Most will agree, if the children are happy then the parents are happy too
i've found that more families are looking for experiences on their holidays, whether that’s the thrills and spills of water and theme parks or a joint activity like learning to sail or joining a group on a cycling holiday.
Don't get me wrong, there's still huge demand for the all-inclusive package holiday, but personally I've never been a big fan. When my children were young I used to enjoy hiring a villa with other families. This allowed us to enjoy our own pool, our own space and spend time exploring local villages, and it seemed to suit everyone. We would also take the kids skiing – although they soon became better than us!
If I had to pick our top five family holidays it would include a Neilson activity holiday followed by California, Portugal, Sri Lanka and Bali – although a road trip to Northern Scotland with our labrador has very fond memories too.
I think most families agree that if the children are happy then the parents are happy too. Popular requests include free wifi throughout the hotel and all children having proper beds – not camp beds – along with plenty of kids clubs and unlimited ice cream! I still think there are a lack of hotel rooms that accommodate large families, three bedroom apartments, in particular, are a rare find.
I've noticed that Lapland has become so popular in the last five years, with extended family groups taking grandparents to join in the magic too. Although it's expensive, the family experience is priceless.