During the pandemic, families have been separated from their loved ones longer than many expected. Once travel returns to full swing, these separations could turn into a boom in multi-generational family vacations, as has been the case since the 11th century. This is the case in September.
Grandparents, especially retired grandparents, have been sitting at home for about a year – not distracted by work or virtual learning – so they’re ready to go, says Susie Chau of Carpe Diem Traveler. They also move to the top of the travel list because we all now understand how precious the gift of travel is and that nothing is certain.
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She went on to say: I think multi-generational family outings will continue to increase in the future, as we have all found that we have less time from extended family members and therefore a deeper need to make meaningful connections. Family vacations are often the strongest childhood memories for children. So what’s better than traveling together?
Multi-generational travel is expected to begin in 2022. (Photo courtesy of monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Ryan Donchetz of VIP Vacation also stated that since the pandemic began, family members have lost many memories and possible experiences of their loved ones.
As a result, VIP has definitely seen an increase in terms of new weddings, multi-room family vacations, bachelor and bachelorette parties and everyday friends or social groups, he said.
For our groups traveling in the near future, we continue to hear concerns from some of the group’s alumni, Donchez said. Nevertheless, many of them continue to argue that the number of vaccinated is increasing and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations are being revised.
Chow sees a multi-generational trend blossoming between now and 2022. My bookings in Ireland, Africa and the Caribbean are for multi-generational families who want to travel with grandparents – or even great-grandparents – and reunite the whole extended family, she says.
David Hartman of Fantastic Endeavors thinks families in 2022 will choose to vacation in North America and places as close as the Caribbean and Mexico.
I expect demand for villa holidays to increase as families save on long-haul flights and invest in longer stays in the same house for the whole family, he said.
Family having fun together on the beach (Photo via monkeybusinessimages / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
In addition, Lawrence Pinckney of ZenBiz Travel said he thinks all-inclusive resorts, theme parks and villas, especially in the United States, will become very popular.
I think the cruises, when they come back, will be huge for the family and multi-generational market.
Current trend
During the pandemic, Hartman booked family and multi-generational trips to amusement parks in Orlando and all-inclusive resorts in Mexico.
Demand for Hawaii is finally showing an upward trend, he said, while demand for European land and river cruises is falling sharply.
Chow has planned vacations with his family at home during the pandemic, as well as vacations to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Careful selection of accommodations that work particularly well with COVID protocols is essential to make people feel comfortable during their trip, she says.
Overall, travel advisors are fairly confident that travel – including the family and multi-generational segments – will increase significantly at least next year.
While nothing is ever guaranteed, booking for 2022 seems to be very convenient for most people I’ve spoken to, especially for clients who have not been able to celebrate milestones because of the pandemic, Chow said.
2022 is the year to celebrate in grand style, and now is the time to plan. Trust me, the schedules will fill up quickly once the vaccine is distributed to the population and people feel safe again.
