The post-COVID visiting friends and relatives (VFR) boom continues with almost half of Australian families (47%) relishing the opportunity of intergenerational travel to reconnect with loved ones they rarely see. And it’s also an ideal opportunity for advisors.
Booking.com’s new Gen. Voyage report also found 42 per cent of Aussies value family bonding (42%) and attending family celebrations and cost-saving (31%) as top benefits of intergenerational trips.
A recent Club Med survey also found 43 per cent of Aussies are keen to take a multigenerational holiday in the next 12 months, while multi-gen cruising is also rising in popularity.
What they don’t love? Travellers cite conflicting interests (29%), lacking privacy and personal space (24%) and increased planning (23%) as major bugbears of travelling with extended family.
These findings offer an excellent opportunity for travel advisors to assist with the complexities of organising multigenerational travel and tailor options for how families like to travel.
What Aussie families want: intergenerational travel
The report also showed that Millennials (48%) take charge of intergenerational trips, followed by Gen Z (47%). Baby Boomers (23%) are more likely to take a backseat when planning travel of this type.
More than half of Aussies (51%) are also open to last-minute getaways, booking trips within less than a month of departure.
The top five international destinations for intergenerational travel this Christmas are Tokyo, Japan; Seminyak, Bali; Singapore; Bangkok, Thailand and New York City, USA.
Within Australia, families favour the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns and Brisbane for multigenerational meetups with the average trip around four to six days.
Hotels (52%) are more popular than resorts (32%), thanks to the onsite conveniences, while affordability (58%), safety (41%) and family-friendly attractions and activities (32%) are the main priorities when choosing destinations.
Environmental sustainability (8%) and educational experiences (8%) are further down the list. However, eight per cent of Aussies are also interested in culturally immersive stays in the likes of ryokans, longhouses, treehouses and hanoks.
Read the full report here.
