How do you go about planning a holiday? The average British family begins planning their holiday more than six months in advance, it has emerged.
Researchers have found busy lives and hectic work schedules mean millions of families try and arrange breaks well in advance so they have something to look forward to.
According to the results of study, adults will spend around six hours browsing the web for ideas before asking the kids, friends and family for input on where to go on holiday.
The research, which involved polling 2,000 mums and dads, found eight in 10 families will go through three key stages when booking a holiday, seeking inspiration on where to go, comparing prices and then making the final reservation.
While more than seven in 10 Britsh families book both their flights and hotels well in advance of their trip, just 22 per cent book activities to enjoy on the trip ahead of their break.
The study was carried out by Visit Orlando, Orlando’s Official Tourism Association.
According to the research, mums and dads cited spending time together as a family on holiday as the highest priority, ahead of getting away from work and the daily routine. Getting a good deal was also vital for more than nine in 10 British families.
Only six per cent of people downloaded new apps to use on holiday, missing out on the opportunity to save money by booking tickets ahead of their trip.
Of all the jobs which feature on the to-do list of planning and booking a family holiday, looking at images online is the most popular activity.
Booking holiday insurance and changing your spending money into the local currency is also a priority for parents, as is checking the weather.
Checking the length of flight times, updating your holiday wardrobe and checking the destination in relation to everything else is also a must.
What things do you do before going on a family holiday, as part of your holiday preparation?
Top 10 things parents do before going on a family holiday (in order of popularity):
1. Looking at images online (52%)
2. Checking average weather at that time of year (50%)
3. Booking your holiday insurance (47%)
4. Checking flight times (length) (47%)
5. Buying new clothes/outfits (43%)
6. Checking maps to assess where everything is at the destination (41%)
7. Checking exchange rates (40%)
8. Getting local currency (39%)
9. Checking visa requirements (32%)
10. Sharing ideas with your kids or asking their opinions (32%)
How much time do you think you spend on all of these things? An enormous amount of planning can go into preparing for a family holiday, try to keep the planning exciting rather than stressful.
Happy holidays!
