by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:59 PM ET, Thu May 20, 2021
Widespread access to COVID-19 vaccinations and the easing of travel restrictions have led to a surge in family travel being booked for the summer across the United States.
According to The New York Times, vaccinated families are opting for private jets, luxury resorts and guided tours when booking their first family reunions following the lockdowns.
Two recent surveys by Wyndham Destinations and American Express Travel found that 75 percent of respondents said they were planning to travel for a family reunion in 2021 and 71 percent said they would visit loved ones they hadn't seen due to coronavirus restrictions.
The rush to family travel is bringing much-needed income to the devastated tourism industry, as Salamander Hotels & Resorts reported 506 family reunions already booked in 2021, worth $2.47 million in revenue. In 2019, the company saw only 368 events, which generated about $1.31 million.
Another sector of the industry rebounding thanks to family travel is guided tours, with Insight Vacations reporting extended families accounted for 20 percent of business in March and April, compared to an average of eight percent before the pandemic.
While travel advisors spent much of 2020 navigating restrictions and booking trips for families already living together during lockdown, the shift to family reunions has skyrocketed as COVID-19 limitations continue to be lifted. KJ Travel's Kate Johnson told the New York Times she has seen six times more family reunion travel than last year.
Families were also forced to save money they would have otherwise spent on travel, which they are now spending on private jet travel, all-inclusive luxury resorts and more elaborate and longer multigenerational trips.
Earlier this month, research from Longwoods International revealed just 30 percent of Americans said the coronavirus would significantly impact their decision to travel in the next six months, the lowest level since the pandemic began in March of last year.
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