Second Annual FTA Summit Demonstrates Market Growth

One of the main reasons Rainer Jenss launched the Family Travel Association (FTA) two years ago was because he saw an underserved market of parents who didn’t have enough information to take advantage of all the unique opportunities that travel could offer them. At the same time, there was no organization that could help suppliers and other industry partners come together to share ideas and jointly promote the benefits of family travel. Given the importance of this market, Jenss figured that once he launched the FTA, he would find enthusiastic support for it.

As it turns out, he was correct.

In only two years, the organization has seen phenomenal growth. The second-annual FTA Summit, which took place in October at The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz., had more than twice the number of attendees as the inaugural event last year.

“Our membership has grown to over 220 in just our first two years, and we expect the strong growth to only accelerate,” Jenss said. “As Travel Weekly recently reported, 40 percent of travel agents focus on family travel — by far the leading specialization, dwarfing niches such as luxury, weddings/honeymoons and adventure.”

In order to accelerate this market growth even more, the FTA is planning to reach out to travel agents. There was a keynote panel on agents at the summit, and the FTA is currently working on a membership program just for travel advisors.

“There are literally millions of families who have the interest to travel but hesitate because of lots of real and perceived challenges,” Jenss said. “Travel agents have the opportunity to be on the front line in converting this pent-up demand to travel into actual bookings. The FTA wants to make sure we’re giving agents everything they need to handle the requests and new interests that families have.”

Education and Networking
The core of this year’s FTA summit was made up of educational programs, networking opportunities and on-site destination education. To learn more about family travel, attendees heard from large suppliers — such as Disney, Royal Caribbean International, MSC Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, UnCruise Adventures, the Globus Family of Brands and others — as well as destinations and organizations. In addition to keynote presentations, there were interactive breakout sessions on topics such as “The Influence of the Grandparent Effect,” “Understanding Millennial Parents,” “The Rise of Volunteer and Purpose/Impact Travel” and more.

Networking at the summit took place during mealtimes; at the Media Meet Up, where journalists had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with suppliers; and during prearranged group excursions that also served to showcase the many family-friendly options available in the Tucson area. Activities included horseback riding, hiking and visiting museums, as well as a “Dine Around Night” where visitors sampled great local restaurants.

Overall, the summit achieved its goals, leaving attendees excited about the future.

“I’ve been involved with the FTA since the very beginning, and it’s kind of mind-blowing to see how far we’ve come in such a short time,” said Matt Villano, senior editor for the Expedia Viewfinder original travel content blog. “It was great to meet other industry professionals who have a passion for family travel and who recognize the importance of sharing the message that family travel can be a form of education for everyone involved.”

The Details