If you think about how many trips you took with your parents when you were your kids’ age, and how many trips they were lucky enough to take, it’s no surprise that you’ll find your little ones have. already seen more countries than you! With the democratization of tourism and the offers of airlines and tour operators, it has become, outside the health context, more accessible to travel, in Europe or on the other side of the world.
In its Observatory of Family Holidays carried out in March 2020, just before confinement, Abritel interviewed French parents and revealed that 43% said they had never traveled abroad at the age of their children, against only 18% of young people today. The study also shows that 56% of French children have already visited between 1 and 3 foreign countries, against 40% of their parents at the same age. Yet they remain less globetrotters than their little European neighbors, in fact, 15% of Swedish and Dutch children and 14% of little Britons have already visited more than 7 countries, while French children are only 7% in this case. . It is true that as the saying goes “Travel shapes the youth”, and it is also for this reason that parents increasingly like to travel with their children.
The benefits of travel
By traveling as a family, 38% of parents who responded to this study believe that it is essential for their children to learn to adapt to unfamiliar environments and new cultures, to gain self-confidence, and to become more adventurous and more curious growing up. Indeed, what could be more rewarding for a child than to experience new cultures, and through this, new ways of life, a new language, and also other culinary specialties. Nothing better to also teach them history and geography, by informing them about the country you are visiting and by locating it on a map.
54% of parents say that traveling abroad is important for their children, because it allows them to stimulate their curiosity about other cultures and languages, and 47% think that it will allow them to be more open-minded and more tolerant. And then traveling is also an opportunity to learn or improve a foreign language, which is very important for 97% of the parents interviewed. So many good reasons to look at an atlas with the children, and to think together about your next destination while waiting for the situation to return (finally) to normal. Traveling in the head is already a bit of a getaway, so be ready for your next family trip.
And before you take out your passports, why not rediscover our beautiful country? You will find many ideas, and wonderful vacation rentals on the Abritel website!