Survey reveals parents are the number one priority to keep in touch with for young Gap Year travellers today 

Results from a recent survey of Gap Year travellers between the ages of 18-25 conducted by new travel app HOOF shows Gap Year travellers today keep their parents ever close whilst overseas.  Over half, 58% of respondents, plan to keep in touch with their parents the most when travelling compared with 23% stating friends as their top choice.

The rite of passage generally associated with young Brits flying the nest to find themselves seems to be less of a wild experience, and more of a shared experience with parents.  Over half again, 58%, say they plan to keep in touch daily with their loved ones, compared to 37% who state they would keep in touch weekly.

Furthermore, 90% said they never modified their social posts, although some confessed to blocking their posts from their family and, in some cases, specifically their Dads.  Interestingly though, those from Newcastle and Southampton (both registering 25%) said they had modified their posts for their parents.

Safety was the main concern of travellers ahead of taking a trip (57%), with those travellers from the North the most concerned (64%) compared with those from the South (53%).  Food (36%) and illness (31%) came a close second and third.  Perhaps due to travellers' propensity to keep in daily contact with home, those stating homesickness as a concern only registered at 29%.

The survey was conducted by HOOF ahead of the most popular time of year for Gap Year travellers leaving to explore the world in an effort to understand the latest trends. The new app, created for travellers by travellers, features elements never combined in one application before and is designed to allow travellers to log their travels, easily share locations, and gives users absolute control of who sees their check-ins and posts.

Elliott Grant, founder of HOOF said: “These results are really interesting. It seems the days of wild abandon on a gap year are long gone. Travellers want to ensure their parents are well informed and up to date and that they can share in the experiences of their children on the road around the world. 

Grant goes onto say:  We know there is demand for a new travel app designed specifically for travellers on the road.  78% of Gap Year travellers say they are likely to use HOOF however, it is useful for all ages whether you're backpacking or travelling for business and want to network with new contacts at a conference.”

HOOF launches today and is available on all Apple devices running iOS 8 and above, available in all countries through the App Store. 

For images and more information contact April Cernuschi on 0207 3269880 april.cernuschi@brightergroup.co.uk

About HOOF

HOOF was created in the summer of 2017 by Elliott Grant and Olly McGinn – both ardent globetrotters.  Innovated by travellers for travellers, HOOF enables users to check-in to locations around the world and log travel experiences into easily manageable folders. Users can live share check-ins with friends, create specific groups and maintain total control of who sees check-ins. HOOF is available free on all Apple devices running IOS 8 and above from the Apple Store.