TRAVEL Student

By Gavyn Andrews

Thinking of Traveling as a STUDENT?

Travelling as a student can be one of the best educational experiences you can ever have and I personally think its the perfect time to take the opportunity to take a risk and try something different and explore further a field or the country you live in. You might even have considered taking a Gap year meaning you could take this year to work, or even train overseas.

When I left High school back in 1997 (Yes Old I know) I didn’t have many options open to me but one thing I loved was travel, all aspects of it from the the airport buzz, airlines, flying experiences to the overseas holiday resort atmosphere where I seen Young UK Holiday Reps being treated like rock stars looking after daily arrivals of tourists wanting to get away from the daily grind of life in UK & Ireland. So as you can imagine it inspired me to want to become a Holiday Rep so much so that it was these very experiences that lead me to take a leap of faith and apply for my first Summer Season job as a Travel Rep in Turkey. A risk at the very start of my career which I never thought would lead me to a career spanning over 20 years now in tourism.

So if your struggling to find your place in the world since getting your GCSE, A Level or degree results then I want you to really think about travel either as a vacation or potential career opportunity, should it be to simply get away from the stress of your exams and subsequent results and embrace the world which is open to you NOW.

Travel is very much an individual experience and this can be very much seen on social media and TV programs such as Club Reps, or even Ibiza weekender. These shows tracked holiday reps working often busy seasons on some of the most popular sunshines destinations for the youth markets mixing jobs and true party lifestyles and all the ups and downs that go with such a job. The main thing to take from these types of shows is that all of these individuals come from very different backgrounds but have one thing in common and that is the passion they have for travel.

Often you may think Travel is out of reach due to prices of flights hotels etc but it doesn’t have to be expensive and like I said before you could even try and get a job for 3 months or more as a rep or Club PR for example overseas meeting and greeting guests at airports providing airport transfers or even as an entertainment rep in hotels, camp sites, bars. Popular Rep job positions for 18-24 year olds are advertised annually in Marbella ,Magaluf, Malia, Mykonos, Kavos, Barcelona and Dubai.

I guess it all comes down to the person you are and your motivation for traveling ie Adventurous, Sporty even extroverted . In 2023 many people make a living from simply traveling and reviewing destinations products and services from flights , hotels, hostels to actual events or attractions which could be something to think about. (Social Media wasn’t a thing 20 odd years ago but Social

Media Influencer’s can now make a fortune).

As an LGBTQ person it is a perfect opportunity to get out into the world and experience the global community and to see how different and diverse it is compared to maybe your home environment for instance via attending Global Prides, Circuit Parties. Frankly its an opportunity for you to both let loose and also learn more about the community and the options which could be open to you now and in the future. Its important for me to also point out that you will have some negative experiences during overseas travel or working overseas but its good to learn and build your knowledge and experience.

When I was younger there was very few LGBTQ travel brands or even hotels and any that did exist where not mainstream and almost always seemed to operate only from the back page adverts in LGBTQ magazines such as gay times for example. I am remembering a brand called Throb Holidays who offered privately owned Self catering accommodation in Ibiza and Gran Canaria. I am delighted to say that in 2023 and beyond things are much more open and we have many LGBTQ friendly tour operators and even hotel Chains such as Axel Hotels aimed solely at our community.

Gay Travellers can still come up against prejudice in many forms from being refused accommodation, entry into venues or even jailed in some countries simply being yourself. Some countries around the world are still not welcoming and find homosexuality illegal and can imprison due to religious beliefs and laws. Due to this I always stress for people to do research chat to others who have visited countries you might wish to visit but who don’t seem to be as welcoming or as open as they should be. Your safety matters and not feeling safe should not be an option for me or you. I was thinking back to the Football World Cup held in Qatar recently and was highly disturbed with the unwelcoming scenes that came out from the tournament especially considering the country was hosting a global event.

At this point I would like to recommend some key places that I think as a student you could visit both short haul and long haul.

Each year Northern Irelands International flight program gets larger and larger but I think some of the most common Sun spots offer you the cheapest and also the most flexible duration options so the Spanish Costas are a great place to start so yes resorts like Benidorm, Sitges and Barcelona are fantastic options for gay students for friendliness and price.

Greece is another firm favourite with Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, & Mykonos all offering some excellent accommodations , resorts and cities to explore including the country’s capital city Athens which has a very exciting and rich history with excellent LGBTQ nightlife experiences to be had.

I personally have a passion for Malta which has an amazing welcome for LGBTQ travellers and has some fantastic annual events all set within some of the most historical sites in the Med and I feel hosts one of the best annual Gay Pride events on the Global Pride calendar.

Long Haul Destinations such as , Vietnam, Laos , Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada all spring to mind as top student travel destinations for both experiences and price. Committing to long haul travel means a very different type of travel experience due to language differences , distance, food, hygiene and cultures. It also usually means longer trips and therefore more and more money will be needed to fund the trip and any planned activities. One way to do this type of trip is by teaching English especially if you already hold some kind of a degree for a UK college or University as TEFEL is widely accepted for teaching and earning potential. Its also noteworthy that if you travel as a group prices can be lower as your spreading the costs between you and you could also therefore afford better accommodations than when travelling alone.

International airlines offer round the world tickets with multiple stops and changes allowed and I love the freedom this gives any traveller because depending on your budget and overall pre planned durations you could really go anywhere. If this is something you had been thinking of then its really worthwhile planning it out for example maybe thinking of key cities you want to visit or key historical sites that you want to incorporate. When thinking of a round the world ticket you will need to factor in Passport entry requirements so Visas often pay a part in peoples decision making. Many countries will offer you 90 days free tourist visas but if you wish to stay longer its important to know your individual rights as you may be better applying for longer type visas before travel ie like maybe when thinking about Australia or USA you can apply online.

When travelling as a student its important to know that International Hostels are a fantastic base in many countries because they are often cheap and have dedicated teams to both help you during your visits when it comes to what to see and do and how to do it on a smaller budget. Also depending on your background some of these types of accommodation offer jobs also like sports coaching, or scuba teachers or even bar/entertainment work.

Once you are in destination getting around will be a cost factor so its worthwhile investigating discounted rail, coach and even cycling because you want to be able to get around as cheap as possible. If you don’t have a International Student card it might be worthwhile getting one for discount reasons.

Knowing the countries tech capabilities is also important because things like phone call, texts and data roaming can be pricy for UK phone contract holders so its worthwhile getting local Sim only deals and also downloading destination Food delivery Apps or promotional visitor attraction apps and even language translation apps.

My advice for anyone thinking about taking a long student travel trip is to pack light because you can often buy anything you need when overseas. One massive thing not to scrimp on though is your Travel Insurance Policy. This is something many students overlook but its often something which is required due to people falling ill or having accidents when abroad. If your planning a long trip or a round the world trip my advice is to purchase an annual multi trip policy with a high medical coverage and if possible buy the best level the policy offers you on everything and always read the small print.

Travel in any form is supposed to be fun and the experience memorable so plan to do things outside of your comfort zone. Think Sky Dive, Diving with Sharks etc but of course it depends on where your visiting and a short stay means you won’t get to see everything in any destination but a visitors experience should be enough time for you to judge If you would want to come back and explore a place or country more.

Charity Travel is also an option and one which I was lucky enough to take part in for a global Home building charity called Habitat for Humanity. I signed up to an Global Charity event to build houses for the poor overseas and the charity I chose did this amazing thing in over 30 different countries so the opportunities of places to visit where endless. You will have to either pay to go or fundraise to pay to go but its a fantastic thing to do both as a volunteer or on an individual basis because you get to travel as part of a small or large group, learn new skills , visit a country you may not have thought about before and have the opportunity to live with locals and immerse yourself in that country’s culture.

I understand any travel might seem daunting but life itself is daunting at least this plan is on your terms so no matter if its a once in a lifetime trip to Disneyland or a Global event like World Pride in Sydney 2023. Or a year long travel adventure you know its been a choice you made and you decide what to do and what not to do.

I cannot stress enough that travel is an education in itself and you will 100% at least know yourself better when you come back and reflect on what you did what you achieved often not even realising your achievements until you return.

Not taking the risk to travel is in itself not taking the opportunity to get to know yourself better and find a path for your future short term or even longterm.

Good luck to you all wherever your individual itinerary takes you.