Rise of the golden gap year among the newly retired

A fifth of over-60s are considering going travelling for an extended amount of time in what is being described as the rise of ‘the golden gap year’.

A poll of 1,500 Britons reveals the ultimate experiences those who have retired want to take including a trip to the Northern Lights (55 per cent), walking through New Zealand’s countryside (33 per cent) and eating pasta on the Amalfi Coast (31 per cent).

Adventurous older people also want to enjoy a rum on the beach in the Caribbean (26 per cent), go island hopping in Greece (27 per cent) and enjoy the best burger New York has to offer (14 per cent).

More than a third are throwing caution to the wind and planning to book the trip of a lifetime, according to the research.

Adventurous older people also want to enjoy a rum on the beach in the Caribbean (26 per cent), go island hopping in Greece (27 per cent) and enjoy the best burger New York has to offer (14 per cent) (stock image)

A fifth (21 per cent) of those polled by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) feel they missed out due to the pandemic, and 19 per cent say they have much more of an urge to travel than they did five years ago.

Some 41 per cent of those who are retired or approaching retirement believe it’s definitely worthwhile spending their hard-earned cash by travelling during their golden years, and 32 per cent said they were determined to explore as much of the world as possible while they still can.

And with four in ten older Britons describing themselves as young at heart, it’s no surprise that 30 per cent reckon 60 is the new sweet 16. In fact, 21 per cent of British over that age seriously regret not taking a gap year in their teens or early 20s.

Eamonn Ferrin of NCL said: ‘While globetrotting has long been associated with the young and carefree, our research suggests more Boomers are travelling than ever before.’