What’s Trending in Family Travel?

It’s not uncommon to see travelers’ trends change from year to year. From honeymooners to business travelers, the tendencies of jet setters adjust as a variety of factors weigh in on their decision making around travel. This holds true for family travelers as well.

As much as we’d like to forget it ever happened, the COVID-19 pandemic shaped a number of travel trends, and this is still the case in 2023. Many families had to put their vacations on hold, reschedule or in many cases cancel altogether.

Not knowing when their next vacation would be has absolutely shaped the family travel trends we’re seeing this year. Let’s take a look at what family travelers have their eyes on in 2023.

All-Inclusive Resorts Remain Popular

The tried and true all-inclusive vacation model remains a hot commodity this year. While there are several different destinations on the radar for families, Kathy Barkauskas, concierge vacation planner at Teddy Bear Travel, says the sun and fun vacation hotspots are desirable.

“We are seeing a big variety of destinations for 2023. All Inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean are still very popular,” Barkauskas said.

In a recent VAX VacationAccess survey asking which destinations families are booking this year, many travel advisors shared crowd favorites such as Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. It’s no surprise here as these locations have many beautiful all-inclusive properties to choose from.

Theme Park Vacations

“Theme park destinations are also still very popular,” Barkauskas added. “However the focus has shifted from Florida to California. Families are really excited about the opening of Mario World at Universal Studios Hollywood.”

SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Universal Studios opened earlier this year, so guests can now officially experience this immersive world with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. Visitors can check out “Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge” ride along with several other interactive family activities.

Emerging Destinations for Families

Along with all-inclusive resorts and theme parks, Europe is gaining traction among family travelers as well. Barkauskas is seeing a huge surge in inquiries for Europe, especially for places like Paris and London.

“In the family travel segment we are seeing lots of requests for London and Paris. These tend to be very family friendly European destinations. Children get so excited to see the places they may have only read about or seen in a TV show. Being able to experience the Eiffel Tower in person or ride on a double decker bus through London is simply amazing,” she said.

Barkauskas added that the exchange rates in Europe are currently favorable, making it a great time to explore the destination.

Bucket List Trips

In addition to the popular vacation hotspots revealed in the recent VAX VacationAccess survey, travel advisors also listed several destinations that would fall under the “bucket list” category. Some of the emerging European countries mentioned were Greece, Italy and Iceland. The West African country of Ghana also proved popular, along with Belize and Dubai.

Similar to other types of travelers, families have built a pent-up demand for travel after having to put a hold on their vacations. They’ve emerged post-pandemic with high hopes of checking off bucket list trips with the whole family in tow.

Cruising Is on the Rise

“We are also seeing a return to cruising,” Barkauskas explained. “With the lifting of most testing and vaccination requirements from all of the major cruise lines it has made it more accessible to everyone to sail.”

While many of these travelers have sailed on cruises in the past, Barkauskas said she hasn’t seen this strong of a cruising season since before the pandemic. Families are in luck in this department, as there are several family-approved cruise lines out there to choose from.

To learn more about family travelers, visit the Family Travel campaign on VAX VacationAccess.

About the Author

Codie Liermann is the managing editor of The Compass. She began her career in the industry as a travel advisor prior to working as an editor. With a passion for creating valuable content for travel advisors, she aims to develop meaningful relationships with all types of travel companies in order to share their unique messages with the travel agency community.