New family focus for National Geographic and G Adventures range

"We also have a visit to the Monteverde Institute in Costa Rica, provided by Nat Geo. There, kids get to go on a nature walk with a researcher to understand conversation efforts in the country before planting a tree."

The tours, which depart in March, have already been selling well, says Dunning. Popular options include the nine-day Morocco Family Journey: Ancient Souks to the Sahara (from £1,349pp), and the 11-day Southern Africa Family Journey: In Search of the Big Five (from £2,999pp).

“To secure the best rates and availability, we are seeing families booking six months ahead of the trip,” says Dunning.

“They know when their holidays and breaks are, which is especially important in the UK where parents aren’t able to take their children out of school [outside of holiday dates].”

Family values

While the group size of the Family Journeys collection is slightly larger than G Adventures’ standard trips – with a maximum of 20 guests compared with 16 – the presence of two chief experience officers (CEOs) ensures everyone gets the same level of care.

“Safety comes up again and again; parents want to make sure their children will be taken care of. That’s why we have the two CEOs to help,” says Dunning.

She adds that the product has been specifically created with family needs in mind. “We thought about wake-up times, about how many early morning starts there will be.

“Logistics are also important, such as how long the drives are going to be, how many stops there are and when meals will be served. We also took into account how many activities there will be a day, and how long clients will stay in a particular destination.”

G Adventures has ensured each trip contains three- to four-star accommodation options, adds Dunning. “I would categorise [the accommodation] as clean, comfortable, charming and convenient.

“It’s centrally located, and we’ve featured hotels with pools when possible. Of course, we ensure there are as many triple and quad rooms as possible too. We know families come in all shapes and sizes.”

The trips are open to children aged between seven and 17. Dunning adds that the pre-planned nature of the trips cater to busy families who want a straightforward yet adventurous holiday.

“Families want a getaway they don’t have to think about. That’s why cruises and all-inclusive holidays have been popular: they book it, show up and everything is sorted.

“Historically, adventure travel may have seemed too complicated. But by working with us and a travel advisor, everything is taken care of.”