The Question Freud Never Asked: What Do Families Want?


Our study establishes that there are numerous priorities for families as they travel. In descending order, here are our top ten:


1. Togetherness 2. Fun 3. Variety 4. Unique experiences 5. Learn something new


6. See animals 7. See new rides/exhibits 8. Someplace we’ve never been before 9. Have a discount/coupon 10. Special event/festival


Te most important ingredient for a family is togetherness. Nearly 66% of the families in our study said so. Families want to do something as a family, even if they head off to different parts of the destination so everybody can see what interests them. At least they’ve all come to the same place, away from their crazy routines and their computer screens. Tey have a rare chance to create memories they can smile about – and tease each other about – for the next 50 years.


Once the family’s together, what matters is having fun. Families want “fun and excitement” more than they want education, interactivity, friendliness, or anything else, ranking fun’s importance 4.56 on a scale of 0 to 5. If the kids are happy, so are the grown-ups.


Variety ranked third in importance for families; they gave it a 4.51 on a 0 to 5 scale. “Tat’s because, in order for Mom to generate that romantic view of everyone doing something together, you need different things for everyone to do,” remarks Jerry Henry. “Nearly 4 in 10 families say variety is one of the things that inspires them to visit an attraction.”


In response, more attractions are becoming hybrids, making sure they have a combination of hands-on activities, amazing things to see, exciting rides or experiences, and then, of course, shopping and dining. “Until recently, a lot of places missed that lesson,” remarks PGAV Destinations Principal Mike Konzen. “Now you see zoos starting to experiment with rides; museums coming up with fun restaurant concepts; historic sites adding unique retail experiences.”


VARIETY IS IMPORTANT TO FAMILIES, RANKING 4.51 OUT OF 5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8