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'Brits look to backpacking'

(28 Feb 2007)

Going back-packing? – Get a great deal on travel insurance

More than half of Britons are interested in taking a career break to go travelling, a new survey reveals.

According to research by the One Life Live exhibition, 54 per cent of working adults, totalling about 7.5 million people, claim they would like to go backpacking across the world or volunteer abroad.

However, the study found that only 1.2 per cent of these people actually go ahead with taking a career break.

Director of gapadvice.org Phil Murray said: "With over 90,000 workers following their dreams each year, the grown-up gap year market is seeing the fastest growth of all sectors of the travel industry."

He added that the sector is worth some £2.5 billion every year, with the average adult backpacker spending between £6,000 and £9,000 per trip.

Research conducted between the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the World Youth and Student Educational Travel Confederation last week revealed that backpackers represent the travel industry's fastest growing sector.

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