Gap year: Australian millenials would holiday at home

Australian millenials say they would travel and work in their ‘own backyard’ while Europe is off the cards, but border closures have been holding them back.

School-leavers Julie Perkins, 18, Grace Howarth, 19 and Emma Doyle, 19m had to abandon their planned European trip this year. Picture: John Feder

With Australia’s borders closed to the world, many school-leavers are hoping to take a gap year at home — but their plans are hostage to state restrictions.

Grace Howarth, who finished Year 12 in 2019, said even though the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled her plans to holiday in ­Europe for four months with a group of friends this year, she would still like the “experience of travelling somewhere new” in Australia.

“I think people might be thinking you have to go overseas and get the photo under the Eiffel Tower,” the 19-year-old said.

“I think there is a lot in Australia people don’t realise we have got. Maybe it will be more the norm — to notice the scenery and the opportunity that is already on our doorstep.”

After the former student from St Catherine’s School in Waverley, Sydney, discovered her plans to travel around Europe — starting in Barcelona from June — would be cancelled, she decided to continue to work as a nanny to save money for travel in Australia.

Ms Howarth and her friends have planned a trip to Byron Bay for New Year's Eve and said they would consider travelling to the Northern Territory or Port Douglas if there was more certainty about border openings.

Miguel Dela Cruz from Rockhampton in Queensland decided to work full time this year after his plans to travel around the country and then Brazil were called off.

“Maybe we are stuck here (but) I was able to find out there is so much more about my place that I haven’t seen before,” the 18-year-old said. “You would be surprised there are so many creeks you can swim in and camping areas.”

Mr Dela Cruz, who completed year 12 at North Rockhampton State High school last November, said he would like to work or volunteer in cities like Sydney, Perth and Darwin — but would only consider it when “things go back to normal”.

Australian travel companies welcomed news on Friday that most states and territories agreed to reopen their borders by Christmas as they try to capture the gap year market.

Contiki head of sales Andrew Young praised the announcement, which came after the company introduced new domestic itineraries “for Australians to see a different side of their backyard”.

“This announcement is fantastic for those young travellers who can get on the road for an experience they have been waiting for,” Mr Young said.

Flight Centre Australia general manager Kelly Spencer said the company was “on a journey” to attract the millennial market to domestic travel.

“What we have found from our research is they are going to be the most resilient and probably the first wave of all customers that will resume once travel gets going,” Ms Spencer said.