Tots to Travel research reveals what is most important to UK parents when deciding on a holiday. 57% of UK parents shun tech gadgets and won’t fly without stationery as child entertainment.
British parents are championing creativity over technology when it comes to travel, a new study has revealed. The survey, conducted by family travel experts Tots to Travel, found that 57% of parents won’t board a plane without ‘notebooks, pencils and crayons’ to keep their child entertained during the flight. The move to a more creative on-board activity means there is less room in parent’s hand luggage for the likes of ‘iPads’ (27%) and ‘sweets or chocolate’ (10%).
The study asked 1,500 UK parents what influenced their decision when booking a holiday, with the length of journey and worry about how to keep their child entertained during a flight emerging as key factors.
Child behavioural expert Richard Daniel Curtis backs the move to more interactive activities during a flight, for the benefit of both parents, children AND other passengers.
“Children under the age of five need to be stimulated and given opportunities to move throughout a journey. Whilst, you may get quick wins from using technology to entertain them at this age, this is often short-lived as the children start to experience eye-strain, lack of movement and secondary behaviours. These secondary behaviours include things like not answering a parent, being frustrated, irritability and rudeness.
“Having a selection of hand-held engaging non-technology-based activities are far more suitable for travelling for more than 30 minutes. Things like pencils and pads not only allow a parent to allow a child to draw or colour on their own, it also allows them to generate activities (like noughts and crosses) as their child becomes bored. Food, toys or tech are all time-limited activities, whereas pens and paper can provide infinite opportunities for entertainment.”
With 69% of British parents stating that they worry about the journey when booking a holiday, it is understandable that almost a third (31%) would not consider flying for over 3 hours with their children. 1 in 10 British parents are more adventurous however, stating they would take their child on a flight up to 9 hours.
It seems that flight time is a driving force in deciding the ideal destinations for UK parents depending on the age of their children, with all of the top-ranking destinations coming in less than a 5-hour flight away. Mums are the most adventurous when it comes to long haul flights with their little ones, with 15% of Mums stating they would take their child on a 9-hour flight. Only 5% of Dads said they would do the same.
Whilst a third of British parents (30%) would prefer to stay in the UK for their holiday, jetting abroad with our little ones is still the most popular choice when deciding on a family break.
Other findings suggested that:
- Even though airlines are showing a high percentage of delays to the most popular destinations, UK parents are happy with the service on offer from the busiest UK airports.
- 81% of parents rate UK airports ‘good’ for travelling with children. The highest-ranking airport was Glasgow (85%) and the lowest was Newcastle (72%).
- The majority of British parents (56%) wouldn’t want to go on holiday in temperatures over 25 degrees.
- However, there are almost 1 million sun starved UK parents (5%) who would happily take their family to temperatures up to 35 degrees.
It may be that new parents underestimate the toll heat can take on their young children, with the most popular holiday temperature for those with children between 0-1 years being between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius. Apparently, the lesson is learnt quickly however, as the most popular heat for the rest of the age ranges fall between 21-25 degrees.
The gender split shows that Dads are the ones pushing for warmer climates, with ten times as many Dads stating they would go on a holiday with their kids to a 31-35 degrees destination. This works out as 2 million dads looking for that fix of baking temperatures. Mums are pushing more for cooler climates, with 70% responding their ideal temperature would be 21-25 degrees.
Wendy Shand, Founder and Director at Tots to Travel, commented on the findings: “Holidays are all about relaxation, yet the uncertainty of travelling to new environments has the potential to have the opposite effect for parents of young children.
“It is heartening to see such positive responses from parents on the work of UK airport staff in providing a positive travel experience for families with young children. This combined with parents engaging their children in creative activities during the flight shows that international travel with young children can be a fun and calm holiday experience for the whole family.
“Whether opting for a UK staycation or jetting off abroad, it is clear the UK parents are committed to finding new ways to engage with their children and make the most of their holiday time together.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
