There was a time when a family holiday consisted of two weeks on the Costa Del Sol or a trip to Disneyland, but according to recent research carried out by British Airways, UK families are now looking for adventure, culture, and off-the-beaten track experiences when they travel overseas, and as a result, Intrepid Family Travel has become the new trend for 2016.

The research, carried out by the airline to commemorate International Day of Families on May 15^th, found that the average British family will take three holidays this year, and at least two of those trips will involve visiting important historical sites, learning about different cultures, or backpacking around the globe in a bid to experience new things that one simply wouldn’t find at home.

Claire Bentley, a spokesperson for British Airways said, “The face of family travel has changed dramatically in recent years. We now live in a connected world, where new destinations are opening up all the time and the web has made the world more accessible. She continued, “Children are not seen as restrictive to travel, but essential travel companions, with rich experiences and new cultures to discover.”

In a bid to cater for this latest Intrepid Family Travel trend, BA have launched several new routes for 2016 and 2017, with many new direct flights departing from Gatwick Airport, rather than Heathrow. This year, you will be able to fly direct from Gatwick to Cape Town in South Africa, to Lima in Peru, to San Jose in Costa Rica, and to New York JFK in the United States, and the current prices on these routes are very reasonable indeed.

If you want to educate your kids while travelling this summer, you could trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu before canoeing in the Amazon Rainforest, visit the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Table Mountain and Robben Island in Cape Town, go backpacking in Cambodia for those all-important selfies at the Angkor Wat Temple, or make your way to Reykjavik for dog sledding, whale watching and of course, the Northern Lights.

The world, as they say, is your oyster, and with great new flight connections and family friendly destinations, you can explore the planet with your children, and help them build memories that will last a lifetime.