Because of the length of time that gap year tourism has existed in the U.K., many of the books published on this subject come from there. However, much of the information contained is pertinent to Canadian 'gappers'. You can browse all of these items in the classroom for the next 2 weeks, courtesy of my personal library, the school library or the public library. Think about the industry to which these resources are connected. You can look in the library in the 910s to find more books on gap year tourism. However, you should note that because gap year tourism is relatively new to Canada, most libraries have very few, if any, copies of gap year books. Most of the gap year book also have corresponding web sites. The title of each book really makes the content clear. Each of these books covers all aspects of planning for a gap year & each comes with a comprehensive set of resources - most of which are on-line.


 * Griffith, Susan: //Your Gap Year: Everything You Need to Know To Make Your Year Out The Adventure of a Lifetime//. Crimon Publishing, Richmond, U.K. 2007
 * Griffith, Susan: //Work Your Way Around the World//. Crimson Publishing, Richmond, U.K. 2007 **Note: I have also included my own copy from 1987 for you to look at. I used this resource extensively from 1987-1991...read my doodled comments inside!


 * Hood, B & J: //Where's The Map: Create Your OWN Guide to Life After Graduation//. Inspirations Publications, Kamuela, Hawaii, USA. 2008
 * White, Kristen: //The Complete Guide to the Gap Year: The Best Things To Do Between High School & College.// Jossey Bass, San Francisco. 2009
 * Withers, Alison: //The Gap-Year Guidebook 2010.// John Catt Educational Ltd, Suffolk, U.K. 2009

= Web Sites =

Many, though not all, on-line planning & resource sites for gap year travel are based out of the U.K. This is a reflection of the point that was made in the introduction: that gap year travel as a niche has existed for a significantly longer period of time that it has in Canada. I have listed some of the Canadian sites.
 * [|This site]is a Government of Canada site. The Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade now assists young Canadians with information about 25+ countries from which they can obtain a working holiday visa. Give some thought to why young people in Canada might use information from this government site.
 * [|This site]is a Canadian site. The company setting up this site is Travel Cuts. This company has been in the 18 - 25 travel business for decades. If gap year tourism was not a financially rewarding business, a company like Travel Cuts would not branch out into this area. Check out the tabs at the top - they even offer general planning advice to potential 'gappers'.
 * [|This site]is TOTALLY Canadian! Katimivik is the perfect example of how a 'gapper' can travel & volunteer. Katimivik, having been around since 1977, is obviously a company ahead of the times.
 * [|This site], from a Banff based company, came about as a direct result of the increase in 'gappers' coming to Canada from the U.K. & Ireland.
 * [|This site] is linked to the book Alison Withers book. Examine how much information you can get from this site...almost endless.

= Blogs =

These blogs are written by individuals who either have an opinion on the gap year, or have actually taken (or are taking!) one.
 * [|This blog]is currently being written by a 17 year old 'gapper' volunteering in Thailand.
 * [|This blog]written by a 'gapper' who spent time volunteering in the Pacific region. You should read this blog and ask yourself why this blog might be less legitimate that other blogs. Think about who is giving Robin space!
 * [|This blog]was written by a 'gapper' who spent the year as a volunteer teacher in Ecuador.
 * [|This blog]from 2008 was done by a student, Sam, from the U.K. This 'gapper' spent the entire time travelling
 * [|This blog] by a journalism students from B.C. talks about what can be gained from a gap year. She also has some good (&legitimate!) resources that I did not include in the web site list I created, so have a look.
 * [|This blog]follows a Canadian couple. Lots of good hints and tips for travelling. A recommended site.

= You Tube = Remember, you cannot access Youtube at school. You can, however, access this wiki at home. So watch these at home. These videos will give you an idea of exactly how well established gap year tourism is. Many of these videos were made by companies, all trying to get their little bit of the gap year tourism dollar! There is a little humour & also a little reality t.v.!
 * [|This video]is part of the Australian series 'The Gap Year'. Andre was Canada's representative! You know something is very mainstream - in this case gap year travel - when it becomes the subject of a reality show!!
 * [|This video]is one of the episodes from 'The Gap Year'. I only included it because it makes mention of my hometown, Newcastle, at the beginning!
 * [|This video]is one of the many videos on You Tube that are made by companies offering volunteering experience to potential 'gappers'.
 * [|This video], titled //5 Tips For An Ethical Gap Year//is obviously aimed at the volunteer 'gapper'.
 * [|This video]pokes a little bit of fun at the British 'gapper'.
 * [|This video]was made by a company (i-to-i) who arrang volunteer gap years.
 * [|This video] was taken at the 2009 Denver Gap Year Fair. The fact that a fair such as this exists is indicative of the money that can be made from this form of niche tourism.