American Holidays has released its Family Fun Report, which has revealed that 83% of British parents involve their children in the planning parts of their holiday. 
The report also finds that 33% of British parents interested in US travel intend to visit in the next year, and that 96% of families say that the USA is a bucket list destination. The number of people looking to visit North America – home to many of the UK’s most popular long-haul destinations – has risen by 1.6%.
Family travel trends
The poll also reports that 84% of British parents feel pressure to make sure that their holiday meets their child’s expectation; that 83% involve their children in the planning parts of their holiday; and that 32% of British parents say they involve their kids ‘a lot’ in the planning process, with 62% of adults reporting that they enjoy the holiday ‘much more’ than what they expected as a result. The most difficult part of planning the holiday was cited as budgeting (42%), followed by travel logistics (26%) and choosing a destination (15%).
Overall, 34% of those surveyed said their main source of holiday enjoyment comes from relaxation and leisure, with thrill rides and theme parks (45%), and shopping and dining (34%) also making up a significant proportion.
Planning ahead
When asked how much planning typically goes into a getaway, more than a third of UK adults said that they pre-plan most of their trip, with 53% saying they like to know that their holiday is fully pre-planned before they leave, or at least mostly pre-planned. Specifically, 15% said they prepare their trips in full detail, while 13% said they they like to be spontaneous and make plans on a whim once they land. 
Commenting on the report, Bladhana Richardson, head of marketing at American Holidays, said, “North America is such a vast and diverse part of the world, and arguably one of the cultural epicentres of the world. For some families, holiday fun can look like hiking Yellowstone Park and getting up close with the world’s natural wonders, whereas for others it can be stepping into the universe of their favorite movie characters and riding the world’s most famous coasters. No two holidays in the US are ever the same. We ran the survey to explore the diversity among what families consider holiday fun, as well as explore some common trends.
“At American Holidays we pride ourselves on tailor-making holidays based on each individual family’s needs, so with 42% of families citing budgeting and 26% citing travel logistics as their biggest pressure points, we can help take the stress out of holiday planning, and help families build the US holiday they’ve always dreamed of.”
In related news, global business travel spending was recently projected to reach US$1.64tn in 2025, up from US$1.48tn last year, according to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Click here to read the full story.