Survey reveals kids preferences influence parents while choosing vacation destination

ETW Staff– Mumbai

Everyone deserves a vacation to relax, and kids are no exception. From homework and chores to staying on their best behavior, being a kid can be hard work. According to the ‘Kid Classified’ survey conducted by Holiday Inn Resorts, family travel trends are increasingly skewed towards their kids’ choices, with almost nine in 10 parents saying their kids’ preferences were influential when choosing a vacation destination. Top preferred destinations include theme parks, beaches and large cities with 29 per cent of families surveyed choosing themed park as a key destination, followed closely by beaches and large cities at 23 per cent each. Parents also value their vacation time, with 64 per cent of those surveyed saying they would unplug from work completely.

Having children-friendly features are also big considerations for parents. 85 per cent consider a swimming pool as a hotel must-have. Unsurprisingly, other hotel features which were top of parents’ consideration when they travelled included kids’ suites (64 per cent), kids-eat-free programmes (62 per cent) and on-site children activities (61 per cent) to fully engage their little ones and give parents some alone time.

Lee Lin Teo, director, brand management, Holiday Inn Brand Family said, “We know that everyone in the family deserves a break once in a while, whatever age you are. While most parents expect Wi-Fi, parking and breakfast to be included with their hotel stays, fewer expect fun games for kids or special activity programmes provided free of charge. Holiday Inn Resort offers all of these as standard as well as multiple food and restaurant options, nightly entertainment and recreation facilities, at great value. We always put our guests first by providing the amenities that both kids and parents want while on holiday anywhere in the world.”