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I just returned from a vacation with my family and to tell you the truth - traveling with kids is a royal pain. My kids are 11 and 6 and they fight like you wouldn’t believe. The key to keeping a happy family on vacation is to keep everyone busy. Vacations are supposed to be about relaxing, but to be honest - when you’re traveling with young kids - relaxing on the beach reading a book is just NOT going to happen. Some things I don’t see hotels or vacation rentals doing to help draw the family traveler could be quick implementations and could also be great ways to tout your “family-friendliness” on your website.

• Put a comprehensive list of area attractions along with close to current pricing in EVERY room or rental. I had done some homework so we had a few days planned out, but the days we had planned to spend “relaxing on the beach” were overruled by cries of “I’m bored!” and “It’s too hot!” By giving me a list of stuff I can fall back on in a pinch, you’re helping me keep everyone happy and NOT fighting. No fighting means a happy vacation for mom.
• Vacation Rentals should be stocked with a few decks of cards and some simple board games. Things like Monopoly and Connect Four will keep kids occupied for awhile and they are also games the family can play together. I’m flying to my vacation and I cant bring these things with us - so having them available when I get there is a BIG bonus.
• Get the kids involved in planning by putting a few widget-type games on your website. Have a kid’s section that is dedicated to things they’ll want to see in the area and history or area fauna that will interest them. My kids are big into dinosaurs. In Plant City, FL there’s a big dinosaur attraction. A Web site for a hotel in Orlando might feature a fun little “watch the dinosaur eat the tourist” game. This sounds morbid but kids think this is hilarious and it would be fun for them to play. It could also win them over to your property so when mom asks “Where do you want to go?” the kids have an answer. If the parent thinks the kids are going to be happy, they’re more likely to be happy with the accommodation choice.
• If you have a pool that starts at 3 feet, you need to let the parents of small tots and babies know that. No kiddie pool means mom & dad have to float the kid around endlessly in the 3′ deep water. That can be okay for a few minutes, but not every time we go to the pool. My best advice? Build a kiddy pool that goes from 6″ to 12″ deep or something similar so mom and dad can lounge under the umbrella and watch the tots splash around.
• Small touches like a stuffed animal at check-in or a workbook of puzzles and games that is age appropriate is a great way to engage the kids and make mom and dad happy and more likely to book. A game room or arcade is a good way to keep families occupied during inclement weather. I would love ALL hotels have a small movie room where they could show family movies at certain show-times with popcorn during the hottest parts of the day and on rainy or snowy days.

Thinking of small things and some big things can go along way to proving to the travel shopper that you really ARE family friendly. Everyone may be saying it - and throwing some pictures of cute little kids on the beach into their website - but are they following through? Think about how you can appeal to your youngest shoppers and use your imagination - you never know where you’ll find the pearl in that funny looking oyster.

image courtesy MyAngelG

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Categories: Marketing Musts, Travel Marketing.
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