Close your eyes and think of a vacation that you took with your family as a child. Do you remember where you went? How long it took to get there? The excitement that you felt when you finally arrived?
Travel industry research from Harris Interactive and Project: Time Off found that the majority of adults surveyed (62%) say that they remember vacations from a young age. In fact, many of their earliest memories were of family vacations taken when they were between ages 5 and 10. And 49% reported that their family vacation memories were “very vivid,” and in many cases those memories were stronger than those of school events or birthdays.
Sharing Vacation Memories With Your Kids
These travel memories are so cherished that 77% of children polled for the survey report that their parents have told them stories about their childhood family vacations. Parents who have fond family vacation memories are eager to create similar experiences for their own families (55%). In addition, parents with children under the age of 18 are far more likely to model their vacations after those they took during their own childhoods than are adults without children (46% vs. 28%).
Creating New Travel Memories
Regardless of parents’ own travel history, a whopping 76% of parents believe that the time and expense of family vacations are worth it because they “give my child experiences that they will remember years down the road.” And they would be right! Childen *do* treasure their family vacation memories.
Children polled for this research reported that:
- They get to see and do new things on family vacations that they’ll remember for a long time (64%).
- Memorable things happen on family vacations that their family talks about even after they return home (47%).
- Some of their best memories are of things that they did during a family vacation (49%).
- Vacations bring their family closer together (53%).
Multigenerational Travel is Beneficial
Grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins who join in family vacation are bringing life to the saying “the more, the merrier.” Taking a trip with the extended family can bring everyone closer together and children tend to enjoy these opportunities — 78% of children polled reported that they get to spend quality time with their grandparents when on vacation. Vacations can make them feel closer to their grandparents (60%) and after they return home, kids like to remember the things that they did with their grandparents (65%).
Spending Time Together is the Key
Traveling with the family doesn’t have to entail journeys to exotic locales or far-off destinations. The main thing is the quality time spent together, whether you jump on a plane to head across the sea, or drive to the nearest beach. Letting older kids help with the planning and help choose vacation activities is another way to spend time together, and it also serves to build excitement before the trip.
Where to Stay on Your Family Vacation
When traveling with children and extended family, vacation rentals are the best type of accommodation. Vacation rentals make it possible to stay in the location that you want, with the amenities that you want AND with the space to accommodate your entire family. Fully-equipped kitchens, lush backyards with grills, separate bedrooms and living spaces, laundry equipment, and even pet-friendly homes are just some of the benefits of booking a vacation rental instead of a hotel.
Atlantic Vacation Homes offers a wide variety of vacation rental homes across Cape Ann that would be perfect for your North Shore getaway. To upgrade your stay from a ho-hum hotel to a sensational vacation rental, simply view our available rental homes on our website and enter your desired dates to get a quote. You can also call toll-free at (855) 853-9143 to speak with a Guest Experience Specialist.