Family travel definitely requires more planning than planning a vacation for yourself or for a romantic getaway for two. The prospect of planning a vacation often fills parents with dread, but it doesn’t need to.
The main reasons for traveling as a family are:
a. You all need a break – we all live at such a hectic place. It used to be just dad or mum that seemed to be run off their feet but kids nowadays have huge workloads at school, intense levels of pressure and then the after school activities…..my goodness! Breaking away from your daily routines and the stress that surrounds helps you to recharge your batteries and make you healthy again.
b. Building memories – often times to clients we cite this as the most important reason for traveling as a family. It is a fantastic investment – memory building. I know for Italian families so many of their memories are attached to an incredible plate of pasta that ‘nonna’ made or a fantastic glass of wine, for kids it will undoubtedly be the gelato. Whatever the event it is even sweeter when it is experienced by every member of the family. And just as good when you capture it in camera and get to relive it again and again.
c. This leads us to family bonding – sad to say but many families don’t have time with each other. They seem to pass each other like ships in the night. Mom and dad get in late from work and by the time dinner is made and eaten and homework is done, its bedtime. Weekends are taking up with sporting events and often the family is divided in two. Vacations give families time to eat together, to have conversations, to partake in activities as a single unit and just to bond.
d. Family trips are educational and immersive – family vacations abroad especially give you the opportunity to learn other cultures – new people, new foods, new languages, new sites, new history and art. It is a well-known fact that those who travel generally have a more open mind to things and are more accepting of others, understanding that maybe we are all not alike after all.
e. New opportunities – travel allows us to break the mold, to get out of our routines/comfort zones and to try new things. On vacation we embrace the opportunity to be a bit more adventurous and to open our minds.
Once you have determined the main reason (s) for wanting to travel keep this as your central focus. With our tips or assistance we can quickly mold this into the trip of a lifetime for you and your family. Its important to have a plan, its just unfortunate that many families don’t know where to start. We understand that you may have planned all your other vacations, we are not taking this away from you. You will still be involved. It’s just we are giving you a little help, a little push in the right direction or if you want we’ll did it all for you!
Here are some articles to inspire……
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