In October, the Family Travel Association (FTA) held its fifth annual summit in South Dakota’s Custer State Park. The three-day event represented a milestone for the organization — and a major turning point for the future of the group.
Rainer Jenss, founder and president of the FTA, announced that in 2020, the organization would begin transitioning to nonprofit, 501 C (6) status, with the goal to grow its size and scale, and create more value for members. Currently, the FTA is a privately held LLC.
“In five years, the FTA has made significant strides building a community of like-minded individuals and companies seeking to help more families discover the possibilities travel has to offer,” Jenss said. “This move will allow the FTA to build out a dedicated staff that can develop programs for our more than 400 travel advisor, media, supplier and destination members.”
At the summit, the FTA shared the results of its annual U.S. Family Travel Survey. The report, which was conducted by the FTA and New York University School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, included responses from more than 1,500 parents. The study shows that while 70% of parents say they are “likely” or “very likely” to travel with their children in the next three years, that number continues to decline year to year — down from 79% in the 2018 family travel survey, and from 93% in the inaugural 2015 report.
When asked what is the greatest obstacle to taking a family vacation, 32% of respondents say affordability is a major concern.
“Affordability cuts across all regions and household income levels in the U.S.,” Jenss said. “Equally universal, though, is the strong demand for family vacations, and the travel industry’s commitment to creating a wide variety of options and innovations to help families travel together.”
For the first time, this year’s survey also included responses from 1,168 grandparents to provide a clearer picture of “skip-gen travel” (grandparents and grandkids traveling together without parents). The results show that 37% of grandparents surveyed are likely to take their grandchildren on a skip-gen trip in the next three years, and 17% have already taken such a trip in the past three years.
The summit also featured more than two dozen speakers, including suppliers, advisors and media, and opportunities for attendees to experience some of South Dakota’s travel highlights. Activities included a buffalo safari in Custer State Park and an excursion to Mount Rushmore, which was the site of the FTA Honors Dinner.
“We wanted to showcase to the industry why South Dakota is such a great destination for families,” Jenss said. “One of the primary goals of the summit is to expose agents to places that are super family-friendly, but not necessarily top of mind.”
The Details
Family Travel Association
www.familytravel.org
