In this issue of FourThought, we focus on a family trip to China and highlight the aspects of ultra-luxury travel, private aviation, medical care, and personal security that have been tailored specifically to the family’s needs as they travel together to Beijing and Shanghai.

Points to remember when planning a family trip to China:

Travel — Your choice of guide will be the most important determinant of what you learn and what you get out of your trip to China. Select a combination of specialist guides ranging from western economists to local artists to insure that your family’s personal interests are the organizing structure of your itinerary.

Private Jet Charter – Limited infrastructure and a burdensome permit process make flying privately to China somewhat challenging. However, utilizing FBOs such as Jet Aviation in Beijing and Hawker Pacific in Shanghai will help ensure that your airport experience is optimal.

Medicine – Prepare for your trip by planning for the medical problems that you can anticipate. You should not expect that you will make good decisions during an emergency, or receive good local advice or medical care in the event of an injury or illness. Bring the medicine and medical supplies that you will need, and know how you will replace them if they are lost or depleted.

Security – Do not take your mobile phone or laptop with you to China. The solution is to travel with loaner devices which should be wiped clean before and after the trip. Never type a password directly into a device while you’re in China.

Read the full TJMS White Paper here to learn more.

This issue of FourThought explores the questions which arose for a multigenerational family — questions about ultraluxury travel, private aviation, emergency medical care, and personal security — as they planned a trip to Tanzania for a safari on the Serengeti Plain. In a trip designed personally for the family, each element of the trip has been tailored to the requirements of all three generations as they travel together.

Points to remember when planning a multigenerational family safari in Tanzania:

Travel — Time your trip so that you’re in the Serengeti Plain at the same time as the annual great migration. This is the world’s greatest wildlife spectacle. Choose two types of accommodation. Take over a luxury safari lodge for the exclusive use of your family during your first few days. Follow that with several days in a mobile tented camp that will enable you to be close to the heart of the migration. Look beyond Tanzania’s Serengeti for other opportunities to learn and fulfill your family’s educational and philanthropic goals.

Private Jet Charter – A trip of this length requires making the right decisions about aircraft type and the many logistical issues presented by such a long flight. A Gulfstream G550 and Cessna Caravan II F406 are the right aircraft for the Wilson’s trip. Runway length, immigration and customs facilities, refueling, crew change, and keeping the aircraft stocked with fresh (and appropriate) food and beverages are just some of the issues to address correctly in order to make the flight as quick, safe, and comfortable as possible.

Medicine – Before taking a trip to Tanzania, a family needs to address the challenge of disease prevention and medical event management with a Global Emergency Medicine team. There is no reason that a multigenerational family cannot enjoy a healthy safari in Tanzania, but, in order to do so, the family needs to prepare. Get advice on immunizations and malaria prophylactics. Take care with what you eat and drink while there. Take a supply of common over-the counter medications. And — if you have a pre-existing condition like the senior Mr. Wilson’s heart problems — get the right medical professional to advise you on how to manage this condition while you’re traveling.

Security – Begin planning for your security on the trip on the same day that you begin planning the trip. A trip to a country with limited in-country response capabilities for security incidents will require your own private security arrangements. A trip of this nature — with arrival and departure, in-country travel, accommodation, and safari drive security concerns — will require a team of at least two very experienced security professionals who arrive at the destination ahead of the family. They will need the proper equipment, as well as the experience to know how to conduct the advance work, protect the family once they arrive, and respond appropriately to any incidents which may occur.

Read the full TJMS White Paper here to learn more.

For many affluent families, the regular family meeting is an important cornerstone of the family’s governance and dynamics. Families — either on their own or with the professional assistance of one of their advisors — will arrange and facilitate these family retreats on a periodic basis. The agenda of the meeting may include some combination of the following family concerns — communication, governance, education, legacy, values, and philanthropy. The objective of many affluent families is to create a cohesive and lasting legacy that survives multiple generations. Regular family meetings can enable a family to achieve this goal.

Points to remember when planning a family meeting at a foreign destination:

Travel: Holding a family meeting at an overseas destination can demonstrate the importance of the meeting to the family and its legacy. Travel can turn an ordinary meeting into an important benchmark and create memories that will sustain the family. It can also enable the family to impart values, strengthen its legacy, educate the next generation, and engage in hands-on philanthropic activities as a family.

Private Jet Charter: Ensure that the aircraft you charter satisfies all FAA safety requirements. Utilize child restraint systems when needed, and secure your children during the entire flight. Keeping children hydrated, entertained, and well rested will help minimize jet lag and irritability.

Medicine: See a travel medicine specialist before traveling overseas with your family. Take with you a first aid kit, over-the counter medications you frequently use, extra prescription medications, and copies of your prescriptions.

Security: Incorporate security, safety, and emergency preparedness into all aspects of an overseas trip for a family meeting. Give the family a detailed report on any potential risks they might face while traveling and while at their destination as well as a comprehensive plan to deal with each of these risks.

Read the full TJMS White Paper here to learn more.

No other human activity equals purposeful travel for its ability to teach us, and to enrich our lives and those of our family. It’s a unique gift that we can give to our families which will strengthen the family, protect its legacy, and contribute to sustaining the family and its wealth. It can make us better people and give us more meaningful lives. And it can be so much fun.

Read the full TJMS White Paper here to learn more.