Almost half of Brits who have travelled abroad with children encourage children to try the local cuisine in restaurants, new research from Villa Plus suggests, but restaurants need to do more to cater for families.

The poll explored families' attitudes to mealtimes while abroad, including the issues with catering for kids on holiday.

It revealed children's menus were near the top of the list of things people struggle to get while in restaurants abroad, with 22% of those who travel with children saying that these had been issues in the past.

Also high on the list of items respondents struggled to find were nutritional information (26%), hygiene ratings (25%) and menus catering for special dietary requirements (21%).

Travellers holidaying with younger children appear to run into additional problems, with more than one in ten saying that they have struggled to find high chairs (14%) or baby food facilities (15%)

However, despite the challenges with eating out on holiday, the poll revealed that many people who travel abroad with children use it as an opportunity to broaden their culinary horizons.

Almost half (44%) of those who holiday with children said they encourage them to try the local cuisine while in restaurants abroad.

Taking a break from the normal routine also allows travellers to make more time for eating together; 28% of those holidaying abroad with children said they eat together as a family more while on their break than they do at home.

Commenting on the findings, Simon Lifford, Head of Sales and UK Operations at Villa Plus, said: “Eating out with kids can be a challenge even at home, but it can get more complicated when you head overseas.

“Our research shows that many people who travel with children can have issues getting facilities they need to dine with little ones, and suggests restaurants in overseas resorts need to do more to cater for families. It also reveals what a challenge it can be finding food if you have any special dietary requirements.

“Staying in a villa gives you the flexibility to eat out or stay in and have a family meal in the comfort of a private dining room or patio. Many resorts have well-stocked markets where you can buy local produce so eating in doesn't mean missing out on local specialities.

“Many of our villas also include a dishwasher too, so you can cook and take a week off from the washing up!”

Overall, the poll found 55% of UK adults make an effort to try local cuisine in restaurants while abroad and 33% said they are more adventurous with their food on holiday.

Villa Plus's top tips for visiting restaurants with children:

●     Make an effort to get children used to unfamiliar foods before you travel so it's not a new experience when they're served it on holiday

●     Try to keep the time of meals the same as at home to avoid too much of a break from the normal routine

●     Do your homework; research restaurants before you head abroad and use the knowledge of the in-resort team to find those which are family friendly

●     Choose places that cook their food to order and avoid buffets; this way you can be sure the food is fresh and they're more likely to make any changes for fussy eaters

●     Always have a back-up; make sure you have some familiar snacks on hand for those times when kids refuse to eat their restaurant meal

ENDS

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2,390 adults, of which 1,006 have travelled or been in restaurants abroad with children. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3rd - 4th July 2014.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).