The Family Travel Association (FTA) recently released findings from its 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey on family travel trends. According to the research, most parents (81%) say they are likely to travel with their children in the next year, and many families are planning to increase or maintain their level of travel spending.
Still, more than half of respondents (59%) say that the affordability of travel is a major concern.
Despite this strong forecast, we see families are starting to express concerns about affordability and the rising cost of travel, and that they are starting to change their travel behaviors.
Results were favorable when it came to the use of travel advisors, with 38% of parents saying they have used an advisor to book at least one family trip in the past three years, and most parents (71%) saying that they are willing to use an advisor in the coming years, a significant increase from last year’s results (52%).
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Family respondents gave the travel industry a “B+” grade in terms of how it serves traveling families, which is better than last year. They noted the main challenges to family travel include: the challenge and added cost of being seated together on flights; the scarcity of family rooms or connected rooms in hotels; the high cost of family travel, and the desire for lower-cost options and discounts; the need to improve the quality and level of service across the industry; and a dislike of hidden fees and charges that make pricing lack transparency.
Respondents also acknowledged the multiple positive impacts of travel on children, from making them more adventurous eaters to introducing them to new cultures.
Our Analysis: Travel Advisors Are Valued and Needed by Family Travelers
Despite rising costs and the added difficulty of traveling as a family, the niche remains as strong as ever. And part of that has to do with travel advisors — more families have experienced the ease of using advisors and how they can take away the stressors and chaos of a family vacation.
According to the FTA, more parents indicated that they are willing to use an advisor than in years past, which is further good news for advisors communicating what they can accomplish for family travelers. And knowing what makes family travelers most stressed — such as finding a hotel that has family rooms and great service — can help advisors exceed expectations.
Fast Facts: Family Travelers Share Their Preferences and Challenges
- The survey was produced in partnership with the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and Edinburgh Napier University.
- The survey polled more than 3,300 parents and grandparents about their travel plans, behaviors and attitudes, and summarizes a variety of travel trends in the industry.
- The FTA found that large family groups are a big contributor to the market’s growth, with more than 50% of parents saying they are planning to travel with grandparents and children.
- Beach vacations are the top choice for multigenerational travel, while skip-generational travel (children and grandparents, without the parents present) leans toward museums and cultural attractions.
- The most common window (33%) for booking a family trip is two or three months before departure.
- Summer is the No. 1 most popular time for a family vacation, followed by spring break.
- Families with vacations this year are planning to stay in hotels (84%), followed by resorts (50%) and vacation rentals (47%).
- The most popular states for family travel are California, Florida, Hawaii and New York.
- Half of parents will avoid hotels and airlines that charge extra fees.
- Most (80%) of the respondents agree that travel has helped their children see the world from a broader perspective, and 67% agree that their children have become more interested in other cultures because of their travel experiences.
Parents deal with many anxieties in children and young people, and family travel is a valuable parenting tool for tackling these and other issues.
- Most (62%) of the respondents say that travel has helped their children to be more confident.
- A majority (76%) of respondents plan to travel internationally with their children in the next two years.
- Europe is the most popular continent for family vacations. The top three destinations in Europe for families are, in order: Italy, the United Kingdom and France.
- Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean also remain popular.
What They Are Saying: Family Travel Has Positive Impacts on Kids
"This year we probed parents on their children’s recovery from the pandemic and what role family travel plays in helping that recovery — 88% of parents reported that family travel is helpful to their children in overcoming some of the lingering impacts of the pandemic,” said Peter Bopp, director of research for the FTA. “In addition, 84% of parents reported that family travel helps make their children more adaptable and open to new experiences, 62% say that it gives them a more positive outlook on life, and 61% say it helps them with their social skills.”
"Our survey shows that parents plan to maintain or increase their spending on family travel in the coming year,” said Lynn Minnaert, professor and head of subject, tourism and languages at Edinburgh Napier University. “However, despite this strong forecast, we see families are starting to express concerns about affordability and the rising cost of travel, and that they are starting to change their travel behaviors.”
"Being a parent of two young kids, it's empowering to see that family travel has positive impacts on the social-emotional development of children, while also helping to offset many negative lingering effects of the pandemic,” said Anna Abelson, adjunct instructor at the NYU SPS Tisch Center of Hospitality. “Parents deal with many anxieties in children and young people, and family travel is a valuable parenting tool for tackling these and other issues. For example, the survey revealed that family travel makes children less isolated (58%), encourages them to be more adventurous with food (48%), and makes them more comfortable around strangers (44%). It's hard to overestimate the role of family travel."
