Travel Trend: Multigenerational Travel

Based on data collected by home-sharing website Airbnb, one of last year’s most popular travel trends involved gathering up the family, from the oldest generation to the youngest, and embarking on a multigenerational vacation.

Airbnb gathered data from guests who stayed at its family-friendly properties in 2017 and found 34 percent of guests included grandparents, and that nearly half of the guests requested housing with extra space for additional family members and friends. Families surveyed also reported that rather than focusing their questions on amenities like the WiFi connections, they valued the opportunities for cultural and educational activities the whole family could enjoy and learn from.

One benefit of multigenerational travel involves unplugging and disconnecting from daily devices and reconnecting with family members who may be limited in the amount of time they spend together at other times during the year. Travel styles that easily cater to multigenerational travel include cruises, adventure vacations and group tour excursions. All-inclusive travel packages that feature private transportation are best for families who have older relatives with limited mobility.

Multigenerational travel also can be achieved through destination family events, such as weddings, anniversaries and birthdays, all of which can involve extended stays in the chosen destination and optional excursions.