Mothers' Needs and Expectations During a Family Holiday: Has Their Quality of Life Improved Due to the Holiday?

Abstract

Travelling families contribute significantly to the domestic tourism market in South Africa. This study aimed to determine why families go on holiday and what their needs are during a holiday from the perspective of a mother. A quantitative study was undertaken, and 115 responses were obtained. A typical mother travelling with her family was depicted, paired with the required amenities such as Wi-Fi, kids' entertainment and washing machines. It was further determined that mothers go on holiday, mainly to spend time with their families. The results further indicated that mothers’ quality of life was positively impacted by single families going on holiday, every six months and they reported being less stressed after the holiday. Concluding, the more family members join in on a holiday, the more challenging it may be to maintain a positive quality of life. Recommendations include providing the required amenities and accommodating families to ensure a good quality of life. The optimal family holidays would be with the least amount of extended family members and limiting holidays to once every six months. The results of this study will guide family accommodation establishments on what to focus on in their service offering should they want to attract more families.

Keywords

• amenities
• families
• needs
• quality of life
• travelling