Family vacations abroad aren’t the single most popular family travel choice, but don’t let that fool you – AAA found that these trips landed on their list of top five most popular vacation options for traveling families. This is for good reason: Reports have shown that vacations are important to both family happiness and positively impacting children.
So, what’s on your list of reasons to travel abroad with your children? Check out some of the most notable benefits of taking family vacations abroad:
- Family togetherness and creating happy memories
- Allowing your children to have new and unique experiences
- Teaching your children about the world around them, helping them to become open-minded, and helping them to be more successful in the future
- Impacting your family’s outlook on life and optimism, in a positive way
And what’s more – you’re likely to experience many, if not all of these benefits during and after your trip!
FAMILY VACATIONS ABROAD BRING THE FAMILY TOGETHER IN MEANINGFUL WAYS
According to the Family Holiday Association, a whopping 99% of families that took family vacations abroad had fun and created happy memories. The idea of having fun and creating memories on vacation is not a new one. However, when you travel abroad, you’re likely to experience things you just won’t find close to home.
Children having new experiences rates right up there in the family Holiday Association’s list of benefits, clocking in at 98%.
Imagine: Rather than simply visiting a new city in the next state over, you immerse your family in Thailand’s Cultural Kaleidoscope.
Or maybe you head Down Under to experience a Beachside Wildlife Adventure.
The memories made in these incredible destinations will last a lifetime!
VACATIONS WITH PURPOSE FUSE FUN, LEARNING, DOING SOCIAL GOOD
Family vacations abroad aren’t just happy memories in the making. They’re also opportunities to teach your children about the world they live in, cultures different from their own, and the benefits of being open-minded.
Included in Inc.com’s list of 11 Ways Your Kids Are More Likely To Succeed If They Travel are just a few of the ways your children can benefit from family vacations abroad. Most often reported were:
- Desire to travel more
- Increased tolerance of other cultures and ethnicities
- An increase in willingness to learn/explore
- Increased independence, self-esteem, and confidence
Think about it this way: Your kids could read about Machu Picchu in their textbooks. They could learn about Peru’s historic civilization in history class. They could learn about hear about artisans, musicians, and grassroots leaders who contribute to Andean society.
Or they could live these experiences for themselves. Let them immerse themselves in a new culture, try new foods, contribute to the local community, and see wildlife unique to a place in the world they’ve not yet seen. They (and their increased attractiveness to college admissions) will thank you for it.
RETURN HOME WITH A NEW KIND OF POSITIVE OUTLOOK
Returning home from family vacations abroad – no matter if you visited Thailand, Australia, Bali, the Galapagos, South Africa, or beyond – is likely to leave you less stressed, more optimistic, and more confident. Even better, 92% of families reported getting along better as a family after their vacation! Bonus: Experiences had during family vacations abroad also reportedly increase tolerance and respectfulness.
Taking a trip isn’t just “taking a trip” anymore. Family vacations abroad are a life changing , happiness inducing experience!
If you could have traveled anywhere in the world when you were a child, where would you have gone? Tell us in the comments below!
I really like what you said about family vacations improve family togetherness and creating happy memories. My husband and I are planning out our next year and want to make sure we get some family vacations in that will be fun for us and the kids. Thank you for the information about how doing this will allow our children to have new and unique experiences.
We are so happy to hear you are thinking about meaningful trips – we have found that this is so important for togetherness as you say, but also a wonderful way for kids to have fun without realizing how much they are gaining from their experiences. We hope to see you on one of our trips soon!
Thank you for posting such an informative post. A family vacation is just not to go out, It is the best way to expend time with them.
Exactly! Thanks so much for reading!