By wotif.com
A
ccording to research by online travel site Wotif.com, 78% of parents look forward to the school holidays and 45% of families often go away with their kids during the school holidays1 but despite this, the rising cost of living is one of the largest growing concerns for Australians. Most of us (76%) believe the rising cost of living will impact our holiday choice over the next five years, with mid and young families most (81%) likely to be impacted2. With all this to consider, Wotif has looked into the ‘hacks’ parents admit to doing in order to holiday with their family, with many Aussie parents going to extreme lengths to ensure they can provide their kids with holiday memories:
• 55% have lied about their kid’s age in order to get a freebie while travelling1 • 22% have snuck their kids into accommodation without paying for them1 • 63% of parents would rather take their kids out of school to travel rather than wait for the expensive school holiday period2 • 38% have chucked a sickie to take a few extra days off with the kids during the school holidays1 • 48% have travelled interstate to avoid their own states school holidays, to try and beat the crowds and save some cash1 • 25% have taken their family or kids with them on a business trip that happened to coincide with the school holidays1 50
Peninsula Kids – Winter 2018
Wotif Travel Expert and mother of two primary-school-aged children, Amanda Behre said: “Travel is such a rich learning experience for our kids. By travelling, kids get to explore a new setting and see, hear, taste, and touch things they would not usually find at home. But with economic issues the most important problem facing Australians3, we also understand the financial cost of travel can feel overwhelming.” “Our advice is to remember that in the eyes of a child, it’s the little things that count. Whether it’s spending hours playing in the resort pool, the novelty of staying in a lush hotel bed, or the games you play in the car, families don’t need to break the budget or travel far to get away with the kids. A holiday can be as simple as a beach break a couple of hours up the coast, or even a staycation in a city hotel for a night or two.” Top Victorian suburbs or towns, according to Wotif.com (excluding capital city areas) 1
1. Falls Creek 2. Ballarat 3. Mount Buller 4. Mansfield 5. Bright
continued next page.....