Booking.com reveals some royally good insights into the Great British family holiday

The “magic age”

• 71% of UK parents agree that holidays are easier once their children hit a certain age
• A quarter (25%) cite the ‘magic age’ as five and a fifth (20%) cite the ‘magic age’ as four

The best thing about holidays

• 55% of parents say the best thing about holidaying with a young family is having time to bond and a third (33%) cite learning about new cultures

Holiday challenges

• Since becoming parents, nearly half (44%) say finding time for personal relaxation is the most difficult thing to do on a family holiday

 Holiday priorities and compromises

• The main concern for 70% of UK parents with young families is finding accommodation that will ensure a safe environment for their children
• 50% are forgoing their dream destinations to ensure a ‘family friendly’ holiday
• 68% report having paid more than planned to find accommodation that meets the whole family’s needs

LONDON, UK: New research by Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, provides some royally good insight into the Great British family holiday.

Just as soon-to-be-royal-parents Harry and Meghan will likely be putting plans in place to bring their new arrival on overseas engagements, a family holiday with young children comes packed with extra considerations. Although trips away facilitate fantastic experiences for youngsters, they also require careful planning and are not always the most relaxing for the beady eyed parents!

Interestingly, nearly three quarters of parents (71%) agreed that holidays with their young children became most enjoyable once their children hit a certain age. The “magic age” that came up trumps was five years old according to a quarter of parents (25%), closely followed by four (20%) and three (19%).

When it comes to the enriching elements of a holiday, over half of parents (55%) reported that they see them as an opportunity to bond with their children. Over a third (33%) of respondents also said that they gain pleasure from seeing their children learn about different cultures, whilst for a further 26% say the benefits of family travel are all about experiencing new things together, going on excursions and seeking out new adventures.

The biggest and perhaps unsurprising holiday challenge parents referenced, was finding time for personal relaxation whilst on holiday (44%). Additionally, a fifth (20%) of parents identified planning the trip as being one of the biggest stressors on family holidays. This highlights the need for frictionless travel booking options, which make the process as smooth as possible.

When it came to holiday priorities and compromises, half (50%) of those with young families report that they’ve had to compromise on their ideal holiday destination, as well as the type of holiday, with 34% believing beach holidays offer more suitable accommodation types for a young family, than a chic city break.

70% of Brits with children under ten years old agree that ensuring safe surroundings for their children is extremely important to them when planning a getaway and to ensure this, 68% admit to stretching their budget and paying more than they originally planned for family friendly accommodation.

Joost Vermeulen, Director of Booking.com for UK, Ireland, Nordics and Benelux commented: “Our research reveals that while recognising the huge positive value that travel can bring for their families, UK parents do face certain challenges when trying to plan a family holiday. At Booking.com we’re here to help.

Our mission is to empower everyone, including parents with children of all ages, to experience the world. To that end we offer everything from apartments, vacation homes and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. With Booking.com the perfect family friendly accommodation in the right destination is just a few clicks away.”

The value-added services and experiences parents most appreciate on family holidays

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Contact details:

For further information, contact the Booking.com UK Press Office lon-booking@ketchum.com

Research methodology:

Nationwide research was commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted amongst a sample of 1500 UK parents with children aged under ten years of age and who go on family holidays.

About Booking.com:

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com now employs more than 17,500 employees in 200+ offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travellers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in 43 languages, offer over 28 million total reported listings, including more than 5.7 million listings of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay, and covers more than 147,000 destinations in 229 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether traveling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal place to stay quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in over 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

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