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2016 Kids’ Holiday Wish List: Sun, Sea, Sand, Space and, er, Zombies?

Published: Mon 15 Aug 2016 at 10:31

Updated: Thu 18 Aug 2016 at 15:17

Announcements

New research from Jet2holidays found that this year, kids want a holiday with a space-themed hotel, with roller coasters and water slides, somewhere along the Mediterranean Sea.

We partnered with Atomik to ask 1,000 children (aged seven to 13) how their dream holiday would shape up, if they planned it themselves. And it’s quite clear they’re a lot like their parents with what excites them – though some findings were pretty surprising!

Sun, sea, sand and summer: Kids want to head to the Med

When asked where they’d like to head out on holiday away from Britain, our youngsters go for countries in the Mediterranean. The entire top five of their favourite overseas destinations are on the Mediterranean coast – and we offer flights to all of them, including Spain, Italy, and France.

Favourite activities are similarly beach-themed. Nearly half (45%) say they want a beach at their hotel, while one-third (34%) want to play in swimming pools and one in five (22%) loves to jump about in the sea.

Nearly two-thirds of children (60%) say summer holidays are their favourite time of the year. They’re three times more popular than Christmas, and a whopping 12 times more popular than Easter.

With hotels, the sky’s far from the limit

We asked our 1,000 young helpers for the kind of themes they wanted from their hotel. A huge 20% of them want a space theme, just edging under the sea (19%) and princess (17%) themes. However, a brave 14% of children say their dream hotel would have a zombie or scary theme – reminding us of the one-of-a-kind Sol Katmandu Park and Resort in Mallorca, which is complete with a 4D zombie experience!

Speaking of Sol Katmandu, half of our youngsters (49%) also want access to theme park rides from their hotel. One in five kids (21%) demands a trampoline, while other favourites among more relaxed young panellists are arcade games and recliner armchairs.

Over one-quarter of our respondents say they want to spend time around zoo animals (27%), and while some might think that only a zoo can meet this demand, they can think again. Benidorm’s Magic Natura Animal Waterpark & Polynesian Lodge Resort offers over 1,500 animals – including rhinos, tigers and lions – in its unique “zooimmersion” concept, meaning no bars or barriers to block your view. It’s a Jet2holidays favourite!

Family, furry friends and footballers

We may see our kids as rebellious and independent, yet nearly half of our survey takers (45%) say they wished their parents spent more time with them and played more games with them on holiday. At the youngest end of the spectrum, seven-year-olds say their mum is who they most want to go on holiday with (30%); at the other end, 13-year-olds are most likely to choose their best friend (30%).

Family pets are clearly missed by our crowd when they’re on holiday – 30% want the family dog to join them and 14% miss their cat. Some were more attached to material possessions, though: close to half (42%) of kids want to pack a games console, and one in five (21%) think their bike would be perfect for their summer escape.

A couple of our more specific requests were a little left field. One young football fanatic north of the border says they’d take the entire St Johnstone FC team with them on holiday. We’ve not spoken to the squad, but we think they might prefer a week by the pool over a rainy Wednesday-night tie in February at Partick Thistle.

Zoe Towers, our Head of Product, said:

“It’s great to see that family holidays top the list as the favourite time of year for most children, and it’s so interesting to find out exactly what a kid’s ideal holiday looks like when it comes to location, activities, and the hotel.

“We love hearing how imaginative kids can be when it comes to what they want on holiday – a space-themed hotel would definitely be fun, but it would take some planning to bring the whole of St Johnstone FC on a plane to join them!”

So, ahead of next year, where do you think you’ll take your family? If you’re after sun, sea and sand, take your pick from over 40 fantastic destinations with Jet2holidays.

What would your kid’s ideal holiday look like? Let us know on social media using the hashtag #jet2kidcation!

To explore our survey in more detail, click here to download our findings.

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