PADI and Family Travel Association Join Together to Broaden Travel Pursuits

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Aug. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to bringing kids and parents together, there's nothing quite like a family vacation to fashion new experiences and a lifetime of memories. In fact, Rainer Jenss, PADI Open Water Diver and president and founder of Family Travel Association (FTA) believes, "sharing the world with your children is one of the best gifts you can give them." A partner of FTA, PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) cultivates its own path for families to explore the world through adventure and travel, inviting children as young as eight years of age to begin their scuba journey. Together, these organizations are helping to inspire families to travel the world and build lasting memories together.

"Our partnership with Family Travel Association is a testament to the importance we place on family travel, particularly because of the positive impact diving has on family chemistry and communication between parents and children," said Kristin Valette, chief marketing and business development officer, PADI Worldwide. "PADI is a family itself—made up of thousands of divers who range in age, interest and abilities—and we are committed to uniting all of our divers under a common desire of exploring all that the ocean has to offer. We hope that our partnership with FTA will strengthen family dynamics by inspiring more families to travel and dive together."

To support this mission, Family Travel Association shares its tips for changing the way families travel, courtesy of Jenss and the FTA blog:

• Broaden your travel dreams—Many parents believe that once kids are in the picture they should slow down on travel adventures; however, having children acts as an additional way to broaden experiences and knowledge of the world around them.
• Use travel as a learning tool—Experiencing new cultures, sites and activities opens your eyes to important knowledge. Take advantage of unfamiliar territory, like diving, which teaches important life skills like attention to detail, team work and self-confidence.
• Dive into nature—Nature is all around and it's free! Some of the best activities around the world involve stepping outside and exploring. Diving is just one way to see new life and marvel at the world's most beautiful oceans.
• Disconnect and reconnect—Take this valuable time to learn about each other. Turn off the cell phones, log off email and instead, ask questions, try new things and enjoy, as a group.
• Embrace challenges—Oftentimes, the most incredible experiences are those that are unplanned and from the surface can appear to be intimidating. For example, obtaining your scuba certification is something many people fear; however, it provides a lifetime of recreation that is transformational.

"I launched the Family Travel Association to change the way families travel—charting a path for future generations of travelers we hope to inspire," said Jenss. "Getting PADI certified didn't just change my life, it's really impacted my boys as well. For two kids who have literally traveled around the world, they now prefer going to places where we can go diving together."

FTA will host its annual Summit in Tucson, AZ, on October 22 through 26. This year, PADI will proudly sponsor the conference to bring family travel experts, industry leaders and media together to further personal development and knowledge in the space. For more information on Family Travel Association's Summit 2016, visit www.familytravel.org/summit/. For more information on PADI, visit www.padi.com.

About the Family Travel Association

The Family Travel Association (FTA) was established in 2014 to mobilize the global travel industry around the large – and fast-growing – market for family travel. The organization is connecting the world's leading travel suppliers, destinations, media brands, and influencers into a global network to grow the market by inspiring families to travel. By harnessing the collective power and influence of its members, the FTA is educating travelers, the media, and travel agents on the variety of options families have when planning their vacations and what transformational benefits travel offers families. familytravel.org  

About PADI

Celebrating 50 years of growth and success, PADI^® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors^®) is the world's largest recreational diver training organization. With more than 6,300 dive centers and resorts and 136,000 PADI Professionals worldwide dedicated to introducing new divers to the thrill of scuba diving and enhancing the skills of experienced divers, PADI is the way the world learns to dive. Having issued nearly 25 million certifications since inception, PADI makes underwater exploration and adventure accessible to the public while maintaining the highest industry standards for dive training, safety and customer service. Committed to the conservation and preservation of our ocean, with every diver certification issued PADI also creates a growing number of ocean ambassadors to help defend and preserve the marine environment for generations to come. For more information, visit www.padi.com.

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