Connecting Through Family Tourism and Social Inclusion During COVID-19 Times

Abstract

Families with dependent children represent a significant proportion of the world’s population. Children and families form the closest and most important emotional bond in humans, and it is this social relationship that drives demand in tourism. It is estimated that families account for about 30% of the leisure travel market around the world (Schänzel & Yeoman, 2014). Family travel (defined as that undertaken by adults, including grandparents, with children) is predicted to grow at a faster rate than all other forms of leisure travel, mainly because it represents a way to reunite the family and for family members to spend quality time with each other, away from the demands of work and school. Grandtravel (grandparents travelling with their grandchildren) can facilitate significant bonds and contribute to intergenerational wellbeing and generativity (Gram et al., 2019). In an increasingly busy and hyperconnected but often socially disconnected daily life, families seem to put a high priority on taking holidays to allow for bonding, increased communication, and positive memory formation amongst its family members (Shaw, Havitz & Delemere, 2008). With all these seeming benefits there are social justice and equity questions to be raised about what it means for families for whom holidaying together is simply not possible.