Families ditc h traditional holiday spots

Bookings for multi-generational getaways have doubled each year since 2013 revealed Intrepid Travel’s family product manager Tim Winkworth, with more and more families ditching traditional Aussie getaways for more exotic locales. “The older traditional Gold Coast holiday is now becoming Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Borneo,” remarked Winkworth, and “what we do notice is different about multi-generation travel is that they are keen to visit destinations which combine history and culture.” And it’s not just the parents and children embarking on these trips, it’s the grandparent’s too. “The feedback we get from families is that grandparents see travel as a great way to spend quality time with their families, and learn about the history and culture of new places together,” he said. “We also recently had an Australian family of 16 travelling to Ecuador and the Galapagos – with the grandparents covering the bill”. Winkworth highlights Sri Lanka as a great emerging destination for multigenerational travel. “With food, culture, history wildlife and beaches, Sri Lanka has it all. “It’s also an easy destination for Australians to explore in two to three weeks, offers great value for money and is relatively easy to get around,” he adds. When planning a trip to the South Asian country, Winkworth recommends a visit to the Udawalawe National Park to see the elephants and a drop-by to the Elephant Transit Home to learn more about the organisations work with orphaned or abandoned baby elephants. Intrepid Travel offers a number of family-friendly Sri Lanka get-aways, visit intrepidtravel.com to learn more.