When I was a child in the 1980s, my parents would leave my siblings and me with our grandparents and head off for an annual week’s holiday (sometimes even two) in the Mediterranean together. Off they went, just the two of them, declaring it ‘important for one’s marriage’.
These days, it’s a very different story. My husband James and I haven’t managed more than a long weekend away without our children since they arrived. Partly that’s down to logistics, no obliging grandparents living round the corner in Cape Town, but mostly it’s because we actually like going on adventures together as a family, and we’re not unusual. For many of today’s parents, particularly millennials (which we just qualify as!), a holiday isn’t about having time away from your children, it’s about reconnecting as a family, having fun and making memories together.
Millennials, after all, grew up being told that experiences matter more than possessions. We’re a more adventurous bunch than our parents were, and that shows in the way we travel. Holidays are less about the hotel pool especially as the children get older – and more about what you do. It’s a shift from lying on a sunlounger with a book to actually experiencing new things and new places – and it’s proving far more memorable.
There’s also a stronger sense of responsibility shaping the way families travel. Millennial parents want their children to see why caring for the planet matters, and children themselves are becoming far more conscious of the environment than we ever were at their age. Many are the ones reminding us to recycle at home or quizzing us about plastic straws. So when it comes to holidays, families are increasingly choosing places and activities that reflect those values: smaller eco-lodges instead of sprawling resorts, community-run projects, and conservation experiences where children can see first-hand the difference they’re making.
Multigenerational trips are booming, grandparents, parents and children all setting off together. But unlike in the 1980s, today’s grandparents often aren’t content with a deckchair and a G&T. They’re fitter, more active, and more adventurous than ever, keen to go on safari, take a walking tour, or try something new alongside the rest of the family. And with inheritance tax looming large in the back of many minds, there’s also a growing sense of why wait? Better to spend it on shared adventures and memories now, rather than leave it all to the taxman later.
The idea of family travel has moved on from the days when Mum and Dad snuck off to Italy without us. These days, no one’s left behind.
Looking for your next family adventure? Please get in touch – I’d love to help you plan an experience-rich holiday in Africa!
