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The family travel industry gets a lot of attention , and for good reason : Before the pandemic , spending on this segment had soared to $ 500 billion annually , according to the Family Travel Association . But what about single-parent families , a subset of family travel that ’ s been described as “ ignored ” and “ untapped ,” and one that would be well-served by the expertise of travel advisors ? Data from the Statista Research & Analysis found that in 2019 , nearly 16 million children were living with single mothers and just over 3 million children were living with single fathers in the United States .
Solo-parent families need different resources and support to create the family vacation of their dreams , and advisors may need to think outside the box to serve them . Here are some tips from travel advisors who not only cater to this market but are solo parents themselves .
Know your customer : building critical understanding of your clients — and their kids To help solo parents navigate vacation planning , advisors have to start by understanding their lives . According to the Pew Research Center , 81 % of solo parents are mothers , they are more strapped for cash than married or cohabiting parents , and many have trepidations about traveling alone with their kids .
“ Going from a dual income to a single income could certainly be a roadblock [ to vacations for single parents ],” says Winters . When budgets are a concern , Winters recommends road trips — a “ great opportunity for families ,” she says — traveling around the United States by car , or even via Amtrak or Greyhound versus flying .
Dyan McKie , family product manager at Intrepid Travel in Australia , agrees that advisors should be especially sensitive to the
“ We , as single parents , need an additional sense of ease . Most times , we ’ re outnumbered by children , which can easily make us feel stressed and overwhelmed . A travel advisor should focus on the ages of the children so that their particular needs are met .”
— Theresa Winters
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