Long Haul Family Holidays
Europe are hardly short on superb travel adventures, but by venturing to somewhere like the US, Australia or South Africa the overall experience is often that much richer. Such options are more expensive, of course, and long haul flights with young children are viewed with apprehension by many, so there needs to be a near- guarantee that the end product is going to be seriously impressive. That’s why the majority of long-haul destinations are aware of the importance of tailoring their appeal to the family market. From game-viewing in
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Family focus for Quark Expeditions' Spitsberger's cruise
58 May 2012 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
TOGETHER NOW
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here’s an obvious appeal to taking a family holiday in a long- haul destination. The UK and
Kenya to island-hopping in the Caribbean to beach resorts in Thailand and theme parks in Florida, there are large numbers of genuinely child-friendly long-haul holidays to be had. There are currently some highly attractive packages out there to meet lower budgets but the other advantage for agents is that long-haul destinations can be readily promoted as offering out- of-the-ordinary experiences – the likes of Mauritius, St Lucia or Tanzania have an exoticism that Mallorca or Brittany, for all their qualities, struggle to match. Depending on the destination, a long-
haul holiday can also be sold as an educational experience for school-age children. Being immersed in a completely different culture is arguably the best way of broadening young minds, and witnessing first-hand
something like the Asian rainforest or African savannah is a priceless means of learning more about the awe-inspiring scale of the natural world. Closer to home, but about as far
north as you can get, for example, Quark Expeditions offers ‘learning outside the classroom’ Arctic adventures for families and teens, with a Polar Bear safari, onboard the serious-sounding Akademik Sergey Vavilov departing August 2 (prices from £3240 for adults and £2430 for children up to 17). The company pays commission to agents (
www.quarkexpeditions.com). Unless customers are travelling only
with babies and toddlers, the nature of the family holiday market means that seasonality is defined by school term dates. With this in mind, it’s vital to be aware of timely deals.
Taking the family to a far-fl ung country for a couple of weeks can create unforgettable magical memories and pulse-racing experiences, says Ben Lerwill
What’s New Many destinations are stepping up their efforts to attract the family market. St Kitts & Nevis, for example, launched a Kids’r’VIPs programme in 2011. Developed with island hotels, restaurants and adventure companies, it offers discounts and special deals. In South Africa, those properties in KwaZulu-Natal represented in the UK by Ethos Marketing have a ‘Family Fun under the Zulu Sun’ offer that sees kids under 12 stay free during the June half-term (1-10) and the UK summer holidays (July 23-August 31) at properties that include Ghost Mountain Inn, Cathedral Peak, Fordoun and Isandlwana Lodge. Children aged 13-16 pay R280 (about £24) per night B&B. Various exclusion dates and other conditions apply to the
Selling Tip
Cancun, Mexico has great value all-inclusive hotels, many of which have children’s clubs and activities
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