Travel industry moving fast to meet needs of multigenerational travelers for diverse experiences
12 Trends and Predictions for Family Travel in 2014 from the Experts at Family Travel Consulting
NEW YORK (January 9, 2014) – The American family travel marketplace has evolved from simple and cheap to sophisticated and demanding of better technology, service, food and child-care, according to Eileen Ogintz and Kyle McCarthy from Family Travel Consulting.
“From the yearning for curated experiences to small ship cruising, locavore cuisine and better technological tools, families – who used to be synonymous with cheap — are close behind luxury travelers in their demands,” Ogintz and McCarthy note in their just-published “12 Family Travel Trends and Predictions for 2014.”
“In many ways we trained them, by putting luxury products on sale during a recession and inundating kids with the travel-styles of the rich and famous.”
Among the trends and predictions:
— Childcare Has Gone from Fun to Function; “We predict resorts will have to drop their fees for functional childcare programs – or use them as a value-add — to stay competitive.”
— Food Obsessions Skew Younger, with Kids Demanding Healthy & Interesting Dining Options; “We predict that family travelers will pay more to avoid unhealthy, mediocre food given a choice.”
— Families Demand Technology to Simplify Travel Planning; “We predict busy families will bypass clunky old travel websites to seek out the latest in responsive, time-saving planning and booking tools online.”
— No One Wants an Unplugged Vacation Anymore; “We predict families – with every family member using a different device — will demand fast, cheap connectivity and try digital detoxification on their own terms.”
— Multigenerational Travel Will Get Bigger and More Demanding; “We predict that destinations which work now to exceed multigenerational expectations, can lead this huge new market.”
McCarthy and Ogintz say the reason the travel industry is paying increasing attention to the family travel market is simple – “There are many more of them than any other segment and as the definition of family expands, their numbers keep on growing.”
ABOUT FAMILY TRAVEL CONSULTING:
Kyle McCarthy of Family Travel Forum and Eileen Ogintz of Taking the Kids lead Family Travel Consulting (FTC), the most powerful consulting partnership in the fastest growing segment of the travel and tourism industry. International and domestic destinations, attractions and travel services rely on FTC’s strategic advice, analysis and insights to better meet family market needs; and on the annual TMS Family Travel conferences that FTC co-hosts, to reach key media and social influencers. Seasoned experts committed to making every family vacation a better one, FTC offers an unparalleled network of trusted travel resources, including custom content distributed by leading travel and parenting websites, video, social media channels and e-mail, to reach family vacation planners in the critical research phase.
###
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
