How to survive the family holiday
For many young people, saving money is a great reason to carry on holidaying with their parents well into adulthood.
According to new research released today by travelsupermarket.com, nearly a quarter of adults (24 per cent) admit their parents have paid for or supplemented the cost of a holiday since they turned 18*. And with one in twenty adults (five per cent) confessing their parents still pay for them, there is clearly a lot to be gained from jetting off with mum and dad.
Of those adults who continue to piggyback on family holidays, 37 per cent cited money saving benefits as a reason for doing so. But nearly half of the respondents (43 per cent) claimed they still travelled with their parents because they enjoy spending time with them.
Coupled with the possibility of a free or subsidised holiday, quality time with mum and dad could explain why post-18 family holidays are a growing trend. Over half of 20-30 year olds (53 per cent) have been on a family funded holiday since turning 18 compared to just under half (45 per cent) of 30-40 year olds, 41 per cent of 40-50 year olds, and 31 per cent of 50-60 year olds.
Adults from the West Midlands are the likeliest region to go on a parent-funded holiday this year (nine per cent compared to a national average of five per cent), with Londoners close behind (eight per cent). Suggesting there may be a pattern between family-financed holidays and the likelihood of grown up kids going away with their parents, people from the West Midlands and London were also the likeliest to holiday with mum and dad again in the future (40 per cent and 35 per cent respectively, compared to a national average of 31 per cent).
Bob Atkinson, travel expert from travelsupermarket.com, said: “The traditional concept of the last family holiday has dissipated in recent years, with grown up kids clinging onto their parents’ plans for as long as possible. Although this is partly due to cash-strapped grown-up kids and a generation of relatively affluent parents, it’s reassuring to know that families do genuinely appear to enjoy each others’ company.
“In the spirit of holiday harmony, a great way to keep several generations happy is to select holidays which offer a range of activities. Cruises are great for this as they offer everything from gentle sightseeing to rock-climbing and ‘West End style’ entertainment. And remember to always shop around to find the best deals available for group bookings.”
How to survive another family holiday: advice from travelsupermarket.com
1. Agree who is paying for what from the early planning stages to avoid rude shocks later on
2. Choose a resort which offers something for everyone; all inclusive resorts and cruises are particularly good at getting the balance right, and self-catering is a great option for lots of people who want to do different things
3. Don’t feel you have to spend every waking moment together; do some research before departure to identify things of interest for everyone in your group and maybe hire more than one smaller car rather than one larger vehicle
4. Consider buying family travel insurance for a single trip – it could work out cheaper than purchasing individual policies
5. If you’re flying, check-in online the night before to reserve seats together
* All stats, unless otherwise stated, taken from research carried out on behalf of travelsupermarket.com by Opinium in February 2010 among 2,066 adults residing in the UK