Gap years 'help people gain environmental awareness'
Taking a pre-university gap year can help young people develop a better understanding of environmental issues, according to a specialist travel firm.
Gapyear.com founder Tom Griffiths stated that backpackers and those on gap year expeditions can become "empowered" when they see situations they have previously only experienced through the media brought to life.
"If you go out there and you see the rainforest being destroyed, rivers being polluted, suddenly it becomes real," he said.
"You can watch television but you become an armchair observer like the rest of the world," Mr Griffiths added.
Figures published last month by the Institute of Public Policy Research indicated that people who participated in an overseas adventure had a wider understanding of cultural awareness and 73 per cent increased their participation in volunteering activities.
The Daily Mail recently suggested that people considering a gap year should make sure they take out a backpacking insurance policy that suits their trip and make sure that they have appointed a trustworthy person with power of attorney while they are off on their travels.
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