Multigenerational travel has become one of the most popular trends in travel and hospitality, with Europe being one of the prime destinations. Preferred Hotel Group recently conducted a study of the leisure traveler and analyzed more than 400 variables. These included the behaviors, preferences, travel-related attitudes, social values, media habits and lifestyles of travelers who have identified themselves as multigenerational travelers.
Lindsey Ueberroth, president of Preferred Hotel Group, said in a statement, “Multigenerational travel creates a challenging level of complexity in coordinating schedules, managing multiple departure points, booking additional if not adjoining rooms and more. For help navigating these logistics, travelers are increasingly enlisting the services of traditional travel agents. This is good news for agents who can provide the advice and logistical savvy needed to ensure satisfaction and value for multi-gen travelers.”
According to the study, 40 percent of U.S. leisure travelers had taken a multigenerational trip in the previous year. Four out of 10 of those travelers had traveled outside the continental U.S. and 33 percent had gone to Europe. In addition, 60 percent of multigenerational travelers had expressed an interest in visiting Europe in the next two years. 77 percent of multigenerational travelers planned a “Milestone Vacation” around a life event such as a family reunion, birthday, anniversary or wedding. They take more trips per year than non-multigenerational travelers, including more international trips. Multigenerational travelers also use the services of a travel agent and 71 percent stated that they value travel agent recommendations about “vacation and packages or tours”.
There are few reasons for why multigenerational leisure travel has become a bigger market, including: more families are living geographically farther from each other, evenings and weekends are no longer specifically for family interactions and travel can provide that extra time, and baby boomers have the time and disposable income to travel with their kids and grandkids.
The travel industry can also take advantage of this new trend by offering special packages and programs, like group pricing, celebration event packages, family-style dinners, reunion activities and multiple room packages. Preferred Hotel Group will be promoting their “milestone celebration offer” in 2012, as well as launching a new Preferred Family website that provides resources for multigenerational travel.
Visit www.PreferredHotelGroup.com.
