Why the way you choose matters
In most families and groups, the holiday gets decided by whoever argues longest, whoever's paying or whoever does the booking. The rest go along with it. That's not a disaster, but it means some people's wishes never count, and it's always the same people.
A fair method fixes that. It doesn't guarantee everyone gets their first choice, which is impossible, but it means everyone had the same say and the result belongs to the whole group. Here are the common ways to choose, with what's good and bad about each.
A show of hands
Everyone votes for their favourite and the most votes wins.
- Good: quick and easy to understand.
- Bad: people see each other's votes and change theirs. It also ignores how strongly anyone feels. Three people who'd be fine with a city beat two people who'd hate it.
Best for: a quick choice between two options everyone likes.
Taking turns
Each year, a different person chooses.
- Good: simple, and everyone gets their dream holiday eventually.
- Bad: everyone else might have a holiday they really don't want, and it can be a long wait for your turn in a big family.
Best for: couples or small groups who travel often.
Ranked voting
Everyone ranks the options from favourite to least favourite. You add up the rankings, or knock out the least popular one round by round.
- Good: finds the option most people are happy with, not just the most first choices.
- Bad: it tends to pick the safe middle option that nobody loves, and the counting is fiddly.
Best for: bigger groups of friends with lots of options.
Points
Everyone gets the same number of points, say 10, to spread across the options however they like. The option with the most points wins.
- Good: shows how strongly people feel. Someone who really wants one place can put all their points on it.
- Bad: if everyone can see the points as they go in, people play tactics. Do it in secret.
Best for: families and groups where some people care a lot more than others.
Vetoes
Everyone gets one veto to knock out an option they really can't face.
- Good: stops anyone being dragged somewhere they'd be miserable.
- Bad: on its own, it doesn't pick anything. Use it alongside another method.
Best for: everyone, as an extra on top of points or a draw.
Pulling a name from a hat
Write every option on a piece of paper and draw one out.
- Good: completely fair, quick and fun, and nobody has to win an argument.
- Bad: the least popular idea has the same chance as the most popular one.
Best for: a group happy with every option on the list.
The fairest: points plus a draw
You can get the best of both by combining them. Everyone spreads their points in secret and gets one veto. Then every point becomes a ticket in the hat, and you draw one.
The places the group wants most have the best chance of winning, but nobody's choice is ruled out, and nobody has to argue anyone round. People also find it easier to accept a result from a fair draw than from a vote they lost.
It's what somewhere🎉 does for you: everyone adds ideas and spreads their points in secret, and a departures board reveals the winner. Read more in our guide to how to decide where to go on holiday.