October 25, 2010. As foreign travel by young Americans continues to be a growing trend, its long term benefits are being measured.
Despite the challenges of the current economy, study abroad by American students is bigger than ever. A November 2009 study by Open Doors, a non-profit institute for education which tracks international enrollments for the U.S. Department of State, revealed that study abroad was up 8.5% over 2008. Now, a survey released in September 2010 in conjunction with Educational Travel Week has found that traveling overseas at a young age — whether for vacation or an academic program — supports school performance and increases the likelihood of continued travel throughout one’s life.
The survey, “The Impact of Early Travel Experiences,” was jointly endorsed by the Student Youth & Travel Association (SYTA) and Explorica, an educational travel company. The goal of the survey was to gain a better understanding of the learning inherent in travel and the resulting life enhancement.
Increased Eduacational Achievement at a College Level
The SYTA-Explorica survey revealed that more than 88% of respondents who traveled before the age of 18 received a college degree, with more than a quarter of respondents going on to receive an advanced degree. Respondents also were high performers in school: more than 81% of respondents achieved a college GPA of 3.0or higher, with more than 40% completing college with a GPA greater than 3.6.
An FTF analyis shows that more than 80% of SYTA-Explorica survey respondents reported a household income of more than $75K, a level of affluence that would positively influence educational success whether or not the student was exposed to foreign travel.
According to the Open Door study, the educational benefits of foreign travel are so well understood that the State Department will provide more than 1,700 study abroad scholarships for 2010 — more than double the number that it allocated for financial assistance two years ago.
Lifetime Influence of Youth Travel
SYTA-Explorica Survey respondents were asked to share the lasting impact of their travel abroad experiences. Local culture immersion provided the most lasting impact according to respondents, and almost three-quarters of these respondents credit their travel experiences with positively impacting their education and career.
Positive effects have spread to host countries, too. Another student travel organizer, People to People Ambassador Programs, recently announced that student participants had completed approximately 253,000 hours of community service during 2010, with projects completed by students within the U.S. as they prepared for international programs, and in their destination country as a way to learn and experience different cultures abroad. Notes Peg Thomas, president of People to People Ambassador Programs, “As students work to help people in another country, they not only provide a benefit to the local community, but also experience their own power to truly make a difference in the world.”
The SYTA-Explorica survey corroborated that youth travel heavily impacts travel behavior in adulthood. Survey respondents that traveled outside North America before the age of 18 continue this trend as adults. In fact, more than 43% of youth travelers have visited at least 10 countries outside of North America, with almost 90% traveling to non-English speaking destinations. Travel is considered so important to these respondents, that more than 70% report spending at least $2,000 each year on travel, with one out of four respondents spending more than $5,000 annually.
More Youth Travel Information
Conducted in August/September 2010, the SYTA-Exploricasurvey polled North American travelers over the age of 21 who had taken a trip abroad – whether through a school-sponsored tour, a family trip or other independent travel – before the age of 18.
While the organizations behind the survey admittedly have a bias towards promoting international travel among the young, the results jibe with what Family Travel Forum has found in analyzing the results of its annual Teen Travel Writing Scholarship, now in its fourth year. Download FTF’s 2009 Teen Travel Trends Report.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
Great information. I love travelling and the winter holidays are best to go out with family and friends. there are many places in India for the best winter holiday. here is the list 5 Best Winter Holiday Destinations In India
very good. nice to read it.
Hi,
Great article. The lists were amazing. I would also recommend visiting few Central American countries like Guatemala, Honduras. Honduras has some best family stay accommodations and its way cheaper to learn Spanish while you are travelling. Check our website to know how one can study Spanish while travelling around the country ixbalanquespanish.com/important-learn-spanish-honduras
As per my opinion Mountains are the real beauty of any country but not only a particular country is the the natural beauty of World….. It gives feeling like we are in heaven.
great post!
Best way to find a local Christmas tree farm is just to go to http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/. The list over 8000 Christmas tree farms in more than a dozen countries including the United States and Canada
thanks for sharing this wonderful post, it was awesome reading it.
Thanks for sharing a great post!
Awesome post!
Thanks for sharing..
Thanks for sharing a great post!
The further I read, the more the better your material is.
Wow, looks good, especially the end. I was looking for that subject for a few days across the nest, however there was nothing valuable. So pleased to achieve your post at the conclusion. I am excited about this subject, and I want to be always conscious of the latest news. That is a joy to see your article and eventually clarify myself.
The more I see, the more the better your content is.
Can you tell me a estimated amount required to spend 6 days in Washington including hotel price . thanks in advance .
Spending quality time with family is always a good thing to do , I have recently visited to Switzerland with my family and booked online experience that was pretty cheap and fun , really like your article appreciated buddy.
Hi, thanks for the huge list of good ideas! I reconnected with an old childhood memory of travelling on house boats.
Wow, that’s a great list. The Free Tours By Foot sounds amazing and such a great way to explore a city. Have you guys ever tried indoor skydiving? It’s not cheap, but it’s a great activity for the whole family. Some of the centers even offer a Virtual Reality experience. With more and more tunnels popping up it’s become quite easy to find a spot nearby. For those interested check out dropzone.com/indoor/ . They’ve got a nifty tunnel finder.
Great post!
Thanks for sharing..
Great Article ! Everything you explain in this blog in detailed! Thank you so much for sharing this blog and I also want to visit !
Thank you for writing this useful tips. it might be help me in future
Hi There,
Thank you for putting together a list for Fall vacation. It is so informative and exciting. We love the nature! We should be planning a trip to Aspen Mountain, Colorado soon. The infographic on emergency is so well done and very handy for travelers.
visiting california is always enjoyable. thanks for sharing your feelings about california. Have traveled any other countries? I’ve been travelling for last 2 years and I would like to share some of my great experinces with you. do you accept guest post?
Everything in this blog is nice. Fabolous infographic and presentation also. I also want to go there for these types of rides which are shown in this blog.
First of all, you need to find out what type of vacation each member of your family prefers. At lunch, dinner, or watching your favorite TV show in the evening, try discussing your upcoming vacation together. Listen to suggestions from everyone, remember where you have already visited and, taking into account the interests of the child, try to choose the right direction. It should be borne in mind all the details: the possibility of excess spending, the size of the vacation budget, the presence of health problems, interests, hobbies and hobbies. If you are organizing a trip with your child, you will have a wonderful joint vacation!
NYC is a great place to celebrate Halloween, and good opportunities for celebrity sightings too!
Please meet the winners of the 2019 FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship at this post: https://myfamilytravels.com/family-travel-forum-announces-winners-of-2019-teen-travel-writing-scholarship/
Hi, just wondering who won, every time I click the link it just takes me back to the homepage
Hello! We are driving from Ohio to Florida at the end of December 2019. If you want your vehicle taken from Ohio to Florida please let me know! 🙂
941-465-0787
Thank you for sharing … I love to do a river rafting….thankyou so much for giving details about all things
Thank you for sharing the Information and images… Its very good and I am traveling soon on this place
Great post!
Thanks for sharing..
Hello Charles,
Thanks for your note. As stated in the post above, it has been sponsored by You Fly, We Drive, who has paid to market their services to readers of our website and forums. We hope you and other readers find their car transport service useful.
The terms and use clearly states… ” that no post on this forum should advertise or engage in promotion”. So how do you explain this article that was at the end of a link in your forum?
Thank you for posting this.
Really good blog. Thanks for sharing
What a great present to ask for! I’m so impressed that you managed to find the 40 things to give away and I’m dying to know what the others were.
The moon landing marked the culmination of America’s Cold War human spaceflight program and positioned itself as a global leader in science and technology. Apollo 11, the mission Armstrong and Aldrin flew with colleague Michael Collins, represented the U.S. accomplishing a seemingly impossible goal on a seemingly impossible timeline. Fifty years later, the world is remembering the historic mission and its impact on society and science, thanks to all these 50 COSMIC WAYS TO CELEBRATE SPACE.
I am also a collector of space memorabilia and I run a website dedicated to Space Exploration memorabilia https://www.space-collectibles.com . In fact, I leave in Paris, France. (Yes, that does mean I drink too much wine and eat too much cheese) . Since the age of 21, I became a big fan of Space Exploration as I studied in Cap Canaveral Florida, and worked with the engineers that put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon. So, this is perhaps the reason why I became a pasionate Space Collectioner of photos from the space race in the 60’s from Nasa and Soviet programs. I whish I could be in all these 50 COSMIC WAYS TO CELEBRATE SPACE
Hello..we will be heading from Phoenix area to Philadelphia late October. Anyone in need of a vehicle needed to get from Phoenix to Philadelphia?
Great post, I love it!
Thanks for your blog!
I love traveling and I will take my parents to another country. Your writing gave me some useful information, I can arrange an effective trip.
nice Article. i really like it
Hey, Grandparents are the blessing of God to there kids and I am a professional travel agent of “Thia’s Travel Services” planned lots of successful tourism if you are planning or looking for more luxury trip and affordable tours with your friends and family feel free to keep in touch
Hey thanks for such a nice article, there is nothing better than getting away with the fam or group of mates into the wilderness and just relaxing while staring into those embers. I go camping regularly and I know you stated unplugged but if you dont play an instrument I highly recommend bringing along a nice loud Bluetooth speaker to jam away with all of you friends into the late night. That and beer ofcourse.
Thanks again and keep up the good work
Hershey is such a fun town to visit with so many family-friendly activities. We loved driving up to spend the weekend when we lived in Maryland.
Excellent post, Firsta! I enjoy reading about your travel experiences! Can’t wait to read your next blog post!
That is really attention-grabbing, You are an overly professional blogger.
I’ve joined your feed and sit up for searching for more of your wonderful post.
Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks
I need a driver to take my 4-Runner from Long Island to Miami before August 30. Please contact me if interested. vavergel@yahoo.com
Thankyou for writing this wonderful article. I love to read .keep going
Thankyou for writing this wonderful article. I love to read .keep going
Doing so saves money on your shipping costs. Most travelers are charged for gas as they are free. Tourists save money on car rentals and pay for their travels.