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Multi-generational holidays are very much on the rise: nearly 50% of people looked to travel with their families in 2018 alone, and this is expected to continue to grow in 2019. This is because the age-old saying is correct: time is precious, so why not make the most of it and spend quality time with every generation of the family in a fantastic destination, exploring new things?
Of course, here at Pettitts Travel, families are important to us. There’s nothing like getting away with the whole family; exploring Indian culture at the Taj Mahal, witnessing the Big Five in South Africa, or living out the American cowboy dream, and sharing all of this with the people most important to us. We have a desire to offer something different, to help families get out of their comfort zones and seek adventure away from the usual tourist trail.
That’s why we created the 3G Family Travel Index. We set out to discover which countries around the world are the best holiday destinations for all generations, from young children to grandparents looking to recapture their youth.
| Rank | Country | Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | 76.5 | 0.5 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| 2 | Spain | 75 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 3 |
| 3 | Portugal | 74.5 | 2.5 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 4 | Canada | 73 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| 5 | Australia | 72 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 5 |
| 6 | Italy | 69 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 3 |
| 7 | USA | 68.5 | 2.5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | France | 68.5 | 1.5 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 3 |
| 9 | Finland | 67.5 | 0.5 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | Ireland | 67.5 | 0.5 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| 11 | UK | 67.5 | 0.5 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 5 |
| 12 | Croatia | 67 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
| 13 | Norway | 67 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
| 14 | Germany | 66 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 6 |
| 15 | Chile | 66 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| 16 | Greece | 66 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 3 |
| 17 | Mexico | 65.5 | 3.5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 8 |
| 18 | Thailand | 65.5 | 2.5 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 7 |
| 19 | Malaysia | 64.5 | 0.5 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
| 20 | Denmark | 64 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 6 |
| 21 | Sweden | 64 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 3 |
| 22 | Indonesia | 63.5 | 0.5 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| 23 | China | 63 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 24 | Argentina | 62 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 8 |
| 25 | UAE | 62 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| 26 | South Africa | 62 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| 27 | Japan | 60.5 | 0.5 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| 28 | Iceland | 59.5 | 0.5 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
| 29 | Costa Rica | 59.5 | 0.5 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 5 |
| 30 | Austria | 58.5 | 1.5 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| 31 | Tanzania | 58.5 | 3.5 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| 32 | Singapore | 58.5 | 0.5 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| 33 | Sri Lanka | 58 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 34 | Czech Republic | 58 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 8 |
| 35 | Poland | 58 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 6 |
| 36 | India | 57.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| 37 | Hungary | 57 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 10 |
| 38 | Morocco | 57 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 39 | Romania | 56.5 | 1.5 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 6 |
| 40 | Estonia | 56 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 2 |
| 41 | South Korea | 55.5 | 1.5 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 7 |
| 42 | Slovenia | 55.5 | 1.5 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 5 |
| 43 | Uruguay | 55 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| 44 | Brazil | 55 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 45 | Bulgaria | 54.5 | 1.5 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 5 |
| 46 | Switzerland | 54.5 | 1.5 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 1 |
| 47 | Laos | 54 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 48 | Latvia | 54 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 3 |
| 49 | Netherlands | 54 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 2 |
| 50 | Mauritius | 53.5 | 2.5 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
The best country in the world for a multi-generational holiday is New Zealand, with Spain and Portugal placing second and third respectively.
New Zealand raced towards the top spot after coming in the top 10 for safety, and first for the attractiveness of natural assets. This is unsurprising considering New Zealand is home to the Mt. Cook National Park and its stunning mountain ranges and glaciers, as well as Piha Beach, which is popular among surfers and includes Lion Rock, a volcanic monolith with unique Māori carvings on its surface.
New Zealand also has an exceptional 15,134km of coastline, and it’s the second most peaceful country in the world.
Following New Zealand, the top 10 countries are:
2. Spain
3. Portugal
4. Canada
5. Australia
6. Italy
7. USA
8. France
9. Finland
10. Ireland
Spain and Portugal both ranked highly across the board. Portugal, for instance, has an impressive 151 average sunny days every year and Spain has 170.7, and both are among the top 20 countries in the world in terms of safety, which measures organised crime, homicides, terrorism, and the reliability of police services. Not only this, but Spain has a staggering 47 World Heritage Sites, including the Garajonay National Park, the Tower of Hercules, and the Historic Walled Town of Cuenca.
Here at Pettitts Travel, we were thrilled to see some of our favourite destinations, USA, Canada and Italy place in the top 10, with Chile in the top 20. Canada scored well with 19 World Heritage Sites, including the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, and of course, the Niagara Falls. Chile also scored well based on the landscape and natural monuments, placing in the top 10 for attractiveness of natural assets and scenery. Not only this, but Canada came in first place for the length of its coastline, at an impressive 202,080km – making it the perfect destination for any families looking to incorporate a relaxing beach break with some adventure and culture.
Italy came first for the best countries for sightseeing, with a massive 54 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the entire city of Verona, the Dolomites, Mount Etna, and the early Christian Monuments of Ravenna. Italy also placed second as one of the best countries to go on an adventure.
The results by continent are as below:
Best country for multi-generational travel in Africa: South Africa
Best country for multi-generational travel in Europe: Spain
Best country for multi-generational travel in South America: Chile
Best country for multi-generational travel in Asia: Thailand
Best country for multi-generational travel in Oceania: New Zealand
Best country for multi-generational travel in North America: Canada
Methodology
To compile the 3G Family Travel Index, we used the following methodology. We analysed a variety of studies and surveys of travellers of all ages, who look to get away on holiday with their whole families, and identified what each generation wanted from their travel destination, ensuring our winning country was best for all age groups. The elements we found to be important were:
- Sunshine
- Safety
- Cost
- Scenery
- Beaches
- Relaxation
- Hiking
- Adventure
- Culture
- Tourism Services
We scored each country across each of these categories, and then ranked the countries by this score, with a total of 105 being available. Sunshine was awarded a half-weighted score as for those families seeking adventurous and action-packed holidays, sunshine was a less important element than other factors.
Sources:
http://reports.weforum.org/global-competitiveness-report-2018/competitiveness-rankings/#series=GCI4.A.01.01
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TTCR_2017_web_0401.pdf
http://reports.weforum.org/travel-and-tourism-competitiveness-report-
2017/ranking/?doing_wp_cron=1557412091.9409849643707275390625#series=EOSQ502
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_length_of_coastline
http://visionofhumanity.org/app/uploads/2018/06/Global-Peace-Index-2018-2.pdf
https://coolcamping.com/news/214-fresh-air-living-index-the-best-countries-for-outdoor-enthusiasts-to-live
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/adventure-rankings
https://www.goodcountry.org/index/results
https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/forecast/modelclimate/40.143N47.577E
http://reports.weforum.org/travel-and-tourism-competitiveness-report-2017/ranking/#series=TTCI.C.12
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