Gap Year in India is So Famous but why?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be familiar with the concept of gap years. More specifically, you probably know that India is one of the most popular destinations.
Nowadays, millions of youngsters from across the globe decide to take an extended break from their normal lives. India gains more than its fair share. With a whole planet of destinations to choose from, it’s no coincidence that the South Asian nation attracts so many. Let’s take a closer look at the reasons behind its strength in this particular market.
The Attraction Of A Gap Year.
The gap year is far from being a new concept, but its growth in popularity in recent years has been nothing short of the phenomenal. For the millennial generation, it is a deviation that’s seen to be a normal step along the journey of life. In truth, it isn’t hard to understand the reasons behind the increased appeal.
First and foremost, international travel has become more affordable, more accessible, and safer. Moreover, most people boast the experience of booking holidays before they leave their teen years. This makes the idea of planning a gap year far less daunting. There’s no doubt that travel in general has seen a huge surge of popularity, and this is just another example.
Gap years aren’t simply a chance to explore the world, though. Once perceived as a detrimental influencer, they are now known to offer career benefits as well as life experiences. In truth, there are plenty more rewarding features to consider too.
Ultimately, the gap year experience can be enjoyed at any point in life. For youngsters, though, it can be a great way to achieve great things. They can also be used to break up the studying process, or as a bookend to make the transition into working life a little smoother. When combined with the difficulties of making progress in other life aspects, such as getting on the property ladder, the appeal is clear to see.
Gap years have always appealed, although the time spent away from loved ones was a huge stumbling block for many years. Thanks to modern communication facilities, though, this is no longer a major problem. Ultimately, modern society has developed a desire to grab hold of opportunities. For this reason alone, it’s no wonder so many choose to take a year out to better themselves.
Why India?
There’s no doubt that the general concept of taking gap years has a huge appeal, particularly for younger generations. While the excitement of being in a position where spontaneity is encouraged is great, very few set off on their adventures without a basic plan. The opening destination is one of the most important decisions that any traveler faces, and India’s appeal can be attributed to many factors.
Here are some of India’s key selling points for backpackers and gap year travelers from across the globe:
Diversity
For most people, “experiencing something out of the ordinary” is top of the agenda when planning a gap year. India is a vast land that boasts a greater range or religions, cultures, languages, and sceneries than most. As such, every day is a new adventure, and that makes visiting the South Asian country a highly attractive prospect.
The vast majority of gap year explorers won’t want to stay in the same city for their entire stay. When visiting India, the major cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, and Agra are just the start. The world’s seventh largest country is a hotbed of things to see and do. From climbing mountains to seeing the Taj Mahal, there’s no chance of getting bored. Not least with over 1.2 billion people to interact with.
India is a wonderful place for self-discovery, which is another hot topic for most visitors. It’s a holy nation that celebrates various strands of Buddhism, Sikhism and Christianity. Whether it’s the excitement of a festival or the relaxed vibes of a one-on-one meeting doesn’t matter. India has everything needed to satisfy this aspect of the gap year experience.
While the heat and humidity can be challenging at times, the climate is another winning factor. This is combined with stunning sceneries and thousands of unique experiences within one nation. It’s no wonder India attracts such a large volume.
Opportunity To Help
First and foremost, the gap year experience is an opportunity for youngsters to find out about themselves. After all, they say that travel broadens the mind. Nonetheless, most millennial’s understand the need to do their bit for mankind. This is another reason why India is one of the most popular destinations for this type of adventure.
As the world’s second most populous nation, there are many wealthy areas. Then again, deprived areas are equally (if not more) frequent. As such, a range of communities and people are in need of a helping hand, making India the perfect place to give something back to the world.
Projects can cover an array of ideas, from teaching English in schools to building homes or growing food. There are hundreds of possibilities awaiting in India. This is why it continues to attract gap year explorers from a whole host of backgrounds and countries. Besides, a two-way sharing of knowledge and cultures is sure to work wonders for all parties involved.
No gap year experience is complete without the rewards gained from supporting the local community. This is especially true when the people are so accommodating. Even on a personal level, those rewards are greater than anything that can be achieved elsewhere. While India isn’t the only place offering those opportunities to help, the fact that there are more people to support only adds to the attraction.
Affordability & Simplicity
The majority of gap year tourists are recent graduates and students that are taking a year out from their studies. With this in mind, financial matters are a major concern for anyone looking at potential destinations. Thanks to the progress in international travel, getting to India from all four corners of the world is cheaper and easier than ever before. More importantly, once there, the living costs are minimal.
Of course, it is possible to find luxury hotels and extravagant accommodation, particularly in the cities. However, that largely defeats the purpose of backpacking and adventuring. In most parts of India, finding cheap comfort is simple. Whether through a gap year tour operator or through personal endeavors, the challenge is easy.
Likewise, food, clothes and daily essentials can be sourced at minimal costs. As such, India is a great place for millennials to develop maturity in many life aspects. Better still, it can be done without causing long-term damage to their financial situations. After all, it’s imperative that all guests take a responsible approach to ongoing stability.
Booking an Indian adventure is easy too. Operators can take care of everything if wanted. However, it’s equally easy for individuals to do it themselves. With e-Visa application forms and info about medications and injections, preparing for a year away has never been simpler.
Bolster Career Prospects
Anybody wanting to take a gap year will seek recreational elements. India boasts beautiful beaches in the south, an array of tourist spots in the north, and great entertainment in several cities. Then again, most people on this type of trip actively think about their future too. While a lot of destinations fail to deliver, India is brilliant.
An understanding of Indian cultures can only be beneficial as there are a lot of people with Indian roots living in Western countries. Being able to create a human connection by discussing experiences can be a great sales tool. Likewise, picking up a few stock phrases can have a positive impact.
Most people that spend an extended period of time in India will also pick up an array of skills. After all, the variety of projects on offer forces gap year tourists to leave their comfort zones and find ways of overcoming new challenges. As well as learning to use new tools and methods, it promotes the idea of taking a more logical approach. Even simple things like a change in climate can have a huge influence on daily tasks. Working out how to make contingencies and adjust to situations can be crucial in later life.
If nothing else, time in India allows people to acquire a newfound sense of self-confidence. In truth, this can be the most valuable asset of all. When added to the fact that most people will create connections with tourists from their homelands, India is a great place to build a bigger network.
The Final Word.
India is a country that has something for everyone, which is underlined by its popularity with standard holidaymakers. However, the community and culture, along with the chance for personal development make it a winner for gap year explorers too. The fact that it won’t bring long-term financial repercussions only adds to the appeal.
There’s no doubt that India has become one of the most popular gap year destinations on the planet. On the evidence of how successful most guest consider their trips to have been, it seems inevitable that its appeal will only continue to grow.