Family holiday
The average kid will travel 13,000 miles and try over 77 foreign dishes before the age of 16, taking in the sights and sounds of a minimum of eleven different countries according to new research. The study took 2,000 people and found that most young children will have been to eleven different places by the time they hit adulthood, which equates to over 13,582 miles.
This is in start contrast to their parents who on average will have only taken in four counties by the same age, for a total of only 2,471 miles.
Today, children are more than twice as likely to visit France and more than three times as likely to have visited Spain by the time they reach 16. And these destinations were more probable than vising their home turf to places such as Devon or Cornwall. America was found to be the third most likely visited place.
Laurent De Chorivit, MD of Club Med in the UK, said:
”As well-known brands set up resorts in destinations further afield, exotic holidays are becoming more accessible to families.
”If the accommodation is familiar and reliable, and the food can be trusted, parents are more likely to take their children to less conventional hotspots.”
The children are not sky shy in trying new foods either, as it was revealed that they have experienced the culinary delights of 7 dishes from the country they have visited compared with their parents who admitted that their palate was not very adventurous at their age.
Mums and Dads were not overly ambitious, as with their food in terms of where they visited, tending not to venture beyond Europe. Some of the more unusual hotspots were Zambia, Bali, Thailand and Australia, which were an exception to the rule.
As a result of these findings, parents feel that their children are more adventurous then they ever were when they were their age (78%). Three quarters of parents make it their intention to take either children to as many different places as possible so they can have the full spectrum of foreign holiday experiences.
Parents were also concerned with geographical knowledge and exploration and ranked these highly as reasons to take their children out of the country.
Larent De Chorivit added:
”Club Med has resorts all over the world including China, Brazil and Egypt.
”Our premium holidays give parents peace of mind, knowing there will be something for all the family to enjoy and the facilities will be the same high Club Med standard anywhere in the world.”
KIDS – 11 DESTINATIONS VISITED BY THE TIME THEY REACH 16
1. France 212 miles (Paris)
2. Spain 785 miles (Barcelona)
3. USA 3663 miles (Washington)
4. Canary Islands 1701 miles (Lanzarote)
5. Greece 1493 miles (Athens)
6. Germany 578 miles (Munich)
7. Majorca 835 miles
8. Italy 896 miles (Rome)
9. Portugal 978 miles (Lisbon)
10. Belgium 207 miles (Brussels)
11. Cyprus 2234 miles
Total 13,582 MILES
PARENTS – 4 DESTINATIONS VISITED BY THE TIME THEY REACHED 16
1. France 212 miles (Paris)
2. Spain 785 miles (Barcelona)
3. Germany 578 miles (Munich)
4. Italy 896 miles (Rome)
Total 2,471 MILES