Generation Gap

CToday, grandparents remain active longer, making them more comfortable traveling with kids. // © 2011 Yuri Arcurs

Much has been said about the boom in multigenerational travel in recent years, but increasingly, grandparents are spending their leisure time -- and their dollars -- with the grandkids and leaving the parents at home.

This intriguing twist on the trend, known in the industry as grandtravel, is becoming an important segment of the leisure travel market "simply because our population continues to age," said Peter Yesawich, chairman and CEO of YPartnership, an Orlando, Fla.-based marketing research firm that tracks travel trends.

"Fully three out of 10 active leisure travelers are now grandparents, and one third of those took at least one vacation with their grandchildren during the past 12 months," Yesawich said, adding, "the number-one leisure activity of interest to adults over 55 years of age in this country is travel."

But why leave out Mom and Dad?

"The parents are busy paying off mortgages and cars, and they often don't have the extra time or money," said Helena Koenig, a Bethesda, Md.-based travel consultant and widely recognized pioneer in the concept of grandtravel. "It's the grandparents who have the discretionary income and, for the most part, they are the ones paying."

More Active
The good news for agents is that, as baby boomers enter their golden years, the portrait of a typical grandparent is evolving with them.

"Today's grandparents are better educated, better traveled and tend to have more money than previous generations, but the biggest change is that grandfathers are more involved," Koenig said.

And because grandparents are in better shape than they used to be, Koenig said, they are requesting more active vacation experiences to go along with the cultural experiences traditionally attractive to seniors.

"We hear all the time about how grandparents first experienced Yellowstone Park as a child themselves," said Dan Austin, founder and director of Montana-based Austin-Lehman Adventures. "Now, they want their grandchildren to have the same thrill and amazement that they had when gazing on the herds of bison, thundering waterfalls and gushing geysers that define the worldís first national park."

Noting that grandtravel is "definitely one of the hottest growing segments of our overall client market," Austin attributes the trend in part to today's harried lifestyle that keeps parents too busy to take, or even plan, extended leisure travel.

Green travel is also big with this market, said Kyle McCarthy, founder of New York-based Family Travel Forum Consulting that advises the trade on marketing to families.

"This is the first year baby boomers are hitting social security age, and we're seeing a big increase in environmentally focused adventure travel," McCarthy said. "The younger grandparents may not be parachuting, but they will do gentle white-water rafting, safaris and active pursuits in places like Costa Rica."

Of course, soft adventure doesn't necessarily mean roughing it. Upscale travel and family travel often overlap, and nowhere is this truer than with grandtravel, where grandparents often have the means and the inclination to opt for high-end services and accommodations.

On Offbeat Safaris' Kenya vacations, for example, "We meet clients immediately upon arrival in Nairobi and take care of them every step of the way," said company director Piers Winkworth.

According to Winkworth, the Kenya-based company offers activities that include getting up close with lions and elephants and walking through the bush with Maasai children.

Value Still Key
Just because the grandparents can afford a vacation with the kids doesn't mean they aren't interested in value. One time-honored way to save money while traveling as a family is to opt for condominium or all-suite accommodations. Guests usually get more bang for their buck in terms of square footage, and a kitchen helps defray the cost of meals.

The Outrigger Condominium Collection in Maui bundles in free kids' activities and up to $150 worth of complimentary groceries, depending on the length of stay, which is very convenient for grandparents who already have their hands full just keeping up with the grandkids.

"Families can put the money they save toward a fun activity ó such as snorkeling or surfing ó or even their next Hawaiian vacation," said Teri Orton, vice president of condominium resort marketing for Outrigger Condominium Collection.

The Azul Fives Hotel, an all-suite property in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, works for grandparents and grandkids traveling together in part because of its spacious guestrooms. Since even doting grandparents are probably not accustomed to having youngsters around all the time, the extra room provided by the one-, two- and three-bedroom suites ó complete with living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens -- can offer much-needed breathing room.

The company has gone all out to woo young guests through its partnership with Fisher-Price, which includes performances by Little People-costumed characters. Unlike many childrenís programs, this one, which is available at the Azul Fives and Azul Sensatori properties in the Riviera Maya, offers services for children as young as 6 months old.

Complimentary babysitting is available once a week in the evening so that the grandparents can learn to salsa or simply unwind with a kiwi and mango treatment at the spa.

Even the most devoted grandparents may be a little rusty when it comes to hands-on parenting of teens and younger children. With that in mind, cruise lines consistently win kudos for keeping young passengers entertained and adults fully engaged with onboard activities and shore excursions.

Grandparents who gravitate to premium cruise lines can also find vacations suited for this market. Crystal Cruisesí Symphony and Serenity offer activities for young passengers that combine fun with a comfortable dose of education.

The company has seen such a surge in the multigenerational market that it now extends its Six-Star enrichment classes, originally designed for adults, to its younger passengers. Now, kids can take language lessons, perfect their golf swing with a PGA pro or try their hand at making sushi at Crystalís Nobu restaurant.

Travel Insurance
While young grandparents may be strapping on their snorkel gear to take the plunge with their grandkids, older adults may approach vacation planning with more caution.

"Hawaii is an ideal destination for older grandparents because of the access to health care," said McCarthy, noting that travel agents selling grandtravel should encourage their clients to buy travel insurance that includes coverage for pre-existing conditions.

"We predict travel insurers will be the next group to profit from boomer travel," she said, adding that the personal touch a travel agent can provide, should a senior family member become ill before a trip, can be invaluable.

Regardless of the nature of the trip, grandtravel is special because it is frequently born out of the grandparentsí desire to share destinations that have personal significance for them.

"They may pick Paris because that is where they honeymooned, or Ireland because that is where their family originated," Koenig said. "Whatever the case, you can give grandchildren silverware, bank accounts or pictures of relatives, but nothing matters as much as the time you give them when you take them somewhere special to you."

Contact:

Austin-Lehman Adventures
www.austinlehman.com

Azul Fives Hotel
www.karismahotels.com

Crystal Cruises
www.crystalcruises.com

Offbeat Safaris
www.offbeatsafaris.com

Outrigger Hotels & Resorts
www.outriggercondos.com