Adults and children's interests were more similar in the area of outdoor activities. Both said they enjoyed hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, camping, tubing, rafting, downhill and cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Having access to cable or satellite television and video games in the hotel room was quite popular with children. Children were more interested in faster-paced vacations than adults, who emphasized the need for a mix of active and restful activities. The key seems to be to promote a balance of activities.
Parents also look for indoor activities within a community, such as museums and shopping.
When asked to describe how they felt after a good family vacation, parents used adjectives including relaxed, refreshed, satisfied, rejuvenated and invigorated. When presented with travel-related photography, adults tended to like images of beautiful scenery and people having a good time doing an activity. They were also interested in photos of cultural activities. Children gravitated toward images of people engaging in activities that they themselves like to do. Summer scenes of water play, such as tubing and rafting, were extremely popular among both groups.