…and that’s not all.  At the tender age of 10, they’ve also flown long haul three times and been skiing TWICE!

Researchers studied travel habits of the average modern child and compared them to those of their parents and grandparents.  It seems in their first 10 years, modern British kids have seen as almost much in their first 10 years than their grandparents would have explored in an entire lifetime.

In fact, the study showed the average child has been abroad SIX times before their tenth birthday, while their grandparents have only been abroad eight times in their life.

And the majority of parents polled claimed that, while travel is a normal part of their own child’s life, they only ventured out of the country twice before the age of ten – and never further afield than Europe.

According to the research by Royal Caribbean, today’s ten-year-olds have been on an average of two cruises, four ferries and seven aeroplanes. They have also swum in the Mediterranean Sea four times, the Atlantic three times and the Caribbean Sea once.

The average ten year old has also tasted street food abroad, visited a foreign market or souk, learned as many as six new foreign phrases while abroad – and EVEN been for a ride on a Tuk Tuk.

In fact, as many as 83 percent of the 2,000 parents who took part in the study said their children are better travelled and more cultured than they ever were at the same age, while a further 73 percent said as a result their children can speak more foreign words than they can.

81 percent felt their children were lucky that their horizons had been widened by traveling to other places. However, a more begrudging 83 percent complained that their children had no idea how lucky they were to have all the trips away and holidays that they do.

68 percent said their children are actively involved in the researching and planning of holidays.

Generational expert Dr Paul Redmond, who analysed the findings of the study commented:

“For the travel industry, Generation Z is incredibly important.

“Not only do they exert a powerful influence on their parents, they are a generation that care more about experiences and travel than any other generation. 
So it is important the travel industry listens to them – the annual, two week ‘fly and flop’ holiday on the beach is not going to cut it for them and holiday companies will need to take this into consideration when shaping the holidays of the future.”

In response, Royal Caribbean International has appointed its first ever Gen Z panel, The Little Extraordinaires, who will act as consultants on future Royal Caribbean ships – sharing their feedback directly with Royal Caribbean International’s President and CEO, Michael Bayley; their first mission being to road test Independence of the Seas following the ship’s multi-million pound makeover in May –