Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
responsibilities: mothers from domestic work, fathers from entertainment
imperatives and children from parental restrictions. The role of time in the
future involves acknowledging that a balance is needed between family
time and family members pursuing their own interests on holiday, which
requires more realistic understandings of individual needs, away from ideo-
logical orthodoxy.
Social exclusion
Holidays are generally perceived as being for the wealthy and healthy in
society, which can come at the exclusion of disadvantaged families. Family
holidays can facilitate the expansion of social connection or social capital,
provide new learning opportunities and change behaviours for the better.
Families who are unable to take holidays are thus excluded from such
potential benefits. Social tourism initiatives in the future will be able to
broaden the travel horizons of a wider diversity of families. But more impor-
tantly, those families can accrue benefits through relationship building and
social integration if family tourism is established as an essential element of
contemporary society.
The role of families and holidays in society
Families have an important role to play in society despite the demise of
traditional family models. There is a myth of decline of the family when in
fact families today are just differently connected than previously. Holidays
can serve an important social role in enriching family relationships within
the immediate and extended family by overcoming increasing mobility
issues. Family travel and VFR travel make up a substantial market size and
are more resilient than other forms of tourism, as people will always travel
to reconnect. Having extended family on holiday also aids in making the
experience less stressful for parents and providing more of an escape.
Tourism builds family capital
Family tourism is widely accepted as aiding in the strengthening of family
relationships. The term 'family capital' is used to reflect the bonding
between parents and children and the social identification that is facilitated
on holiday. Holidays provide a change of routine when families can engage
in different activities from those of everyday life. This can aid in the building
of family capital, and holidays can take an important social role here. With
the increase in extended family travel, grandtravel and VFR travel, more
opportunities are provided for family capital formation, which goes beyond
parent-child relationships.
