Today StudentUniverse, the world's leading travel booking site for students and youth, reveals a huge increase in young people taking a gap year since the EU referendum and increased tuition fees. The figures follow the recent UCAS announcement that applications to UK universities overall fell by 5 per cent to a total of 469,490.

The student travel booking site has seen a 29 per cent year-on-year increase in searches, which it attributes to high tuition fees and Brexit putting students off study in the UK. During the same period, StudentUniverse has seen an 82 per cent increase in gap year searches to Thailand and a 53 per cent increase in gap year searches to Australia as well as a 100 per cent increase in searches to Bangkok and 50 per cent increase in searches to Sydney. The number of young people researching a twin-centre trip to Bangkok and Sydney has increased a staggering 200 per cent year-on-year.

Dan Baker, Head of Marketing at StudentUniverse, said: “Here at StudentUniverse, we know travel is essential to a modern education. Given the recent increase in tuition fees and the uncertainty around the UK's exit from the EU, it's not a surprise to see more and more young people opting for the 'life education' of a gap year rather than traditional academic studies.”

Launched in 2013, StudentUniverse is the world's leading travel booking site for students and youth. Through negotiations with a network of global partners, StudentUniverse offers discounted pricing and terms on flights, hotels and tours. Its Travel Services division also handles complex itineraries, custom designed gap year experiences and group travel requests. Millions of students use the service every year. 

About StudentUniverse:

StudentUniverse is the world's leading travel booking site for students and youth. Through negotiations with a network of global partners, StudentUniverse offers discounted pricing and terms on flights, hotels and tours. Its Travel Services division also handles complex itineraries, custom designed gap year experiences and group travel requests. StudentUniverse also operates Journeys are Made @ GapYear.com, the world's largest gap year inspiration travel platform.

StudentUniverse launched in the UK in 2013 and was acquired by Flight Centre Travel Group in 2015. StudentUniverse is headquartered in Boston with offices in London, Toronto, New York and the Philippines. StudentUniverse believes that travel is essential to a modern education. Millions of students use the service every year.

For more information go to www.studentuniverse.co.uk, www.facebook.com/StudentUniverseUK, www.twitter.com/studentu_uk or www.instagram.com/studentuniverseuk.