It is a universally un-acknowledged fact that some parents dread going on
holiday with their teenagers as much as the teens dread holidays with mum
and dad.
At fifteen plus their hormones are as unpredictable as yours, and you wonder
if you’ll ever again go on holiday as a family. It’s a last chance, and an
increasing number of parents are using it to bond with their teens by
pushing the boat out and finding something special, challenging and engaging
for all the family. In other words everyone will be so busy they won’t have
time for Kevin and Perry moments.
Before you shut this page, quivering at the thought, think about it for a
moment.
You’ve done bucket and spade stuff, the kids and teens clubs (albeit to cries
of, ‘you must be joking, mum – there’s no way I'm spending time
with those losers’) graduating to shopping weekends in New York and Paris
disguised as cultural outings.
Now it’s time for a scary new option: high octane, high adventure, high
expense holidays together.
One of the earliest to recognise this need was Mark Wright who’s been in the
travel business twenty years, founded the Adventure
Company ten years ago, sold it and, six months ago, founded Families
Worldwide with the directors of Wildlife
Worldwide and Walks
Worldwide. Families Worldwide is probably the first company to focus
exclusively on adventurous family travel. As a dad of Joe 11, Hannah 13 and
Abigail 15 he has first hand experience of teen needs, and he builds the
business with the help of a Board of Directors made up of kids who've
travelled with the company.
"It’s a focus group, really. One of the new angles we’re working on is
something that engages the teens with a learning experience. It can be two
way. Like our teens teaching teens in Africa how to use MSN and computers,
while they teach ours how to dress like a Masai warrior.’
Meanwhile Mark’s former venture, The
Adventure Company is still going strong with special teen departures
(and single parent departures) to ensure teens don’t find themselves in a
sea of toddlers (and vice versa). The Adventure Company runs 60 family trips
worldwide with an upper age limit of 17. The latest innovation involves
three holidays
that cater exclusively for teens and their parents. These are based in
Egypt, Turkey and Slovakia.
"We keep Kevins and Perrys as happy as they can be. Parents on our teen
holidays tend to be in the 40s age group with high incomes. We try to engage
everyone by doing fun and adventurous activities: it’s a matter of, ‘don’t
spectate – participate’. It’s all about discovering new experiences with
teenagers. It’s a lovely thing to do and gives final family memories,’ says
Ben Roseveare,Marketing Manager of The Adventure Company.
What about discipline problems? None that could be repeated on a family
website, apparently.
For families who want travel alone, or with hand-picked friends, Footloose
will tailor any holiday, anywhere in the world for any group of people. The
company is arranging an increasing number of activity trips for families
with teens. As owner Roger Gook points out, there’s one great advantage to
teen travel in many of the destinations he uses: "Booze isn’t available
in many of the places where we go. And, on treks and safaris, it’s hard to
get hold of much booze."
"The thing about holidays at this stage is that parents see it as the end
of an era. My own son is pushing 15 and this has made me think about the
stage as children head towards independence."
