The Rise of Family Travel
The Rise of Family Travel
- Niyaal Rakiep
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” ― Saint Augustine of Hippo
Curiosity is at the very root of why most people choose to travel. A deep desire for knowledge, a need to understand different cultures and a lust for new experiences are but a few things that drive people to pack up their things and explore the world.
It is not only singles who have this inclination, though. According to Roberto Viviani, Business Manager for Europe and UK at Wilderness Safaris, “Family travel is definitely on the rise, especially to countries like South Africa and Namibia.” Parents are increasingly looking toward experiential travel as a means to expose and connect their children to nature as well as diverse environments and cultures.
Travel and learn together- beyond the classroom
Travelling is about so much more than collecting stamps on your passport. For many families and Things to do With Kids readers, travel is a mode of education. Though unconventional, children are encouraged to learn through lived experiences – and the parents too! Airbnb guest and blogger Fritha from Tigerlilly Quinn expresses: “As a mother of two little children, one of my biggest reasons for wanting to travel with my kids is to give them a global education outside of the traditional classroom. An education that is about learning through living. I find one of the best ways to do that is by staying with local hosts […] on holiday as they’ve helped my family learn about all sorts of things – from learning new language skills to understanding a local culture, even how to cook a traditional Italian dish!” This has been the inspiration behind the Things to do With Kids “beyond the classroom” section in our South African family travel and entertainment magazine.
With multi-generational travel consistency on the rise, more and more parents are considering this new form of learning as a necessity for the growth and development of their children. Seeing the world through new eyes is a novel experience, yet sharing those experiences with loved ones has been proven to be even more rewarding and special to some.
Travel is further a great way to build a bond between families, brands and destinations for generations to come as we saw in the Things to do With Kids blogger interviews, most bloggers have revisited a childhood holiday memory in the physical with their new family and the likelihood that their kids will revisit with the next generation is good.
The benefits of family travel
Apart from the grand opportunity to get away and explore, travelling as a family also offers a wealth of benefits for everyone involved. With its new-found popularity, family travel has spurred agencies to cater custom-made packages and specific programmes designed to create opportunities for family members to engage with each other and the environment. Through exposure to different wildlife and biodiversity, children are made aware of their part in conserving the natural world and encouraged to get involved with their surroundings in a way that they were never able to before. In doing so, travelling as a family unit creates memorable, educational and transformative impressions that can last a lifetime.
Additionally, familial bonds are granted the opportunity to strengthen. By abandoning the safe and controlled environment that they are used to in lieu of something new and exciting, families are forced to reconnect with one another and grow as a family unit. “This growing need to disconnect oneself from reality and bond as a family is becoming more and more important to today’s time-pressed, wifi-addicted families,” said Claire Trickett from &Beyond Travel.
Beyond strengthening old bonds and forming new ones, family travel allows the entire family to complete the chapters in their book of life. Coming back to Saint Augustine’s analogy about being limited to one place’s knowledge, it is highly recommended that future custodians be exposed to as many places as possible – not only to broaden their knowledge thereof but to inspire them to write their own stories and share it.
