‘Rekindle The Romance’ with easyJet Holidays

Lack of sleep, cooking and household chores are the key reasons shattered parents give for fizzling romance. The new survey of 1,750 parents by easyJet Holidays has revealed that 81% of Mums and Dads believe parenting duties affect the romantic spark, with just 20% going on date nights with their partner.

In a bid to help parents rekindle their romantic spark this Autumn, the travel operator has partnered with Martin and Shirlie Kemp to launch a new ‘Rekindle The Romance’ package deal – which includes couples spa treatments, a romantic dinner for two and champagne on arrival plus more*.

Together since their early 20s, the Kemps were members of two of the world’s biggest bands (Spandau Ballet and Wham) and went on to raise two successful children, musician and singer Harley Moon, 34, and Broadcaster and DJ Roman, 31.

Known for embarrassing their kids with PDAs (public displays of affection), the celebrity couple is looking to help other couples get their romance back on track with a fun instructional video – including tips for prioritising fun, putting the tech away and not taking each other for granted.

Whilst almost all parents (91%) agree that ‘couple time’ is essential for their relationship, more than six in 10 (61%) feel guilty for wanting it.

Between an average of 3 hours a month, watching kids shows, 2 hours clearing up kids’ toys, 1 hour and 45 minutes cleaning up food messes and 3 hours grocery shopping, parents are left with zero energy for romance.

For parents of adult children, they spend over twice as long fielding phone calls (2.05hrs) than they do even thinking about a date night (0.8hrs).

Top 10 parent passion killers:

1. Lack of sleep (43%)
2. Work/life balance (40%)
3. Housework (33%)
4. Entertaining children (27%)
5. Meal planning and prep (24%)
6. My work hours (23%)
7. Messy home (23%)
8. Children sleeping in bed (23%)
9. Keeping up with housework tasks (20%)
10. DIY jobs to do at home (20%)

But parents are keen to reignite the spark, with two-thirds (62%) planning to book a quality mini break together.

Half of couples (49%) admit they are the best versions of themselves on holidays, with 48% taking the time to enjoy a nice meal out together, 40% holding hands more often and 28% taking more time to have in-depth conversations with their partner.

Martin Kemp, said: “It’s so easy to let the romance fizzle, especially when your adult children are calling you every 5 minutes for advice on how to turn on the oven or you’re trying to keep on top of after school activities, playdates, and the never-ending pile of washing up.”

Shirlie Kemp said: “We go on multiple trips a year to stay connected, so we’ve loved partnering with easyJet Holidays on this campaign and sharing how we’ve kept the passion alive for over 36 years.”

Paul Bixby, Chief Commercial Officer at easyJet Holidays, said: “Parents are multitaskers and tend to put the kids first which leaves little room for romance. We’re excited to offer parents the chance to reconnect and reinvigorate their relationships with our Autumn getaways, so couples can truly unwind without the usual distractions of daily life.”

Whilst over a quarter of parents (27%) say the difficulty choosing the right destination puts a spanner in the works, the most popular destinations for a romantic getaway are Sorrento (Italy), Santorini (Greece), Nice (France), Madeira (Portugal) and Algarve (Portugal).