Are We There Yet?: The Arrival of the Family Travel Boom – Skift Travel Podcast

Family travel is the largest segment of U.S. leisure travel, according to a new Skift Research report on U.S. travel trends. The report’s lead author, Senior Research Analyst Varsha Arora, discussed her findings with Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit and Head of Research Seth Borko in this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast.

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Key Points

Family Travel is the Largest U.S. Leisure Segment: Family travel makes up the biggest portion of U.S. leisure travel, constituting around 40% of trips. Key motivations for this are family bonding, investing in shared experiences, and educational benefits for children.

Multi-Generational Travel is on the Rise: Nearly 46% of family travel involves multiple generations (parents, kids, grandparents). Celebratory milestones and increased accessibility to multi-generational travel options, such as diverse accommodation and travel activities, contribute to this trend.

Short-Term Rentals and Larger Accommodations: Families increasingly opt for short-term rentals (around 14% of family trips), especially for large groups, due to the flexibility of having everyone stay together. However, hotels still dominate as the primary accommodation choice for family travelers.

Domestic, Short-Duration Trips: Most family trips are domestic (93%) and relatively short, typically lasting between 1 to 5 days. Large cities are favored due to accessibility, but some families also seek smaller towns and countryside destinations.

Planning Challenges and Key Interests: Common challenges for families include coordinating schedules, budgeting, and balancing different activity preferences. Popular family travel activities include culinary tours, entertainment like concerts and festivals, and enjoying nature.

Episode Summary

In the latest episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Sarah Kopit, Seth Borko, and Varsha Arora discuss the findings of our research on family travel trends in the U.S. The report highlights that family travel now makes up the largest segment of U.S. leisure travel, accounting for 44% of the market.

The key motivations behind family trips are bonding and creating shared experiences, with a focus on educational opportunities for children. A significant trend in family travel is multigenerational trips, where parents, children, and grandparents travel together, comprising 46% of all family vacations. Arora explains that the growth of vacation rentals has facilitated this, as large groups prefer shared spaces for flexibility. Culinary tours, entertainment, and nature-focused trips are among the most popular activities for family vacations.

Challenges for families looking to travel together include coordinating schedules, managing budgets, and catering to diverse preferences within the group. Family travelers tend to self-book their trips, with 65% doing so without a travel agent. Finally, 46% of families expect to spend more on travel in the coming year, signaling continued growth in this segment.