Over 80% of moms and dads in almost every country surveyed always, or at least frequently, chose holiday destinations based on making sure their kids will be occupied and happy because it meant a greater possibility of getting more ‘me-time’ for them. In particular, it was Indonesian, Saudi and Thai parents who say choosing a destination catering to their children’s interest each and every time they holiday makes for a better, more relaxing break for themselves.
Lee Lin Teo, head of brand management for the Holiday Inn Brand Family across Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) says: “It’s clear travellers around the region are balancing several factors when making holiday decisions: wanting ‘me-time’ for themselves to unwind, finding the right holiday spot that allows their family to spend time together and reconnect as well as ensuring their kids will be kept occupied and entertained.
While trying to find this balance can be hard, it seems it’s certainly worth it in the end with over 60% of respondents saying their children often, or very often, talk favourably about their holidays - the fun times together, activities and new friends made - and of these, just over a half (51%) say their family holidays are some of their children’s greatest memories.
Delving deeper into what makes for a fun, more memorable break, parents are instinctively spot on when it comes to knowing what makes their kids happy on holidays. In fact, when asked, moms and dads listed these activities as the top three things their kids love to do most on their breaks:
1. swimming in the pool or ocean;
2. playing at the beach; and
3. visiting nearby theme or water parks
Kids (regardless of age or gender) agree, listing the same activities in the same order as the top things they love doing on holidays. However, boys say they enjoy eating different kinds of food and learning to play sports, while girls say that playing with siblings, making new friends, as well as enjoying arts and crafts are their other top interests on holidays.
When it’s time to wrap up the trip, for most travellers the best holiday souvenirs are the memories made and the way we remember good times on holidays doesn’t change dramatically across the region, with social media, unsurprisingly, the preferred choice for displaying holiday photos on their return home.
Parents say they create albums of pictures taken throughout the trip, while child-free respondents display souvenirs around their home to remind them of their recent holiday and just over 12% of survey respondents don’t usually do anything to keep holiday memories alive once they have returned home.
