As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our everyday lives in countless ways. But perhaps no group has felt the stress of it more than parents. In addition to worrying about their own health, they are focused on their children — first, making sure they are safe, but also taking a hands-on role when it comes to their kids’ education, development and happiness.
Sadly, depression is widespread in children today. Their world has been turned upside down — their friends and classmates taken away, the activities they love and look forward to denied to them, and it’s all due to circumstances that are hard for them to understand. So, in addition to dealing with the practical, economic worries that the pandemic has wrought on families, parents also have the stress of seeing their children unhappy, angry and just plain sad.
Well, this issue is dedicated to what travel advisors can do to give parents hope for better days. As you can read in an essay by Rainer Jenss, founder of the Family Travel Association, sometimes just the desire for future travel can inspire people in dark times.
This issue’s cover story, “Are We There Yet?,” offers tips for road trippers looking for a much-needed break. We continue with three safe trips throughout California (page 14). And, for those clients who can’t get away, there are virtual options for armchair travel.
As you have no doubt heard many times by now, we are all in this together. However, some people might be more “in this” than others. Children should never feel hopeless about their future, and a parent should never feel alone when dealing with this stress.
The best way we can help those who are suffering is use the power of travel to provide hope for the future.
