Multi Gen for Multi Rewards

Article contributed by Judy Nidetz.

One of the niches I’ve developed is multigenerational travel, which is a result of the natural maturing process of my regular clients and referrals over time.

My first group of clients is aging and now have children and grandchildren. Many clients have families that have moved and spread out over different areas of the country, making it harder to connect.

Travel is a great way to enable families to spend quality time together while enjoying some relaxing vacation time. This niche took off for me after the tragedy of 9/11, when families began to realize the value of spending quality time with loved ones.

Here are some tips to help you generate more multigenerational bookings.

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Try to communicate with only one member of the family.

This keeps the planning process from veering off into too many different directions. Try to avoid becoming the middleman when family members are pitted against one another. Communication among family members can become contentious.

Refer unhappy family members back to the group leader, which is usually a parent. In some cases, I tell the group leader I prefer not to come between family members when it comes to decision-making.

Properly qualify the group.

Ask many questions regarding special needs, preferences regarding activities, sightseeing and destinations that the group is interested in visiting. While it’s difficult to please everyone in the family, try to find compromises that the group as a whole finds acceptable.

Consider recommending all-inclusive resorts.

There is nothing more stressful while on vacation than having to think about where to go for dinner and how to find dining options suitable for all ages and tastes. All-inclusive resorts provide an excellent variety of dining options, and many restaurants take advance reservations for groups of 10 or more.

Having the entire vacation paid for in advance also avoids the difficult situation in which several families have to settle a dinner bill every night while on vacation.

Perform due diligence when selecting a resort. For instance, if little ones require strollers and older group members are not able to climb stairs, check with the resort first to make sure it has elevators and is not difficult to navigate.

Double-check the age groups allowed in the Kids Club and whether babysitters are available.

Follow up!

I have developed many new clients who were originally part of multigenerational family groups just by following up after the trip and asking for feedback. This has been a great way to increase my overall list of clients. I hope it works for you as well.

Judy Nidetz has worked as a luxury independent consultant for more than 25 years. Based in suburban Chicago, she is a member of Travel Experts, a Virtuoso host agency. She can be reached at judynidetz@travelXperts.com.