The family travel industry is gaining momentum — and that growth is expected to accelerate in 2026.
Rising demand for specialized research, education and community within the family travel segment is fueling engagement at the Family Travel Association (FTA), which reported a 33.7% increase in travel advisor members in 2025 compared to 2024.
That growth aligns with broader consumer trends. The 2025 U.S. Family Travel Survey — conducted by the FTA in partnership with Good Housekeeping and the NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality — found that 92% of Americans plan to travel with their children or grandchildren in the next year, marking the highest intent level recorded since the pandemic.
What’s more, children are increasingly shaping where — and how — families travel. According to the survey, 74% of parents with children over the age of 7 say their children love to travel, and many are actively involved in selecting destinations and planning trips.
Why Advisors Are Joining
As family travel continues to surge, The FTA has introduced a Host Agency membership level, providing family-friendly certification, research and educational resources to advisors affiliated with member hosts. Through the program, advisors gain access to insights on traveling families and emerging trends, along with educational programming and events designed to strengthen expertise in the family travel segment.
Membership reflects a mix of experience levels. Approximately 40% of members are relatively new to the industry, with one to two years in their roles, while another 40% have been selling family travel for five years or more.
Today, the association counts roughly 1,000 travel advisor members and expects to grow that number by 50% in 2026.
“Family travel is on the rise, with more families traveling than ever before,” said Kasey Smith, executive director of the Family Travel Association. “Recently, the FTA has focused on establishing partnerships with organizations who find value in educating advisors about the needs of traveling families. Through those partnerships, we have been able to bring new advisors to the association and raise the overall visibility of the work we are doing.”
