Don't let the school holidays sneak up on you with our full list of family-friendly adventures. Photo / 123rf
Don't let the school holidays sneak up on you with our full list of family-friendly adventures. Photo / 123rf
Families have spent more, stayed away longer and booked further in advance in the last 12 months, according to new data from travel agency, Flight Centre.
After reviewing data over the previous year, Flight Centre noticed several distinct changes in how Kiwi families are travelling.
Travelling for a family holiday is one of the most popular reasons Kiwis hop on a plane and jet around the world according to Flight Centre NZ general manager Heidi Walker.
“We find there are two reasons families will travel usually, one is to see friends or family, or secondly, they will travel for a family holiday.”
Choosing the right destination, with the right amount of planning, means everyone will enjoy the trip, said Flight Centre's Heidi Walker. Photo / Supplied
Staying longer
The staggering increase in cost for a UK holiday is party due to airfares but also because Britain-bound families are staying longer.
“Families planning a trip to the United Kingdom are also typically travelling for longer now than they were pre-pandemic, so this would also be a major contributing factor for the price increase,” Walker said.
This could be a chicken-egg situation, where increasing airfares prompt families to go away for longer, which further increases the overall cost of the trip. The ability for parents to work remotely while away could also free families up to stay away a little longer.
Booking further in advance
Family travel rarely tends to be a last-minute, spur-of-the-moment affair. But according to Flight Centre, families have started to book even further in advance.
In the last 12 months, families planning a domestic trip have booked 40 days beforehand.
Families planning domestic travel over the past 12 months booked their trips approximately 40 days in advance.
When heading overseas, however, families are booking 130 days (just over four months) before departure.
Certain destinations remain family favourites
Naturally, some destinations are better suited for families than others.
“For example, while Greece is a great place for the Instagram shot, the cobblestones of Santorini weren’t built for prams,” said Walker, adding that it’s helpful to know what places better cater to travellers of all ages.
Accessibility and affordability are important factors to consider when booking a trip with children and older adults. So, Walker said it was no surprise to see Australia ad Fiji were the most popular international destinations for Kiwi families according to the last 12 months of Flight Centre’s booking data.
