Bringing Everyone! Multigenerational Travel Trends
Rugrats, Octogenarians, and Everyone In Between
Once upon a time, you took an all-inclusive trip to get away from your extended family, not get closer to them! But these days, with quality time with your loved ones being harder and harder to come by, multigenerational travel is fast becoming the most popular trend in the industry.
Beyond mashing up your travel plans to fit everyone from babies, teens, parents, grandparents and even pets (just kidding, that’s multi-species travel!), what exactly is multi-generational travel and how will it affect your next trip? Glad you asked, read on for six multigenerational travel trends to look for in 2017.
It's All About the Kids
1. Kids Rule! Always the Right Time for Playtime
When it comes to multigenerational travel, the variety of scope of offerings for children is often the driving factor for families. After all, no resort or destination has a chance in the face of a bored or unruly child. And more than that, parents, and especially grandparents, often have the most fun just watching the younger members of their brood enjoy themselves.
That’s why resorts like Moon Palace Jamaica take such care to provide all manner of entertainment options for young kids, teens and everyone in between with water play amenities, teen arcades and amazingly intricate playrooms. But not even that is enough, as others like The Grand at Moon Palace Cancun build entire water parks for kids.
It’s important to remember though, that just having options for kids is not enough. You have to create experiences with them. A playroom with a karaoke machine could be fun for your kids, but it will become an unforgettable experience for them if you try belting out a Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift song. Check out this article that finds that not even toys can compare with the benefits of a family vacation. Oh and by the way, there is absolutely no excuse for not bringing children and teens (up to 17) along on your Palace Resorts vacation. They go for free!
2. Reconnect by Disconnecting
The Travel Current is a big believer in the digital world; after all we wouldn’t be here without it. But we also understand that there are times and places to put away our electronic gadgets. And that goes for vacations as well. Believe it or not, some studies find that older generations have a harder time putting away their smartphones than much-maligned millenials. That same study found that more than half of Americans connect better with their families on vacation when they are “unplugged.”
Where To Go and How To Eat?
3. Caribbean King, Queen and Court
Though multigenerational travel might be a worldwide phenomenon, it is definitely focused in large part on the Caribbean and Mexico. A study from the Family Travel Association (FTA) found that those destinations promise to be the most popular in 2017. That shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the high number of all-inclusive resorts in those destinations that cater to all members of the multigenerational travel group.
4. Food for Families
Eating together and dining experiences are becoming part of what families focus on during multigenerational travel. From exploring local fruits, veggies and dishes to enjoying all the restaurant offerings of your resort, meals provide the perfect setting to bring together all members of the family, just like the dinner table at home. Most even cater to the pickiest of the bunch.
Tying the Knot and Experiencing History
5. Weddings and Families
Destination weddings could be considered the precursor to the multigenerational travel trend – they always bring multiple generations to celebrate – but lately honeymoons and anniversaries have joined the fray to extend the party. Along with the increased popularity of destination weddings, couples are now extending the invite to include honeymoons and anniversaries, meaning more family members and more trips. And more party favors!
6. Exploring New Cultures and History
An increasingly demanding and active travel market has extended their preferences into multigenerational travel market and that means they want more from their getaways. Not only are relaxation, pampering and fun prerequisites, but so is learning about native cultures and history of areas visited.
More than 50% of parents want their children to learn and experience history and local culture on their trip. That means that excursions to historical ruins like Chichen Itza, visiting local markets and doing things unique to a particular destination should be at the top of your itinerary.
