Travel Trends 2009: Family Travel On The Rise

Trends Report, September 4, 2009. Family travel is on the rise despite a brutal economic recession -- here's why, where and for whom.Trends Report, September 4, 2009. Family travel is on the rise despite a brutal economic recession -- here's why, where and for whom.

During this recession people are cutting out the luxuries and non-necessities to limit spending.  In my house the rule has been if you don't need it, you don't buy it.  Yet, according to the TripAdvisor Annual Family Travel Survey, the rough economy of 2009 is not enough to force families to give up their travel plans. 

More than 1,500 U.S. families took part in the survey that revealed that 92% of travelers with children plan on taking a family vacation sometime before the end of the year -- a 5% increase from the 87% of last year.  As for summer travel, 64% of families have plans for a summer vacation. At FTF, we've seen a 10% increase in traffic to the site since March, indicating that indeed, families are making their travel plans.

And where are these families going?  According to the TripAdvisor results, the top three destinations are Orlando, New York City and Washington D.C. 
Why these three? They don't make sense when compared to what families say they want to do on their upcoming vacations, but our own feedback confirms that among this year's close-to-home vacations, the budget options in Orlando; shopping and free recreation choices in New York City; and American history and Lincoln celebration festivities in Washington DC have made these citiies really appealing.

More than 1/4 of TripAdvisor visitors they choose their destination according to what family-friendly activities and attractions are offered, while 18% make their selection because of what type of family-friendly accommodations are available. What type of activities and attractions do most families seek?  The Top 10 Most Popular Family Vacation Activities according to TripAdvisor, and corroborated each year by the TIA trends report, are:

1- Relax at the beach- 63%
2- Visit an historic site- 54%
3- Visit a museum- 41%
4- Visit an amusement/theme park- 39%   
5- Visit a national park- 36%
6- Visit an aquarium- 29%
7- Visit a zoo- 28%
8- Go hiking- 28%
9- Attend a festival/concert- 23%
10- Go fishing- 20%

And after a fun-filled day of the aforementioned activities, TripAdvisor families like to rest their heads at their highest rated family-friendly hotel brands: Embassy Suites (11%), Holiday Inn (8%) and Marriott (8%).

But how much money will these trips cost?  The survey also revealed that 44% of family respondents are budgeting the same amount of money for their 2009 vacation as they did for their 2008 trip -- while 36% intend to spend less than they did in the previous year. Results from the recent Harris Interactive Poll reveal that 40% of the U.S. adults surveyed plan to spend less this year, with 62% saving on accommodations, 61% saving on dining out, 58% saving on activities (check out FTF's Free Travel Fun column and you'll be amazed at what cool things your family can do at no cost!), 48% vacationing closer to home and 45% driving instead of flying. At FTF, we also hear from families that they're going for quality vs. quantity -- planning shorter vacations so that they don't have to scrimp so much on accommodations and activities. 

Families that are planning to save a few bucks might want to look into TripAdvisor's Top 10 Bargain Family Friendly Hotels, selected from user reviews.  All costing less than $150/N for a double room, they are as follows:

1- Disney's Pop Century Resort, Orlando, Florida- $122/N
2- Homewood Suites Orlando/International Drive, Orlando, Florida- $141/N
3- Bar Harbor Motel, Bar Harbor, Maine- $116/N
4- Disney's All-Star Music Resort, Orlando, Florida- $137/N
5- Palmetto Inn & Suites, Panama City Beach, Florida- $119/N
6- Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando International Drive, Orlando, Florida- $136/N
7- SpringHill Suites Hershey, Hershey, Pennsylvania- $142/N
8- Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites, Anaheim, California- $113/N
9- The Sea Hawk Motel, Ocean City, Maryland- $113/N
10- Black Hawk Motel, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin- $72/N

The survey also revealed that staying on budget, according to 22% of respondents, is the hardest part of traveling with children.  And although vacations are supposed to be relaxing, family travelers indicated that the most frustrating aspect of family travel is when the kids don't listen.  And the second source of frustration: when children insist their parents buy them souvenirs.

But no matter what the frustration, Family Travel Forum is happy to learn that although families are making some sacrifices to protect their bank accounts, they are not letting the value of the family vacation drop along with the stock market. If these statistics are true (and we hope they are), it looks like the travel industry will not need a bailout after all.

For help in planning your own summer family vacation, ask FTF staffers for advice with our Custom Trip Planning tool.