DISOBEYART / SHUTTERSTOCK . COM trip to Florida . While her daughter was happy to sit seaside and soak up the sun , her son needed more activities . “ I had to kind of say , ‘ You know what , this is a kid who needs my attention . Sitting in a beach chair is not a vacation for him .’”
One way to minimize the risk of a mismatch of personality to an itinerary is to encourage solo parents to involve their kids in planning the trip . “ Children nowadays are part of the planning process ,” says McKie , whose daughter is 7 years old .
Winters says her kids are involved from the get-go : “ They have to go online and find things that they want to do and narrow it down ,” Winters notes . “[ T ] hen they feel like they have a say , that this is their trip .”
Put safety first : educating your clients about destination risks The most important logistics to consider are those related to safety . As a travel advisor , it ’ s up to you to provide solo parents , especially women , with in-depth and accurate safety information , particularly for international travel . Cover topics including the safety situation at the destination and where to go in a medical emergency .
Consider local perceptions of women and single mothers . The Pew Research Center found that nearly one-fourth of American children live in solo-parent households , which far exceeds the rest of the world . In some countries , there is still a stigma associated with single motherhood , writes hospitality and tourism researcher Yunqi Wei . This could lead to unwanted attention or unsafe situations . Talk this through with your clients before booking international trips .
Before your clients depart , encourage them to enroll in the U . S . State Department ’ s STEP ( Smart Traveler Enrollment Program ), a free service that provides safety alerts to travelers from U . S . embassies in their destination countries . Suggest travel insurance plans with coverage for children and add additional value by providing local emergency numbers and information about health care providers at their destinations .
Anticipate logistical snags : solving problems for single parents As a travel advisor , one of the best services you can offer an already overtaxed single parent is effective logistics planning .
“ Single parents are the organizer , leader , protector and go-to person , which can get exhausting ,” says McKie . “ You have so many different elements to deal with on your own : ‘ Will we get sick ? What if I can ’ t find the right train to catch ? How can we get to some remote places to really experience the country we are traveling in ?’ All with a child — or several — in tow who may be tired or bored .”
To start , consider what types of vacations might automatically relieve a solo parent of sticky on-the-ground logistics . Winters
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