With this summer expected to be a record-setter in terms of travel volumes, plenty of parents are eager to get away from home with their kids. If you and your brood are looking forward to a summer vacation in 2022, you may want to note the results of a new study, which indicates that advance planning makes family vacations more enjoyable for everyone.
A survey of 2,000 American parents, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Chase IHG Rewards Credit Cards, found that 68 percent assume new roles when planning a family vacation. It also discovered that 68 percent agree there's a lot of work involved in planning those vacations and ensuring things go smoothly for the entire party.
One in four parents identified themselves as being the "planners" in their family when it comes to making vacation preparations, and bear the responsibility of keeping everyone organized and on track. Others comically called their partner or co-parent an "agent of chaos", who always seems to be causing trouble (18 percent) or is perpetually running late (17 percent).
Some Key Survey Findings:
- 55 percent of families said they haven't taken a vacation in at least three years, although 70 percent are now planning to take one within the next 18 months.
- 76 percent of families reported being able to plan out their entire trip itinerary in a total of about six hours, spread over a few days.
- 61 percent of families said they start planning their vacations at least five weeks ahead of time.
- 39 percent of respondents like to be prepared "at least days" in advance of departing on their trip, while 28 find themselves frantically making preparations up to the very last minute.
- When deciding where to book their vacation stays, parents said pointed to available amenities (47 percent), kid-friendliness (41 percent) and proximity to local cultural attractions (40 percent) as the most important considerations. Other factors taken into account include reviews/recommendations (39 percent) and whether a hotel offers breakfast (35 percent)
- 67 percent of parents polled said that their kids are very involved in planning activities for their vacations, and 62 percent said that it's their children who decide whether or not the vacation is fun.
- Participants noted that their older kids tend to help most with the vacation planning process (35 percent), while their younger ones just want to have fun (25 percent).
Sixty-five percent of parents surveyed said they can't relax until their family has finally arrived at their vacation destination, while 72 percent feel they only "finally get to enjoy themselves" upon reaching their hotel room. Upon arriving at their accommodations, parents said the first thing they like to do is head straight for the pool or bar (31 percent), look around the hotel (23 percent) or grab a bite to eat (17 percent).
Families reported experiencing an average of four memorable moments during their much-needed vacations, often by trying or learning something new together (41 percent), encountering reminders of childhood or other happy times (40 percent), or finding themselves proud of each other (40 percent).
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