Destinations: Single-Parent Family Spots
by John Hawks

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Think about these single-parent-friendly destinations for your travel business:

Florida and California: It's no surprise that major family theme park destinations such as Anaheim and Orlando have perfected the art of welcoming single-parent families enjoying a vacation. Many hotels in these areas offer rates by the room each night, saving your clients the hassle of dealing with double-occupancy (ppdo) rates found elsewhere. Also, you can recommend a wide range of travel packages that will save your clients money over booking trip components separately. Another draw is the supply of family-friendly condo and house rentals in these destinations that can save savvy single parents a lot of money compared to on-site theme park hotels.

Ski resorts: At first glance, many ski resorts across North America seem to cater to singles and young couples in their advertising. However, a growing number of popular resorts offer kid-friendly slopes and programs to appeal to every member of a single-parent family. For example, Smuggler's Notch in Vermont is a year-round ski destination with an Indoor FunZone (from basketball to mini golf), while Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico boasts a huge Children Center with child-ski courses for kids as young as three years old (along with child-care options).

Beaches locations in the Caribbean: This OSSN supplier member has invested millions of dollars in recent years to refurbish its resorts across the Caribbean to appeal to traveling families. It continues its partnership with the Sesame Street characters for on-site programs, but it's also known for waiving single supplement fees and offering child-care support aimed specifically at single parents visiting with their children in tow. Throughout the year, your single-parent clients will enjoy extras such as movie nights for the kids (to give parents a break) and a welcome reception for parents traveling solo.

European cruises: If your kids are ready for the first trip to the Continent, booking a traditional tour can be daunting if the mom or dad is traveling alone. That's why booking a cruise aboard a family-friendly ship presents many advantages. The trip will likely be priced in dollars to help your clients avoid some of the surprises from today's rising euro. Also, more lines are sending to Europe their ships that boast kids centers and onboard counselors to offer your children their own activities while you relax. Some OSSN agents report growing interest in European river cruises for single parents traveling with teens (though you should check with each cruise line about its age restrictions). Visit the OSSN supplier member roster to find a list of cruise lines eager to work with home-based agents.

No matter which destinations you recommend for your single-parent family clients, remind the mom or dad in charge of the trip about one legal rule that trips up more custodial parents these days. The parent traveling with kids should always carry a notarized letter from the other parent giving permission for the child to leave the country. If your client can't secure such a letter from the former spouse, but he or she has sole custody of the children, then your client should carry a copy of the custody papers and other legal documents pertaining to custody (although that's no guarantee he or she won't have problems at the border anyway). If your client is a widow or widower, then he or she should carry an official copy of the deceased parent's death certificate. It sounds macabre, but U.S. officials have grown more stringent about enforcing this rule at border crossings, sea ports, and airports to thwart possible kidnappings by angry spouses.

(Credits: Benjamin Esham; Enoch Lau; Beaches; Avalon Waterways)