By Dennis A. Marzella

Nearly all adults (93%) agree that their kids' interests are important when planning vacations. Additionally, a substantial proportion also agree that children are influential in the selection of destinations (64%), accommodations (40%), and vacation packages (38%). Want to go after the family market?

Here is the recipe for success. First, consider the perceptions, attitudes, and motivations of the family from both a parent's and a kid's point-of-view. Then kick it up a notch with some tasty facts about what kids really want. Blend thoroughly. Serve hot and let the aroma of your communication program permeate the kids' senses.

The YP&B 1999 Portrait of Family Travel, a nationally projectable research study on parents' and kids' (age 6-17) preferences, reveals important insights on how to approach the family market. Nearly all parents (96%) feel travel is an experience their children should have...it is seen as a positive force in bringing the family together, and a means of creating memories. The pattern of response suggests adult family travelers are likely to be influenced by emotional appeals and, there is no doubt about it, about eight in ten children across key age categories (6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17) agree they really like taking family vacations.

Nonetheless, most parents (62%) feel their freedom and flexibility are limited when they are traveling with children, suggesting an opportunity for insightful marketers to make travel programs directed to families easy and convenient to consume, as well as multi-faceted so that they appeal to the entire family and provide for doing some things together as a family and other activities apart. The perceived higher cost is also a consideration for a considerable number of parents. In fact, it appears that special rates for family travelers are more important (70%) than special features when it comes to the selection of the hotel. Still, a substantial proportion of family travelers say special facilities (43%) and activities or entertainment (38%) offered by hotels also influence their choice of lodging. Therefore, it is important to know what the kids are looking for in a vacation experience, then talk to them directly about what you have to offer.

With respect to experimentation and fantasy attributes (Figure 1), kids say they really like going to theme parks (hail to the mouse!), followed closely by hanging out on a beach or visiting a water park. There is also a relatively high level of interest in going to a place never visited before.

There is moderate appeal in visiting places with beautiful scenery, learning a new skill or activity, having an opportunity to eat different types of food, and going to a place that is remote and untouched.

When it comes to physical activities, snorkeling and swimming are highly appealing. This pattern is consistent with the predisposition to hanging out on the beach. More adventurous water sports, such as white water rafting, capture the imagination of many kids, but tally more moderate appeal. More than one-half of kids say they would really like hiking and other similar activities, which is on a par with playing sports such as volleyball, snow skiing, and snow boarding. About one-half find bicycling trips appealing, mountain biking in particular. Getting exercise is about equal in appeal with mountain biking and there is substantial interest in surfing. Playing tennis pales against other physical activity options.

Perhaps surprising to some, the majority of kids say they like doing things with the family. Like parents, this reflects the true sentiment of enjoying family vacations. Simple as it is, there is a high magnitude of interest in going to the movies, in fact, as great as the interest in attending live music concerts. Shopping as a vacation activity is appealing to about one-half of the kids, with lower levels of interest in visiting a museum, going to plays and live theater, visiting old buildings and historical sites, dancing, visiting a zoo, arts and crafts programs, and taking local tours.

Strategists should review the relative magnitude of interest in the various attributes and compare them to the strengths and weaknesses of your product, then formulate your marketing strategy. As part of this process, this information is useful to estimate the potential size of various niches of interest, as well as determine the amount of emphasis to place on these features in overall communication programs and to gauge the likelihood of response to promotion of these activities. Finally, develop communications programs, including web sites, that provide the kind of information to which children would easily relate.

Another opportunity which awaits is to tap into the business family travel market. The YP&B/Yankelovich Partners 1999 National Business Travel MONITOR reveals that six in ten business travelers combine business and pleasure. Of these travelers, nearly three in ten (28%) say they are extremely/very likely to take children on one or more business trips during the next two years. Marketers of business travel services are likely to have increasing opportunities to attract multi-purpose business travelers. Accordingly, new conceptions of what constitutes a "business hotel" are required. So, don't be surprised if you hear "goodnight Mom, goodnight Dad, goodnight John Boy" on your next business trip.