‘Skip-Gen’ Travel Takes Off as Grandparents Seek to Bond With Grandkids

Skip-gen travel, the new buzzword for grandparents and grandkids traveling together without the parents, is nothing new. You could even apply it to the Disneyland trip I took with my grandmother in 1962. What’s changed is that there are demographic and societal shifts making skip-gen travel an increasingly important niche for travel advisors.

The influx of boomers reaching retirement age means there are more grandparents out there with the time and money to travel. Not only do they tend to be more active than their own grandparents were, but they are less likely to see their heavily scheduled grandkids on a regular basis. Traveling provides the kind of bonding time that doesn’t usually happen at Thanksgiving or other family gatherings.

Travel advisors have a valuable role to play in facilitating skip-gen travel, which comes with its own set of challenges. Seeking input from the kids as well as the grandparents is crucial. Finding experiences that take into account mobility issues, as well as kids’ interests, may also take some digging. Fortunately, more suppliers, including adventure companies, are providing them.

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— Maria Lenhart, Travel Advisor Editor

Featured Story

‘Skip-Gen’ Vacations Are a New Family Travel Offshoot for Travel Advisors: “Skip-gen” travel involving grandparents and grandchildren is an important market for travel advisors to pay attention to. Not only are grandparents more active these days, many see travel as a rare bonding opportunity with grandchildren.

Hotels

Hilton Launches New Brand Tempo Into a Crowded Lifestyle Space: Hilton has introduced its 18th brand. Tempo by Hilton is meant to be an affordable lifestyle brand for the modern traveler. But with so many lifestyle brands already out there, how will Tempo be able to stand out?

MGM Resorts Enters Deal With Private Equity Giant Blackstone: MGM Resorts has agreed to sell two of its most notable Las Vegas properties, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay, to a joint venture including real estate giant Blackstone. The company is going asset-light following its sale of the Bellagio last year.

Wellness

Are Hotels Ready for Wellness Certification? As the new decade begins, it’s becoming more apparent to the travel industry that the well-being of the individual is intrinsically tied to the well-being of the environment. That’s why we are starting to see hospitality companies looking into getting certified for wellness.

Business Travel

Premier Inn Owner Whitbread Wants a Closer Relationship With Corporate Travel Agents: In a tougher operating environment, it makes sense to look at new ways to attract more business. Whitbread has been one of the few hotel chains to totally ignore online travel agents in the past. Now it is signaling a change in strategy at least for corporate customers.

Planes, Trains and Beds

A Wish List for Hospitality and Travel in 2020: In 2020, the stakes for innovation and being customer-centric are higher than ever. Here are some gaps, opportunities, and much-needed prescriptions to improve travel and hospitality.

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Skift Travel Advisor Editor Maria Lenhart [[email protected]] curates the Skift Travel Advisor Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Tuesday. Have a story idea? Or a juicy news tip? Want to share a memo? Send her an email.