TripZillaExpedia.com.sg® has released findings from their 2017 Importance of Family Travel Study, and here are a few of the surprising finds:
- 75 percent of young millennials (teenagers aged 13 to 17) in Singapore picked their parents as their favourite holiday travel companions.
- The above finding compares to just 44 percent of parents picking their children as their ideal travel companions.
- When asked about whether they would leave their children behind to go on a vacation, 41 percent of Singapore parents said they would do so, coming in tops among markets in Asia.
While the study uncovered significant differences in family travel preferences between young millennials and parents in Singapore, it also highlighted the vital role of family holidays in creating shared family memories and promoting family bonding.
Singapore parents are most likely to leave their children behind for a vacation
With more planning, less control on family vacations, parents in Singapore might feel a greater sense of responsibility when travelling with, as compared to travelling without, their children. When asked about whether they would leave their children behind to go on a vacation, 41 percent of Singapore parents said they would do so, coming in tops among markets in Asia ahead of Hong Kong (27 percent), Taiwan (23 percent) and Malaysia (19 percent).
When asked about the reasons for doing so, 61 percent cited “reconnecting with their partner” as the top reason for leaving their children behind, while 58 percent cited the need to take a break from their children.
Young millennials in Singapore chose their parents as favourite travel companions
While Singapore parents demonstrate a need for time away from their children from time to time, majority of parents still enjoy going on holidays with them. However, when compared to the sentiments of young millennials, parents in Singapore seem less excited about going on holidays with their children – 75 percent of young millennials said that they would pick their parents as their favourite holiday companions while only 44 percent of Singapore parents chose their children as their favourite travel companions.
Family travel is key to creating shared memories and promoting bonding
Singapore, as one of more affluent nations in Asia, has about half of its people going on family holidays twice a year or more. However, when comparing the travel frequency between young millennials and parents, the findings yielded a startling statistic – young millennials tend to travel more than parents, with 55 percent of young millennials travelling with their family twice a year or more, compared to only 45 percent of parents doing the same. This trend was also observed in markets across Asia, including Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand, where young millennials also tend to travel more than parents.
When asked about the proportion of family memories that took place during a family vacation, six in 10 young millennials and parents in Singapore said that over half of their favourite memories occurred on a family holiday. Family holidays also served as important platforms for family bonding – 95 percent of Singapore parents agree that they feel closer to their children on family holidays, 93 percent of young millennials said that they feel closer to their sibling and 92 percent of parents said that they feel closer to their partner when on family vacations.
Family travel is fun for the children, but stressful for parents
Despite the multitude of benefits that come with family vacations, it is not always easy for parents to take their children on a holiday. In a fast-paced society like Singapore, work-related stress, coupled with the need to juggle multiple roles in the family can mean less time and energy for parents to plan for holidays. Additionally, going on family holidays mean that majority of Singapore parents will need to relinquish control on things such as their parenting style, family rules and preferred choice of activities.
Based on the survey findings, 54 percent of Singapore parents will let up on the rules and chores on a family vacation, and 43 percent will allow their children to stay up later than usual. 85 percent of Singapore parents also agree that family vacations are more focused on children’s activities and require more time for research and planning.
As a result, close to nine in 10 parents in Singapore affirmed that they need to do more research for holidays with their children compared to holidays without them. However, nine in 10 parents also agree that well-planned family holidays with their children result in more meaningful vacations for everyone, making the time and money investments worthwhile.
Non-parents still enjoy going on family holidays with their parents
Besides uncovering the attitudes of young millennials and parents surrounding family travel, the survey also looked into the preferences and attitudes of non-parents on family vacations. The findings revealed that family vacations play a key role in generating some of the most treasured memories for non-parents. Six in 10 non-parents in Singapore said that most of their family memories occurred on family vacations, and 94 percent said that they feel that their family is happier during times of family vacations.
Additionally, 36 percent of them chose their parents as their favourite travel companions. While this figure is lower than markets such as Malaysia and Thailand in Southeast Asia, the percentage is higher than other developed markets such as Hong Kong (28 percent), Japan (28 percent) and South Korea (33 percent), showing that non-parents in Singapore still enjoy travelling with their parents more than their other Asian counterparts.
Information extracted from press release issued by IN.FOM on behalf of Expedia Asia
