ASPIRE ROUND-TABLE
FAMILY TRAVEL
Pester power: we all know kids can exert a big influence, but how much sway do they have when it comes to luxury holidays? Members of Aspire’s Advisory Board shed some light
Following on from the Aspire Brunch Club that focused on family travel, the Aspire Advisory Board met to share their thoughts on this hugely important sector. Rupert Murray reports
WEB ACCESS FOR KIDS
The role of the internet was a major talking point. Amanda Matthews said: “The point people miss is it’s not about how much the Wi-Fi is used. Our children have been brought up in a time when Wi-Fi is normal; if they cannot connect to anything at a hotel it’s alien to them and it’s bad. “It’s not about how long they spend. Children have an expectation that it’s there – if hotels don’t understand that, it’s a negative. I’ve been to top hotels in the Maldives, for example, and you only get free Wi-Fi for one gadget and have to pay fortunes for others, but nobody these days has just one gadget. “When we had to pay more for Wi-Fi
at home a few years ago there was an expectation that it was an expensive
thing for a hotel to provide, but we now know it doesn’t cost that much.” Jeanne Lally added: “People think Wi-Fi should be free everywhere. We had a client paying a fortune to stay with Four Seasons but they threatened to cancel if there wasn’t free Wi-Fi. It was $20 a day, which was nothing when you look at the overall cost of the holiday, but to these people it was the principle.” Lynn Narraway believes children understand that the internet won’t always be available on holiday but are content to adapt if they get some time with Wi-Fi. She added: “On our holiday the girls understood that the cost of being connected was too much so they only switched on the Wi-Fi while at the hotel. They still had a brilliant holiday but it was important that they could log on now and then.” Michael English identified a clear distinction between parents who felt Wi-Fi should be available for children and those who wanted their children to have a total break from it.
ROUND-TABLE ATTENDEES
Lynn Narraway Seabourn
Michael English Celebrity Cruises
Amanda Matthews Designer Travel
John Sullivan Advantage Travel Partnership
Jeanne Lally Travel Bureau
Amy Sharpe Ponant / eWaterways
Amy Sharpe believes there are some
holidays where Wi-Fi isn’t relevant. “Many expedition cruises are perfect
for families but on those sorts of trips there isn’t Wi-Fi and it’s far more about the experience of the trip,” she said. “Ponant currently has a charge for Wi-Fi, but for families with multiple devices it would cost a lot, so I know that is being looked at.”
aspire june 2016 — 39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112
