A Needs Analysis of Mothers Travelling with Their Families in South Africa

Family travel is unquestionably a significant part of the domestic tourism market in South Africa, with mothers normally responsible for holiday arrangements. Families with kids have unique needs that must be catered for to make a family holiday memorable. This study conducted a needs analysis of mothers specifically travelling with their families to identify how accommodation establishments can improve their offering and be viewed as more “family-friendly”. A quantitative study was conducted using a snowball sampling technique with over 106 participants responding to the survey. Mothers, specifically, were targeted over various social media and WhatsApp groups solely dedicated to mothers, and respondents were further motivated to share the link of the survey. Respondents had to be mothers with a family who have been on holiday in the last two years. Descriptive statistics were drawn, such as means, standard deviations, and frequency tables paired with inferential statistics, all analysed on SPSS. Preliminary results suggest that there are definite needs that are currently unmet, and holiday destinations should address these to cater to the extended family. Self-catering accommodation was the most preferred accommodation type, because of the convenience this accommodation offers a family, and coastal areas were identified as the preferred destination for most families. The main considerations to consider while choosing a holiday were affordability and the establishment's convenience. The results of this study are discussed in terms of what holiday destinations and establishments need to improve, to make their facilities more family-friendly, which should assist establishments in gaining a better competitive advantage in the family holiday market.