Revealed: What kids really want on...

Big adventures are priority for children from the UAE

A new survey shows what children want most from their family holidays, with 98% of kids from the UAE expecting "big adventures" while 82% from Saudi Arabia prefer to try a variety of activities.

The survey, commissioned by Experience Abu Dhabi, polled more than 7,000 children aged 5-12 years from nine countries – UAE, Saudi, France, Italy, Germany, China, UK, US and India – and revealed that most kids crave real-world connections and adventures.

Fantasy activities such as being a race car driver or a zookeeper were the choice of 85% of children, with 95% wanting activities they can tell their friends about.

Nine out of 10 children said making friends on holiday was their top priority, just beating the 89% that want to feel like they are stepping into their favourite games or films.

"As both a parent and a marketer, I know firsthand how important it is to really listen to kids, to understand what lights them up, what sparks their imagination and what makes a holiday unforgettable,” said His Excellency Nouf Mohamed Al-Bushlaibi, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications at DCT Abu Dhabi.

“We commissioned this research to hear what truly matters to children when they look at holidays, and what they told us was inspiring – they want connection, adventure and the freedom to play out the stories they love.”

There were however notable differences between the priorities of children from the countries polled.

While more than three-quarters of children from India want to visit a museum on holiday, 84% of German kids prefer to visit a food market.

Adventurous Italian youngsters strongly (95%) want to try activities they have not never done before, the vast majority (97%) of French children want to spend a day at a waterpark or doing water sports, and 94% of UK kids want activities they can talk about with friends.

Kids from China (89%) want a more relaxed family break and playing make-believe tops the charts for US children, with 85% wanting the chance to be an aspirational figure for the day, such as an astronaut or racing driver.

The good news for parents is that 97% of kids across the countries polled agree that fun time with the family is essential for a great holiday.

For more information, visit experienceabudhabi.com

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