Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(necessarily) take account of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT)
families, single-parent families or ethnic considerations (see Chapter 12).
The family life cycle model does, however, identify that different life-stages
are characterised by different lifestyles in terms of the ways in which people
think and pursue activities and interests. These different lifestyles determine
travel requirements and may vary at each stage of the life cycle, dependent
on commitments (Page & Connell, 2009).
The Travel Decision-Making Process
What is clear is that 'the presence of children in a household has a significant
influence on tourism participation and patterns, and can often create a sub-
stantive diversion from the type of pre-family holidays taken by a couple'
(Page & Connell, 2009: 89). Furthermore, 'households with children tend to
have a more limited choice in terms of travel date and duration, dominated
by school holidays'.
The taking of family holidays during school term time is controversial.
Family holidays account for a significant number of both authorised and
non-authorised absences during the school academic year, with parents
attempting to save money by travelling during off-peak periods, when costs
are lower. With the travel industry insisting that market forces are to blame
for higher prices during school holidays, an increasing number of parents
are risking incurring a fine by taking their children out of school to avoid
paying premium prices. Having the financial means to take a holiday is a
major issue for low-income families in particular. According to Smith and
Hughes (1999) for many families it is a choice of a holiday in term time or no
holiday at all. With Hazel (2005) describing the benefits of family holidays
as including social interaction and strengthening family relationships, it is
undoubtedly the case that the controversy surrounding term-time holidays
will continue. Certainly the debate between the relationship-strengthening
nature of the holiday, or break from routine, and the potential for disruption
to a child's learning is ongoing.
The travel/holiday decision-making process is considered to be important
for marketers in particular, who could benefit greatly from knowing who
makes travel purchase decisions within the family and on what basis those
decisions are made. This information is used by tourism marketers to target
their material more effectively. It is clear that 'children are an important
determining factor of parental holiday satisfaction and can often play a role
in the decision-making process, in terms of identifying a holiday desire and
negotiating activities' (Page & Connell, 2009: 89). The importance of 'pester
power ' in the travel decision-making process should not be underestimated
(Nickerson & Jurowski, 2001). Indeed, its growing importance is suggested
by changes in the birth rate. While UK statistics indicate a declining birth
rate over the last 40 years as a whole, there are signs that this is changing.
