Every father and son deserve quality time together, be it climbing trees, building soapbox racers or some other activity that both parent and child find interesting.

Bonding with a son you see for only a limited amount of time each day can be difficult, which is why Stefan Vogel is so happy to spend a holiday completely alone with his child. “Sporting challenges are particularly good fun, especially when the boy is an adolescent and would like nothing better than to cycle his father into the ground,” the travel agent says with a smile.

Vogel also noticed a gap in the market so expanded the packages offered by his company Wakiya Tours to include parent-child, and in particular father-son holidays. Bettina Boll from Vamos, another travel agency that specialises in parent-child vacations, says that adventure holidays and camping in the wild are popular choices.

“For example, learning to tie knots or simple orienteering are fun activities on our survival course,” she explains. Vogel agrees that outdoor activities are a must for any father-son trip because both want to face different challenges to those dealt with in everyday life. Building a fire, climbing a cliff face or reading animal tracks are just some of the examples.

“Most fathers spend far too little time each day with their children so mastering a challenge together is a truly wonderful experience,” says Boll. The market for father—son holidays is growing due to socio—demographic developments, according to Ralf Olk from the Association for Youth Travel in Berlin. There are more and more single parents, employment pressures are increasing, and there is less and less time for joint pastimes such as playing football. A joint holiday can help make up for this lost time although there is not a wide selection of packages on offer. “Charitable organizations and church congregations generally offer the service,” explains Olk.

Vogel meanwhile has noticed an increase in interest in his service offerings over recent years.

“More and more mothers are getting in contact, looking to orgainize a holiday for their partner and children,” he says. It is not about going to a spectacular travel destination, but rather about the holiday experience.

Children are given the courage to take on new adventures, and a father’s presence helps reduce shyness and fear of ridicule. Most activity camps are designed for fathers with children over the age of six and last for around a week although Vogel is also hoping to offer a package for younger children in the near future.

A son’s interests change around the age of 15 but father-son holidays can still be worthwhile.

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