The Family Travel Association (FTA) in collaboration with the NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, just released the results of its annual survey of traveling families. The 2022 U.S. Family Travel Survey pays special attention to the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic and recent economic uncertainty are affecting family travel behaviors, with notable trends and themes throughout.
According to the survey, 85% of parents are very likely to travel with their children in the next 12 months and travel intent in 2022 is higher than in 2019. In addition, demand for travel in larger family groups also remains strong. Almost half of the respondents (44%) report that they are planning to take family vacations with people outside of their immediate family unit, while 47% of respondents say they are planning a multigenerational trip. Forty-six percent of those surveyed say they are planning a trip with family members beyond parents and in-laws.
Families Are Spending More, and Are Less Concerned About COVID-19
The outlook for family travel spending is also strong. Most families (53%) plan to spend more on domestic travel in the next year, and 49% expect to spend more on international travel. Only 8% of respondents expect to spend less on domestic travel in the coming year, and 20% expect to spend less on international travel.
Although 57% of respondents feel that the pandemic is mostly contained and are comfortable traveling, 43% remain cautious when making travel decisions. In many ways, the study shows that the influence of the pandemic is receding: International vacations are more popular this year, city vacations are on the rebound, and more families are now looking to stay in hotels (despite the continuous rise of vacation rentals of the past years).
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“This year’s survey shows that while the pandemic impacts family travel less than last year, the last two years have also led to changes that are likely to last,” said Dr. Lynn Minnaert, former clinical associate professor at the Tisch Center. “Families are excited to get back out there, but peace of mind and value for money are key priorities when they make travel decisions.”
This year’s survey shows that while the pandemic impacts family travel less than last year, the last two years have also led to changes that are likely to last.
Family Travel Habits Are Changing
When asked whether their travel behaviors and preferences had changed in the past two years, 45% of respondents say they have changed somewhat, and an additional 13% say they have changed a lot. Families indicate that they have made certain changes to their travel behavior that reduce risk and provide peace of mind — 67% of respondents report that they now check cancellation policies when making travel arrangements; 47% say they now buy travel insurance; 42% say they place a greater emphasis on comparing prices to find the best value; and 41% place greater value on cleanliness and hygiene now.
In fact, some aspects of family travel are still heavily influenced by concerns about COVID-19. Cruise tourism is most affected by the lasting effects of the pandemic, with 27% of respondents saying they are less likely to consider a cruise now. Also, cleanliness and sanitation are the second-most important consideration when choosing accommodations, after value for money.
Inflation, Fuel Charges and High Interest Rates Are Affecting Families
However, COVID-19 is not the only factor affecting travel. Inflation, the rise of gas prices and hikes in interest rates will likely influence travel behavior in the coming year; families particularly indicate they will look for cheaper prices on lodgings.
Travel advisors continue to solidify their position in the post-pandemic travel landscape as the challenges created by COVID-19 have increased consumer interest in using advisors to help plan and book family vacations. One in four respondents (25%) have used a travel advisor to book at least one family trip in the past three years. This is an increase over 2021, when 17% of respondents reported having used a travel advisor. Also, 52% of respondents indicate that they are willing to use a travel advisor for their family travel needs in the next two years.
What Are a Family's Travel Motivators and Inspiration?
More than three-quarters of respondents (76%) say their children are the main inspiration for taking a family trip, followed by seeing friends (53%) and other family members (52%). Top priorities for family travel include having children discover new places and new experiences; bonding and growing closer as a family; and to relax and unwind.
The main sources for family travel inspiration are movies and television shows. The top social media platforms for families are Pinterest (71%) and Instagram (68%). Notably, the influence of Facebook has dropped significantly, from being one of top social media outlets pre-pandemic to just 61% now, just ahead of TikTok at 58%. Almost half (49%) of all respondents are inspired by travel bloggers.
In terms of types of trips, beach vacations (66%), city vacations (65%) and visiting friends and family (61%) were the top three indicators. Conversely, interest in nature/active vacations is down compared to the height of the pandemic.
Affordability continues to be the top challenge for families — which has been consistent every year of the survey — followed by dealing with potential cancellations. In general, the negative effects of travel restrictions related to the pandemic is less of a concern.
With the COVID-19 pandemic now mostly behind us in 2022, we have seen that family and multigenerational travel has been an important force in the tourism industry’s recovery … Now is the time to double down on family travel.
Respondents Give the Travel Industry a C+ Grade for Catering to Families
Every year, the FTA survey asks respondents to assign the travel industry a grade for having the best interests of traveling families at heart. This year, the average grade the industry was awarded by families is a C+ — indicating that families see the industry’s performance as falling between satisfactory and good. The industry received the highest grade for offering safe and sanitary travel environments (B), followed by offering family-friendly products and services (B-). It scored a C+ for customer service and value for money.
Respondents were also asked to assess how much trust they have that travel providers of different types would treat their family fairly and considerately if there were problems during an upcoming family vacation. Hotels received the highest trust score, followed by restaurants, theme parks, travel advisors and vacation rentals. The three sub-sectors that received the lowest trust scores are online booking sites, airlines and cruise lines.
Finally, respondents were asked what the travel industry could do to serve the needs of families better. The top answer, selected by 43% of the respondents, was that travel suppliers should offer better value for money. Another 35% feel that more accommodations should have family-friendly room options, and 20% feel accommodations should invest more in in-room entertainment. Only 14% of respondents do not feel that the travel industry can do anything to serve families better.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic now mostly behind us in 2022, we have seen that family and multigenerational travel has been an important force in the tourism industry’s recovery,” said Rainer Jenss, founder of the FTA. “This speaks volumes to the priority families are now placing on spending time together and traveling. Now is the time to double down on family travel.”
About the FTA's 2022 U.S. Family Travel Survey
The 2022 U.S. Family Travel Survey represents responses from more than 1,000 parents recorded in June and July 2022, and it was conducted by the FTA and the NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, in collaboration with the Shubert Organization and Telecharge. This is the seventh year for the annual survey, and this year’s sample included a larger percentage of respondents in higher income brackets with more advanced educational backgrounds than in prior editions.
