Forget sun, sea and family friendly holidays…a third of British parents want their holidays to shine on their social media feeds.

Social media has changed the way we communicate, share and consume news, and now it’s influencing the way we holiday and enjoy short breaks, according to new research by Roomzzz. The study of 2000 parents showed that parents are choosing holiday and short break destinations based on how good they will look on their social media feeds.

Location and time with loved ones is key

33 percent of the parents questioned admitted to picking their holiday destination based on how good it would look on social media. And it was even more essential to Londoners with a whopping 71 percent agreeing that this was one of the most important factors when choosing a holiday destination.

Who we choose to holiday with is changing too, with almost a third of people admitting to now travelling with extended family and friends. Londoners again magnified this trend with 56 percent of them saying they holiday with grandparents and friends.

Don’t despair, although we might like to keep up with the Jones’ on our social media feeds, it seems our hearts are in the right place when it comes to why we take our families away. Having a ‘break from the norm’, ‘creating lasting memories’, ‘strengthening family bonds’ and ‘giving them a cultural experience’ were all top answers too.

Interestingly it seems Scots are the most passionate about offering their children a cultural experience with more than 48 per cent of respondents choosing this as a reason they travel.

Psychologist Donna Dawson, says:

“The research shows that we want our choice of holiday destination to reflect well on us, by winning the approval of friends and acquaintances on social media. There is a competitive edge to social media where we vie with others to show how happy and successful we are – human nature relishes a little envy from others when it comes to making life choices, as that reinforces that our choices were good ones. However, we do realise that it’s all a game, and that the best holiday experiences actually come from sharing them with the people closest to us, our children and extended family. In the end, creating lasting memories and strengthening family bonds are more important to us.”

Naveen Ahmed, Managing Director at Roomzzz said:

“It seems it’s not just hipsters or gen z-ers who want to make sure their social feeds look on trend; parents and families are at it too! For us at Roomzzz, we are certainly seeing more and more extended families and friends travelling together. Our apartments offer families a perfect base to build a great short break. We have everything they need to maintain routines (if they need to) and offer their children space without feeling boxed in or cramped, compared to traditional hotel rooms. With many of our properties offering multiple bedroom apartments, we are also perfectly placed to accommodate larger and wider family units; offering parents a much-needed night/day off!”