2022 is the summer where families start returning to normal and are ready to take a trip. With 99% of families currently planning their next vacation, the younger members of the family are speaking up. Recently, we conducting a survey with Wakefield Research of 500 US kids ages 5-15 to get their take on traveling with their family. We found that kids want to make sure they are getting the most out of their time off on spring breaks and summer vacations, and have strong opinions about family travel. This trend could cause a shift in the way families travel and approach planning family getaways this upcoming season.
Nearly all kids (96%) say they get to help plan at least one aspect of family vacation, including nearly half (46%) who say they at least get to help in planning where they go. Even more get to help plan what they do on family vacation, with more than 3 in 4 kids (77%) saying they get to help with this.
What Do Kids Love About Vacation?
Going on adventures, exploring, being active, meeting new kids, and making fun stops along the way are among the things that kids love about vacation.
Road Trip Favorites
Sometimes the journey is just as fun as the destination! These kids love the adventure of a road trip, with almost all (98%) of the kids saying there is something about it they enjoy. Snacking on junk food in the car is the best part for most (80%), which explains why deciding where to eat (71%) is a top family vacation item kids say they help plan.
Who Makes the Vacation Decisions?
Just 1 in 5 kids say they get to help plan where they stay on family vacations – and maybe it’s time for grown-ups to start letting them!
While kids admit that adults have more say in where they go for family vacations, preteens seem to be the most persuasive. 20% of kids ages 9-12 say they have more say than the adults on where to go on family vacation. As many parents of a teenager might know, the older they get, the more opinionated they can become. 71% of kids ages 13-15 want to decide their vacation destination. Significantly more than their younger peers (63%).
Family Time
Family time during vacation is very important to kids, 9 in 10 (91%) to be exact. Nearly 3 in 5 kids (58%) say seeing their family members having fun is one of the best parts about family vacations. Over half of kids surveyed (51%) admit that spending time with family during vacation is the best part.
The kids have spoken, and spending time with their family and helping to plan the next vacation are both really important to them! Next time you’re plotting your upcoming destination, you may want to let them join in. It could be fun to see what places they come up with, and maybe it’ll inspire your next trip!
Check out the full survey report here.
