Family travel holds tremendous value and relevance in people’s lives as it creates memorable milestones and enriches relationships with people who matter most.
A family vacation may vary from one household to another but in essence the purpose of going on holiday with your loved ones remains profoundly similar for one and all.
There are numerous emerging trends that as evolving rapidly within this segment, across the world. Here are some insights and observations that will allow you to define and align with the changing needs and dynamics within this key segment.
It’s a social affair
Families are planning holidays with other families to make their holidays more socially engaging and getting all their children to experience places and do new things, together. This means parents are planning holidays much in advance to ensure they can all meet each other’s collective expectations for a perfect holiday.
They are also looking at non-hotel accommodation, large villa rentals with staff are in demand across Asia and this trend will continue to grow as people spend more time researching options and find ways to make the most of their time and money.
Hotels and resorts need to consider how to create the perfect large family packages with original and engaging experiences for children. Parents want the best for their kids so start from there and the rest will make sense to them.
Grand-parents are paying to watch their grand-children playing
We live in an era where people move away from where they grew up – not just up the street but to different cities, countries or even continents. Imagine this: Scottish grandparents living in Glasgow, while their oldest, lives in Paris with his wife and two kids, and their youngest lives in Dubai with her husband and son. The grandparents are eager to bring the family together so they decide to plan the holiday and pay for everyone – they look at short-haul options to save precious time and decide that everyone will meet in Greece for a week.
Families are spread apart but don’t necessarily want to grow apart. Multi-generational travel is often driven by the grandparents and their desire to stay connected to the third generation. They prefer resorts because they offer convenience and flexibility and there’s something for everyone.
The challenge is that you cannot book rooms easily for 6 adults and three children directly on a hotel’s website – the functionalities are cumbersome, it’s hard to find the ideal packages or room categories, where people can select adjoining rooms while booking.
This is where grandparents will rely on their trusted travel agent and there’s a clear opportunity for hotels to find ways to engage with these potential guests directly.
Who said we have to wait until summer?
Juggling long hours, deadlines, targets and work travel can suck the life out of parents, leaving them perpetually guilt-ridden as they figure out how to do best by their children, because that’s what every parent wants to be – the best for their kids.
The upside is that companies are evolving, offering their employees flexible vacation terms and the option to work from home. People are also no longer tied to their desks and can punch into their mobile devices to stay in touch with their companies.
This has resulted in a trend where long weekends have become the ideal excuse for a family adventure. Whether it’s a staycation or vacation, people are willing to jump on a short flight and spend two to three days in new places. If you live in Dubai, then a quick trip to Sri Lanka, Oman, India, Kazakhstan (believe it or not), Georgia and other destinations are all solid options for them to choose from.
Hotels and resorts could offer more unified ‘off-property’ experiences. Stay with us and the theatre tickets come for free or get fast-tracked at the theme park. Partnerships are pivotal to the success of the perfect weekend package.
Key takeaways
- Families are looking for non-hotel accommodation options and large villa rentals are becoming very attractive alternatives.
- Families are travelling with other families – larger group packages with added benefits for children would encourage bookings.
- Travel Agents will continue to hold the keys to your rooms so work closely with them to ensure they have relevant and insightful information about your offers.
- Flash sales will drive impulse travel bookings – tactical campaigns will last 3 days.
- Families want experiences – offer them.
- Offer better group packages for multi-generational travel.
