Books, films, friends and school all have a huge influence on a child's desire to travel – far more so than parents realise, as revealed by Original Travel's latest research 

Research undertaken by Original Travel saw a select group of children asked what inspires them to travel. The results? Friends have the most influence, while films, books and school also have a significant sway – far more so than parents might appreciate. 

80.6% of our junior respondents want to visit somewhere their friends have told them about, with 67.6% and 63.9% saying that a book (Michael Morpurgo, Phillip Pullman) and a film (Paddington, Encanto and The Lion King) respectively has inspired their holiday dreams. Conversely, when the same question was put to the parents, only 29.2% thought those external influences had an impact, which goes to show that Mum and Dad don't always know what's what!  

Equally, only 33.8% of the adults felt that their child's school curriculum had had any bearing on travel plans, whereas 55.3% of children said that learning something at school had made them want to visit somewhere. According to the children, history and geography were the two main drivers, with Egypt and Rome being the standout destinations to bring learning to life. 

Families are aligned when it came to influencers however, with both groups in agreement that they actually yield very little influence at all; only 20.3% of parents said they had any bearing (citing Harlow White as the key influencer) and only 37.8% of children agreed, putting Mr Beast in the top spot. 

Tom Barber, Co-founder of Original Travel says: 'The research is a fascinating insight into what can prompt a child's wanderlust and (at the risk of sounding somewhat manipulative!) presents a fantastic opportunity for parents to prompt and shape shared holiday plans. By exposing them to books and films and taking the curriculum beyond the classroom, you can really inspire a love of travel and make a holiday so much more meaningful. 

'Original Travel has always been a firm believer in the transformative powers of travel and we think that the younger you develop an appreciation of the world, the greater the benefits – not only in terms of broadening young horizons and gaining a greater appreciation of the wider world, but perhaps even sparking a passion for something that shapes future career paths. We call this “World Work Experience”'. 

For books to inspire young minds, check out our blog. 

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Follow us on instagram @originaltravel for more travel inspiration and for more information contact: press@originaltravel.co.uk; 020 3582 4990   

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Notes to Editors:  

• Original Travel curates tailor-made itineraries, crafted by destination experts, to 77 countries worldwide from Anguilla to Zimbabwe. Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, the company has created over 50,000 itineraries since its launch in 2003, each one unique and adhering to the company ethos that “Life is in the Detail”.  

• Original Travel also has its own specialist dive division. Original Diving is the world's only luxury dive travel outfit.  

• 11 of our consultants are recognised as Conde Nast Traveler's 2024 Travel Specialists – more than any other tour operator for the 2nd year running. Our specialists are: Co-founder, Tom Barber (family travel and sabbaticals), Jacqui Brooks (Indonesia) and Oliver Rodwell (Mexico), Ben Williams (Egypt) Kate Little (Romania), Isabel de Galleani (Morocco), Frances Mavor (India), Harriet Harford (European Wine Regions), Holly Barber (Cambodia), James Back (Tanzania), Lucy Bailey (Oman). 

• Original Travel clients enjoy a wealth of additional services they would not find with any other UK tour operator, including:  

• Access to a network of 70-plus Concierges who live locally, know their destinations inside and out and are extremely well-connected. They lend fantastic ground support, offering insider recommendations, facilitating any last-minute changes and troubleshooting.  

• A brace of additional services designed to make departure easier than ever. Every Original Travel client, regardless of whether they're off on a city break, or a multi-destination sabbatical, is checked in on all flights – outbound, domestic and inbound - with boarding passes uploaded to the Original Travel app; will have UK airport meet and greet, fast track UK check-in, fast track UK security*, lounge access and pre-booked flight seats. Thoughtful details include wifi routers or e-sims, destination specific book and music lists and children's activity packs. There are also upgrade options to include: a luggage transfer service from your home to the airport; fast track check-in and security and lounge access on your flight home; fast track through immigration on your return to the UK.  

• The knowledge that not only will Original Travel absorb the carbon footprint of their international flights, but also - in an industry-first - car-hire and transfers, and other flights (even if booked independently).  Clients can also be advised on which flight options have the lowest levels of emissions, thanks to an industry-leading and world-first carbon calculator which can compare the levels of emissions generated by each flight, using data compiled from flight plans, aircraft type, the cabin class, direct versus indirect flights and the target occupancy rate. 

• The knowledge that they are contributing to Our Foundation, which supports nearly 100 humanitarian projects in 30 developing countries. To date, nearly £1.5 million has been invested to support five key areas: child protection, vocational training, economic development assistance, preservation of cultural and natural heritage and safeguarding the lifestyles of indigenous peoples.