World Tourism Day

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2018) – In celebration of World Tourism Day (Thurs., Sept. 27), Visit Anaheim, the official destination organization for Anaheim, released new research on why parents plan family vacations proving travel is key to strengthening family relationships. On a day designed to demonstrate tourism effects on social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide, Visit Anaheim facilitated a study on family tourism planning with 72 Point, polling 2,000 U.S. parents of school-aged children ranging from ages four to 18, finding the majority of parents believe vacation and travel is a vital part of their family dynamics.

Whether dreaming of making memories at Disneyland_® Resort, flying across the world or enjoying a luxury cruise, the research unearthed the biggest efforts parents make in trying to bring their kids a dream trip. The top reasons parents give for wanting their children to travel include: experiencing a new area or culture (74 percent), strengthening family relationships (73 percent) and giving children both the opportunity to have fun and to learn new things (67 percent). 

“Knowing Anaheim is a dream vacation destination for parents and children alike, it is vital for us to understand how families approach vacation planning,” said Jay Burress, president & CEO of Visit Anaheim. “Being in the heart of Southern California, we know Anaheim is the perfect home base for an awe-inspiring and truly memorable dream vacation.”

For their dream vacation, parents would like to be near beaches (72 percent), restaurants (69 percent) and amusement parks (59 percent). Parents go on to report that the most important aspects of a family vacation are the location (79 percent), the budget (71 percent) and the dates of travel (47 percent).

“Anaheim is recognized as one of the leading leisure destinations in the U.S. welcoming more than 24 million visitors a year. It is home to Disneyland_® Resort, Anaheim GardenWalk, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim_® and Anaheim Ducks^®®, as well as some of the best shopping, dining and entertainment found anywhere in Southern California,” said Burress. “Not to mention, Anaheim is just a few minutes’ drive from an incredible 42-mile coastline with some of the best beaches in California: elegant Newport Beach, picturesque Laguna Beach and surfing mecca Huntington Beach.” 

For more information on Anaheim and to begin planning a memorable family-friendly vacation, please visit: visitanaheim.org.

About Visit Anaheim: 
Founded in 1961, Visit Anaheim is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit destination marketing organization. Visit Anaheim’s mission is to develop, market, and sell Anaheim to benefit the economic vitality of its neighborhoods. To learn more about Visit Anaheim, visit: www.visitanaheim.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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