Top 20 holiday destinations for 2024 - according to both parents and children

04 January 2024 , 12:08

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Children are most keen to travel to the USA this year - followed by Spain, and staying in the United Kingdom (Image: The Palmer/Getty Images)

The top family holiday destinations for 2024 have been revealed, with kids eager to visit the USA and Spain – while parents would prefer to holiday on home soil.

A staycation in the UK similarly ranked highly for youngsters, taking the third spot on their travel bucket list for this year – while Italy and Greece rounded out the top five for both kids and grown-ups alike.

But while far-flung destinations such as Australia, Dubai, and Japan came higher up the list for kids than for parents, youngsters were less interested than their mums and dads in holidaying in spots such as Portugal, Germany, or Ireland.

However, when it comes to accommodation choices, both the older and younger generations agreed they would most like to stay in a hotel on their next family trip (45% of parents, and 54% of kids).

And the top priority for both age groups on these vacations is enjoying some quality family time, according to 77% of parents, and 80% of youngsters.

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The survey of 1,000 adults, and their 6-16-year-old children, was commissioned by hotel chain Novotel, whose spokeswoman, Anais Dessales-Quentin, said: “It's been fascinating to learn where people are wanting to holiday this year.

“Looking at travelling through the eyes of children has shown us that families need some well-spent time with the most important people in their life.”

It also emerged that half of parents try to visit somewhere new each year, with just one in 10 admitting they keep going back to the same destination.

The biggest priority for mums and dads when booking a holiday is ensuring it is right for their children (36%), as 71% say creating new memories is what it is all about. Meanwhile, 58% are simply eager to find time to unwind.

And when quizzed on why holidays are important to them, eight in 10 children cited spending time with their family as their biggest priority, while 37% say it is to recover from the stress of school.

A heart-warming 34% are keen to make new friends, and 24% want to take advantage of being able to sleep as much as they want.

On their next family holiday, 61% of kids would like to go to a water park, while 25% are keen to try a form of water sports – and for 43%, it is all about eating as much ice-cream as they can.

And nearly half (48%) of the adults polled, via OnePoll.com, think that between three and six hours is the ideal duration for travelling, when going on their main family holiday.

Anais Dessales-Quentin added: “Hearing that even children feel they need a break from the stress in everyday life is an eye-opener, particularly as our commitment to families is incredibly important.

“Through our partnership with mental health app, CALM, families can also access customised content like bedtime stories or relaxation exercises, to make their hotel stay as chilled as possible.