Recent studies reveal a topsy-turvy trend where kids are getting their say in family vacation planning. A travel service marketing company found that 7 out of 10 children help plan where the family will go on vacation and which activities they will participate in.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to parents that 83% of the kids chose Walt Disney World Resort as their preferred place to go on vacation.
The surveyors also tracked the ways kids record memories made on vacations. Findings support technology such as social media websites, blogs and digital photography contribute to keeping kids memories alive. Next to digital photos, souvenirs are important visual aids for memory recall.
Another survey, conducted by Corus Entertainment found that 92% of mothers pay attention to their kids input about family vacation planning. Jacqueline Grossman, director of retail marketing, Thomas Cook Travel, contends that while moms make the final, final decision, kids are the “influencers”.
Harris-Decima conducted a nationwide survey concerning holiday habits. Among 1,009 Canadians, surveyors discovered that 59% of Canadian parents encourage children’s participation when planning family vacations.
Parents are coming to the realization that when making decisions that involve the family, the entire family should be involved. It makes sense that when kids enjoy themselves, so will parents.
About half the Canadians in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario find it increasingly difficult to plan family vacations. Alternatively, Quebec didn’t experience such difficulty.
Surprisingly, when the Bank of Montreal conducted a survey in June, 2012 they found finances to be the major influence for vacation planning. But, the surveyors at Harris-Decima suggested, in 2013, Canadian parents will curb dinners out and forego a few movie excursions in order to take a family vacation.
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts commissioned a survey of 615 American kids. Of the participants, 64% had gone on a vacation with both parents the past year, 19% of the kids had vacationed with one parent and their siblings.
When kids were asked who was the “biggest chicken on thrill rides”, 16% confessed they were and 38% said their mom was.
Looks like a majority of kids got their wish for the family to take a theme park vacation!
