Children in family travel : relating age, gender, and family types to decision-making

Abstract

Understanding the nuanced dynamics of children’s roles in family tourism decision-making is essential for advancing both theoretical and practical insights in this field. This study examines how age, gender, and parental communication types influence children’s involvement in planning family vacations, drawing on a sample of 745 primary school-aged children. Using a three-way MANOVA, the research explores variations in decision-making influence across these factors. Findings reveal that children exert the strongest influence during the early stages of planning, particularly in protective family environments. Notably, older female children demonstrate significant involvement in initial decisions, while older male children in permissive families exhibit heightened influence over travel choices. The results have important implications for understanding the dynamics of family with children in the context of tourism decision-making.