Grand parenting by the pool: extending family tourism research to grandparent-grandchildren holidays

Abstract

Research on family holidays has focused on the nuclear family. But family holidays come in many different forms and this paper uses 81 interviews to explore the under-researched issue of grandparents and grandchildren vacationing together. Although grandparent-grandchildren holidays resemble nuclear family holidays in many ways, significant differences also exist as these holidays (a) enable grandparents and grandchildren to interact in ways they cannot do (as easily) at home; (b) are a means for grandparents to help their children; (c) allow for grandparents and grandchildren to be both together and apart; and d) are critical to how contemporary families ‘do’ family across generations.