FAMILY TOURISM

In recent decades, the family situation has changed. When it comes to family holidays, certain requirements related to children, including a swimming pool at the hotel, remain essential. However, the arrival at the head of young families parents from Generation X, who had their children much later, affects domestic tourism demand, especially because this new generation of parents values ​​and different concerns. 

FAMILIES LOOKING BUSINESS INTEREST AND ADEQUATE SERVICES 

A recent analysis of the Shell Group Hospitality, manager of a dozen complex family resorts in the United States and Canada, the three main factors of influence in the decision to vacation in a family are: 

The destination: it must allow quick and easy access to a variety of family activities and entertainment (theme parks, animated attractions, beaches, ski center, etc.) or be in the vicinity of the residence of the parents or friends. 

Room: The room should be spacious to allow each member of a large family to go relax at ease. Families enjoy more features like the kitchen, video games and Internet connections corner. 

Services of the hotel: naturally, the pool remains the single most sought after. However, playrooms or exercise would also provide benefits. Finally, the ability to book adjoining rooms is paramount when the group meets more than one family, teens want their own room or grandparents joined the group. 

A study by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) confirms that children's programs are very popular with families. Special menus for children (41%) and hotel discounts for families (30%) are the most sought after benefits, while the supply of toys and video games (22%), supervised activities (13% ) and babysitting services (6%) are also sought after by families. 

While on average 60% of families use this service during the holidays, parents X seem more inclined to use them, because 71% of 35-44 year olds use the children's programs. This is the highest proportion among all people traveling with children. 

WHO ARE THE PARENTS X? 

Generation X includes people born from 1965 to 1980 While the older generation that just reached their forties, they are very often parents of young children. 

In Canada, it is estimated that only 17% of them had their first child before the age of 25, while the figure was 29% among boomers. In 2002, 4 out of 10 children are born to parents aged 30 to 39 years, compared to 34% in 1991 and 24% in 1981. 

THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND SEARCH THE RACE AGAINST TIME 

For Gen X, happiness, it is primarily the work-family balance. Indeed, 80% of parents from this generation would like to have more time to spend with their family while on average they already spend more time than their parents did. (See also: Generation X against attack!) 

SHORTER STAYS AND MORE FREQUENT 

A survey of the American website "thefamilytravelfiles" conducted in the spring of 2005, reveals that family stays respect the trend that we leave more often but for shorter periods. Indeed, 35% of respondents who took a family vacation said they had done twice during the year, while 35% did so three times or more. 

The start frequency affects the duration of family holiday: 75% of them last less than a week, of which 35% are getaways 2 to 5 days. 

Torn between their personal needs, their desire for time with the spouse and the priority given to the family, "parents X", thus generating a new family tourism demand. Travel, as many leisure and business while remaining necessary for the development of the couple and staff respite, become privileged moments to get close to children. 

BE SENSITIVE TO BE FAMILY FAMILY VS 

While it has long been limited to the notion of travel for children, the new family travel is now defined as a trip with the kids. The distinction is important for businesses that need to be sensitive to the needs of parents as well as those of children. 

Companies traditional family vocation, such as theme parks or zoos, also need to pay heed to the experience that the parents live, so that the visit becomes a pleasant one for each family member. 

Furthermore, in order to meet these multiple aspirations, some tourism businesses, whose clients are mostly adult, took the gamble of offering new services to show that, opting to stay in their business, everyone (including children ) can fully enjoy their vacation. 

Last December, Air Transat Kids Club opened its (2-11 years) offers a series of services and benefits (priority boarding, games kit, special meals, etc.) to make the most enjoyable holiday for the whole family. Currently, 6% of Transat Holidays are children. 

The resorts sun destinations were among the first to develop services kids club to provide parents with a family vacation experience combining cleverly presence of children and moments of individual freedom. Club Med remains a leader in this type of approach, even to segment the services offered to children of different ages: Baby Club (4-23 months), Petit Club (2-3 years), Mini Club (4-10 years) and the new Junior's Club for teenagers (11-17 years). 

The major cruise lines soon followed this model in order to attract domestic customers. By providing the right facilities (family cabin) and adequate services (children's entertainment, water park, arcade, etc.), the cruise itself as a vacation solution that promises to find each of his account there. And it works: In 2005, of the 3.3 million passengers handled by Carnival Cruise, 525,000 were children. 

In Quebec, we have recently seen the emergence of family-friendly from spas initiatives, charming inns or business hotels that have decided to provide special care for children, child care , space games or camps with facilitators or suites "families" specially designed for the comfort of children and parents, areas supervised games for children and adults. 

In conclusion, in the era of Generation X parents, family tourism are therefore defined solely by the preferences of children; Parents also claim theirs!

source : http://veilletourisme.ca/2006/03/13/le-tourisme-familial-et-les-%C2%AB-parents-x-%C2%BB/