Best Western and "The Travel Mom" Offer Family Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season.

PHOENIX -- Get away for the holidays or stay put and welcome family and friends into your home: It's an annual dilemma, and this year is no exception, according to the results of a recently released Best Western International Holiday Travel Poll conducted by Harris Interactive.

For respondents hitting the roads or slopes this month, rising costs, crying babies and boredom top the list of holiday travel concerns, while those playing host to relatives and other loved ones fret about "cleaning up" and "crowded conditions" in their home.

The good news, according to noted family travel expert and author Emily Kaufman, best known as "The Travel Mom," is that a little planning will go a long way toward creating wonderful holiday memories.

"The key to a great holiday vacation is actually threefold: be prepared, be flexible and be realistic," explains Kaufman. "Since many experts are predicting heavier-than-normal traffic this season, expect delays and downtime, whether you're in the airport or on the road. With some advance work, parents can create a fun and adventurous atmosphere during the trip, no matter what the circumstance."

To limit holiday travel stress, Kaufman suggests that parents:

* Familiarize their children with standard airport expectations and procedures, such as long lines and extensive airport security measures, before leaving for the trip. For example, explaining that police officers are at the airport for safety reasons rather than because something bad has happened will help keep them calm.

* Expect downtime, as flights could be delayed and traffic is heavier than normal. Arm children with a "boredom bag," which can be filled with pocket games, books and special toys to pass the time.

* Help reduce stress and conflict, if traveling to a family member's home, by reminding children to follow house rules, even if they differ from their own.

Finally, Kaufman notes that whether playing host or guest over the holidays, a hotel for one or two nights can be both a practical and psychological solution for families faced with cramped quarters and a lack of personal space - or perhaps a line for the bathroom that is longer than security at the airport.

"It's natural to feel compelled to bunk with family during the holidays, but staying at a local, affordable hotel helps prevent overcrowding and reduces stress, all without breaking the bank," adds Kaufman.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Best Western International between November 3 and 7, 2006 among 2,287 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age within gender, race/ethnicity, education and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. The overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. Sampling error based on sub-samples may be higher and would vary. This online sample is not a probability sample.

ABOUT THE TRAVEL MOM

As The Travel Mom, Emily Kaufman produces a monthly advice column for Best Western International on its Web site, www.bestwestern.com - an exclusive within the hotel chain category. Providing helpful hints and suggestions that focus on family/leisure trips, she covers a wide range of topics geared to women and the many roles they play as the primary travel planner - wife, sister, friend, businessperson and mom. Now in her second decade addressing the questions and concerns of vacationers, Kaufman also serves as a regular guest on national television programs including ABC's Good Morning America and The View. Her first book, The Travel Mom's Ultimate Book of Family Travel: Planning, Surviving and Enjoying Your Vacation Together, was published by Broadway Books earlier this year.

ABOUT BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL

Best Western International is celebrating its 60th Anniversary as a membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its members. Growing from a string of roadside motels starting in 1946 Long Beach, Calif., to THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN[R] with more than 4,200 hotels in 80 countries, Best Western is one of the industry's most endearing iconic brands. For more information, please visit www.bestwestern.com.