IMAGE: GETTY
cover story | family travel
GAME generation
With more US families traveling internationally than ever before, Ben Lerwill puts the spotlight on where to go and why
THE WORDS ‘FAMILY travel’ mean different things to different people. One family’s fly- and-flop break to the Caribbean is another’s educational jaunt around Europe. But whether you’re on a cruise ship, a package vacation or a national park campsite, one basic truth prevails: family travel is big business. Long-established family spots are performing
strongly. For 2014, Orlando announced annual visitor numbers of 62 million, an all-time record. Te likes of Hawaii have also recorded year-on- year increases of arrivals from both US West and US East. At the same time, however, family travelers are increasingly looking further afield. “Domestic travel dominates the family
travel marketplace for Americans,” says Emily Kaufman, a leisure travel expert and regular TV spokesperson who works under the name Te Travel Mom. “However, there are more people choosing to visit international destinations than ever before.” Staci Blunt, owner of Vacation Visions, shares
this view. “Te families I book are branching out internationally,” she says. “Specifically to destinations that are usually deemed safe. US family travelers want a safe vacation above
66 | ASTAnetwork | fall 2015
all. Once that factor is met, they’re seeking destinations that aren’t outrageously expensive, have cultural options where they can teach their children something, and also give the chance to let their hair down.” As examples, she mentions everywhere from Western Europe and Mexico to the Dominican Republic and Australia. Multi-generational travel is also on the rise.
A survey into 2015 travel trends by AARP — a membership organization for over-50s — showed that for baby boomers, multi-generational trips were the single most anticipated form of vacation for the year ahead. On a similar note, this year’s Virtuoso Luxe Report has both multi- generational travel and family travel in its top five trends. Te crucial question is whether the use of
agents is higher with family travelers? “Yes, I feel so,” says Vacation Visions’ Blunt. “Tey often seek reinforcement from an expert that their vacation choice for their family is a good one, and want help with booking it to make sure all goes well. Tey want someone who will be looking out for their family’s best travel interests at all times.” Here’s a rundown of eight of the world’s top family travel destinations…
Disney World, Orlando
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