Parents, grandparents, children — they’re all invited when it comes to a multigenerational family vacation. While booking this type of trip is similar to planning standard family vacations in many ways, it can also feel like an entirely different ballgame when it comes to adding extra family members.
Will all the kids be staying in their parents’ room? Is the property accessible for Grandma’s wheelchair? Does the destination have enough activities to keep all ages happy? Can everyone fit in one airport transfer? Is one family member paying for everyone?
Navigating a multigenerational family trip can be tricky with all the different pieces to take care of, but it’s also so rewarding to have a hand in making these vacation dreams come true for everyone involved.
If you’re eager to learn more about what’s trending in multigenerational family travel right now, read on to see where families are going and what they’re interested in — in addition to some useful tips from the pros.
Family Travel Trends
It appears the meaning of the term “family” is evolving, and all are welcome these days. Travelers are inviting anyone and everyone close to them along for the ride.
“Clients are being more inclusive about what ‘family’ means to them,” said Jessica Riediger, travel advisor at Vincent Vacations. “They’re inviting in-laws, childhood friends and more for big trips that they can all enjoy and spend time together. These are people that they spend time with at the holidays, raise their children together, grew up with one another or are close enough friends that they’re considered family.”
In addition to expanding the members of the group, Kathy Barkauskas, concierge vacation planner at Teddy Bear Travel, is seeing families checking off their bucket list trips.
“We are seeing the ‘once in a lifetime’ types of trips that many people are taking rolling over into multigenerational travel as well,” she said. “So trips to Alaska, Europe or Australia, places that many consider adventurous or exotic, are at the top of people's list in addition to the more traditional group cruises or theme park vacations.”
Destinations in Demand
The bucket list trip mentality certainly still seems to be spanning all types of travelers, as if they haven’t quite shaken that feeling the pandemic gave them of being trapped inside their own homes.
In a survey on VAX VacationAccess earlier this year, travel advisors listed several trending family destinations that would fall under the “bucket list” category. Some of the emerging European countries mentioned were Greece, Italy and Iceland. The West African country of Ghana also proved popular, along with Belize and Dubai.
In addition to seeing all-inclusive resorts in popular vacation areas along with Disney being booked among her multigenerational family, Riediger’s clients are also interested in destinations they haven’t been to before.
“This year I’m seeing families enjoying adventurous destinations together — Alaska cruises and cruise tours are very popular with my multigenerational families this year. It’s a bucket list destination for everyone with plenty of activities for all age groups and interests,” Riediger said.
However, Barkauskas points out that in addition to bucket list trips, the go-to vacation spots remain in demand.
“Traditional destinations are still very popular. We are still seeing a lot of all-inclusive resorts, cruises and theme park destinations. We have seen the scope expand though to include places like Europe, specifically a lot of London and Paris for the family groups,” Barkauskas said.
Tips for Success
So, what should you keep in mind when booking multigenerational travel? The general consensus and top tip seem to be choosing a point person, someone who is easy to get ahold of and who is going to be responsible for sharing updates with the whole group and finalizing details.
“Find out who the group decision maker is,” Riediger said. “It’s so easy to get lost in the weeds with many different opinions and voices. Narrow communication to one or two people and help them craft an itinerary or options that they then present to the group.”
Not only can this person help keep the planning on track, but they are usually the person either paying for the vacation or keeping everyone else on track with payments.
In addition to having a group leader, Barkauskas suggests having a group meeting at the start, so everyone is on the same page. She also points out that not all family dynamics are a walk in the park, and while you may be hearing about some of the inside drama, “it's your job to stay neutral.”
Barkauskas aims to book vacations that can bring everyone together but also satisfy the various group members’ needs. All-inclusive resorts and cruises allow multiple family members to do things together but also separately, and guided tours offer a sense of organization without too much work from the travelers.
“I like to suggest travel styles that make it easy to keep everyone together and connected,” Barkauskas said. “After all, the whole point of a family vacation is taking the time to connect with your family in a way that you can't do at home.”
Originally appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of The Compass magazine.
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