The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has just released it’s research into the effect that young travelers have on the international tourism industry. Unsurprisingly, the UNWTO has found that youth travel counts for almost a fifth of international tourist arrivals. It is also one of the fastest-growing sectors. The research has been carried out over the last five years, and concluded that traveling has an important impact on young people. Up to 80% of the young people questioned said that traveling had made them more respectful of other peoples cultures. Although I believe that youth travel is an important part of growing up, it is also extremely expensive to fund. As shown in the UNTWOs research, the cost of youth travel has increased by 40% in five years. In 2007 the average young person spent €1,915 (£1,536) per trip. This means that only those young people who are fortunate enough to have been given or saved a lot of money are able to take advantage of this learning experience, which I think is a shame!