Stat: 47 Percent of 45 Plus People Planning Multigen Trip

AARP Travel has announced new insights into multigenerational family vacations.

multigenerational travel infographic

The new research conducted by AARP Travel of people 45 and older offers valuable insights into multigenerational vacations including why families are going, where they're going, what they do on these family vacations, the challenges to plan them and why they create memories of a lifetime. AARP is also giving away a family vacation for six for an Alaskan cruise, Grand Canyon adventure, or Hawaiian getaway to one lucky sweepstakes winner. A daily prize drawing is also held and each day one winner will receive a gift card. Visit http://www.aarp.org/travelsweeps to participate in the sweepstakes.

Key Multigenerational Vacations Findings Include:

- 80 percent traveled in the U.S. and many chose active cities, beaches and amusement parks.
- 20 percent traveled internationally with half heading to the Caribbean, Mexico or South America.
- Cruising is popular for 25 percent of international travelers.
- Almost 40 percent chose nostalgic destinations to share a childhood memory.

Top Destinations for Multigenerational Vacations: Picking the right destination where families across three generations can enjoy time with one another and also by themselves can be challenging, but there are destinations that offer both. 

The following information provides more insights into preferred destinations for multigenerational travel:

- 80 percent traveled domestically: Amusement Parks, Disney, California and Hawaii
- 20 percent traveled internationally: The Caribbean/South America, cruise, Europe and Mexico

Top Benefits of Multigenerational Vacations: Traveling with parents, kids and grandparents can be transformative in many ways. The following are the top benefits of multigenerational travel as identified in the new AARP Travel research:

- Bringing the entire family together (83 percent)
- Helping build special memories (69 percent)
- Grandparents are able to spend time with grandkids (50 percent)
- Quality one-on-one time with family/spouse (36 percent)
- Adult relatives spending time with younger generations (29 percent)

Top Activities Enjoyed on Multigenerational Vacations: Approximately half of all parents and grandparents who have taken a multigenerational trip recommend planning ahead, especially about activities so that everyone enjoys the trip. The top activities most enjoyed on multigenerational trips include:

- Spending time together as a family (72 percent)
- Dining out (49 percent)
- Relaxing by the beach/pool (41 percent)
- Sightseeing (33 percent)
- Theme/Amusement park (18 percent)
- Cooking together as a family (17 percent)
- Outdoor/Nature activities (14 percent)

Top Barriers to Planning a Multigenerational Vacations: While more and more travelers 45-plus dream of taking a trip with their families, multigenerational travel definitely poses a few challenges in terms of planning and coordination. The following are the top barriers to multigeneration travel as identified in the AARP Travel Research:

- Agreeing on a date (38 percent)
- Cost concerns (20 percent)
- Overwhelming to coordinate (20 percent)
- Finding time to make the trip a priority (18 percent)
- Agreeing on a destination (17 percent)

For more information about AARP's research on multi-generational vacations, visit www.aarp.org/multigentravelresearch.