UK Gap Year Expert Says U.S. Market is 'Sleeping Giant'

Tom Griffiths, Founder of UK based Gapyear.com, the most frequently visited on-line resource for gap year in the world, was quoted last week in an article (picked up on Planet Gap Year's news feed): College can wait awhile- 'Gap year' catches on with students who want to gain life experience after high school , by G. Jeffrey MacDonald in a special for USA Today. Here Griffiths speaks about the U.S. market.

"The U.S. is viewed in our sector as the sleeping giant, with the potential to surpass the rest of the world in numbers and possibly spending within the next five years."

I think this quote is significant as he is one of the most knowledgeable and influential experts in the gap year industry in England. He is also a household name in the news media in the U.K. Gapyear.com is a hugely successful web site and marketing venture. His comment about the potential of the U.S. gap year market in the next five years is very interesting. I have mentioned in earlier blogs that the U.S. can learn much about the gap year from the experts in the U.K. Not only gap year consultants, but also organizations providing gap year programs in the U.S. should look to the U.K. to learn about developing gap year programs since they have the experience! At the same time, the U.K. gap year market is maturing, and organizations offering gap year programs and activities have mushroomed over the last 5 to 10 years. No doubt the U.K. will be looking for business from U.S. gap year students in the future. The U.S.- U.K. relationship could yield benefits for both sides when it comes to the gap year.