And let it howl, run everywhere, cry and have no notion of the concepts of decibels or community… Let anyone who has never sighed when they saw four children climb into his TGV car or curses the heavens to be seated in the restaurant next to a very noisy brat throws the first stone at us.
But good news for all the misanthropes who will recognize themselves, the possibility of being only between adults is in the process of democratization in the leisure and transport sector. Latest example: the Turkish-Dutch airline Corendon Airlines, first operator on European soil to take the plunge, offers areas of the aircraft reserved for over 16s. An option already adopted by several Asian companies, including AirAsia X, Malaysia Airlines or Scoot.
The individualization of holidays and leisure
Closer to the ground, more and more hotels refuse kids. According to the German site Urlaud Ohne Kinder (literally, and with efficiency, “holidays without children”), 1,544 establishments of this kind are listed in the world, against 682 in 2016. The skies, the room, and even the plate. One in ten Belgian restaurants prohibits the presence of children, according to sector figures quoted by TF1.
This breakthrough is part of a more general trend. “The individualization of society, but also of our holidays. Self-segregation has become an important value, and we no longer want to be upset by people who are different from us,” argues Elisabeth Tissier-Desbordes, professor of economics at ESCP and specialist in consumer behavior. “And then non-family leave became more democratic: holidays with friends, holidays for seniors, couples without children…”.
The child, less in the norm
With the exception of emerging countries and Indo-Pakistan, toddlers are generally rarer on the planet. In 1960, 37% of the world’s population was between 0 and 14 years old, according to United Nations data*. A figure now estimated at 25%. And the rate is even lower in most of the most developed countries. In 1960, 26% of French people were aged between 0 and 14, compared to 17.5% in 2021. The same dizzying fall in the United States (from 30.7 to 18.2%) or in China (from 39.8% at 17.6%). “Over the decades, the child has gone from being ultra consensual to less than normal,” illustrates Sandra Hoibian, director of the Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions (Credoc).
Beyond this demographic decline, it has partly deserted the public space, continues the specialist: “Children spend much more time at home than in the past, due to the explosion of digital entertainment but also of a more cautious and suspicious society on the outside. Gone are the days of kids playing alone outside the house unsupervised for hours on end. Clearly, “we have lost the habit of being around children, and we therefore support their character less,” says Sandra Hoibian. The child remains in the background, concludes the expert: “Social spaces are designed to tolerate them, but are not designed for them. This can make their presence difficult. »
An economic opportunity for the sector
This withdrawal gave rise, according to Elisabeth Tissier-Desbordes, “a whole movement more and more assumed and tolerated which affirms the choice not to want children, but also that of living far from them or not to appreciate their company”.
It is therefore difficult for tourism not to see it as a superb opportunity, according to Danièle Küss, tourism expert and former head of the International Tourism Development Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “It makes it possible to stand out from the competition. There is no need to make any changes to a hotel, restaurant and plane to make it ‘child-free-compatible’”.
And if it costs nothing for the establishment, it can bring him a lot. Price of “Adult only” at Corendon Airlines? At least 45 euros more than the normal fare for a one-way ticket. Not even need to inflate the prices to inflate the profits: to exclude the children, it is to get rid of the less spendthrift customers.
The presence of children still largely “tolerated”
Barring a major sociological and demographic reversal, the formula should therefore “extend to more establishments and experience some success. It’s an attractive niche and it will continue to be so,” analyzes Danièle Küss. From there to becoming a majority? “It is an epiphenomenon”, expressly tempers Dominique Desjeux, anthropologist of consumption. Especially since the “adult only” can please and displease at the same time. The anthropologist develops: “A person may very well want a train without children to telecommute, but then want to meet children at their vacation spot. In the end, the overwhelming majority of hotels on the planet accept children. In Europe, Corendon Airlines’ offer is far from being emulated. Asked by the Dutch media Nu.nl, TUI, KLM and Transavia said they were not considering the “Adult Only” model.
And in France, the trend is even weaker. Only a dozen hotels practice “adult only”, for more than 17,000 establishments. Count around twenty campsites and zero possibilities by train or plane. As for the restaurant? It is forbidden to refuse to provide a service to a client without a legitimate reason, recalls the UFC Que-choisir. The fact of not wanting to admit young children into his establishment is a discriminatory reason, punishable by five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros.
You will have understood: you might as well arm yourself with courage, because you risk hearing the kids bawling for a long time. Good patience to you, read again The social contract and remember that they will pay your pensions.