Tourism – both international and domestic – is an ever-evolving picture.
To get some real insight into exactly how the pandemic has shifted perspectives on travel, we surveyed over 2,000 mums in the Your Baby Club network about their upcoming plans.
The results tell a story of what family holidays might look like in both the short and longer term, from location right through to accommodation and transport.
Safety first
As far as the impact of COVID-19, almost a quarter of mums have had their family holiday cancelled by COVID-19 and 72% said they aren’t considering booking a holiday abroad.
In terms of why they’re not taking a trip overseas, mums cited the biggest concerns as their family’s health and, with the situation changing all the time, uncertainty around quarantine periods.
Over a third were also worried about not being able to do their favourite activities when they arrived at their destination.
When it comes to making the decision to travel, safety ranked as the most important factor for 83% of mums, ahead of the likes of government advice (56%) and price/value (41%).
Home comfort
Over half (54%) of mums surveyed are considering a holiday in the UK instead, with a further quarter still deciding.
Shifting perspectives can also be seen in the types of accommodation and holiday packages that are most appealing.
Rented apartments and villas were seen as the most attractive option, while ‘self-catering’ is now the go-to choice for families – over 50% more popular than ‘all-inclusive’.
Mums are also willing to invest in some wheels to get around the country.
Over 40% said they would upgrade their existing car or buy a new one to take a family holiday. Almost half of those surveyed would consider hiring a larger car to do the same.
Cause for optimism
While mums may be turning away from global travel right now, most are optimistic about the future.
In fact, more than 2/3 of those surveyed are expecting to take the same amount of holidays as they did before the pandemic.
However, when they do head back abroad, it will not be to other continents.
Over 80% of mums will be travelling to Europe first, with Spain (28%), Greece (10%) and France (9%) topping the list of countries to visit.
As for how the recent months spent confined in homes and small social circles will influence future trips, over a third of mums said the lockdown has made them more likely to want a nature- or adventure-based holiday.
So, what can travel companies can do moving forward to make families more comfortable with going abroad?
The priority for mums is to keep receiving information on both quarantines and health/safety; and over 50% said they would be influenced by discounts and deals.
Get insights from all of FanFinders’ recent surveys here.
For any queries related to the survey, please contact Sam@fanfinders.com.
