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 popstars 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.  

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 Capital FM DJ and TV presenter 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: “We understand that parents are often putting the kids first which can leave little room for romance. With less than a quarter of British parents having regular date nights, it’s clear that a romantic Autumn getaway for parents to spend quality time together, in one of Europe’s most loved destinations, is the perfect way to rekindle the romance.”

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 (Spain) and Algarve (Portugal).

To watch Martin and Shirlie’s top tips for romance and find out more information on the Rekindling the Romance package you can visit www.easyjet.com/en/holidays/campaigns/rekindling-romance

Visit www.easyjet.com/en/holidays to book your 2024/2025 package holiday at the best value. 

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact the easyJet Holidays press office at easyjetholidays@taylorherring.com / 020 8206 5151.

The top five destinations for parents to escape to:

1. Sorrento, Italy: With its charming town and views of Mount Vesuvius, it offers something for every couple.
2. Santorini, Greece: With its beautiful beaches and warm climate, it's perfect for couples looking to relax and reconnect.
3. Nice, France: With a rich cultural heritage and the capital of the Riviera, it’s perfect for making new memories together.
4. Madeira, Portugal: Known for its subtropical climate, unique landscapes and traditions, it's a top choice for couples.
5. Algarve, Portugal: Offering a blend of stunning coastlines and charming towns, it's ideal for romantic getaways.

About easyJet Holidays:

easyJet holidays, which launched in 2019, is one of the major players in the tour operator industry, having taken almost 2 million people away in 2023. It offers great-value beach, city and lakes holidays to over 7000 hotels, in more than 100 destinations across Europe, directly through its website and through over 5000 travel agent partners. The ATOL-protected holidays can be secured with a deposit of just £60 per person, including flights, hotel, 23kg luggage and transfers on beach holidays. easyJet holidays is a member of ABTA, and all packages are covered by its Ultimate Flexibility, offering freedom to change a booking, a refund guarantee, and best price guarantee. In 2024 the holiday provider also started operating from Switzerland, France and Germany. 

Winners of the Sustainable Future Award at the Globe Travel Awards, easyJet holidays’ sustainability strategy, ‘Holiday Better’, focuses on three key pillars – create better holiday choices which is about making sustainable travel affordable and accessible to everyone; keep our holidays special which is maximising the benefits and minimising the negative impacts of travel and tourism, and transform travel for everyone which means embedding sustainability into business decisions and behaviours and driving meaningful change in the industry. The tour operator has partnered with UN Tourism to help develop the first environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework for tourism businesses, co-designing a measurement tool that is meaningful and feasible for better monitoring how tourism businesses impact, and depend on, people, planet and prosperity. 

easyJet holidays has been named one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work2023 and 2024, as well as being named one of the Best Workplaces in Travel 2023.