The 2019 Virtuoso Luxe Report surveyed its affiliated advisors to discover where, why and how families are traveling this summer.
The research shows that the lists of hot family destinations and unconventional getaways are heavily influenced by the trends that dominate family travel decisions these days, many of which are in line with overall trends in the travel industry.
Data suggests that the top trend is active or adventure trips. Families are also taking more multigenerational trips. Beach resort stays and celebration travel continues to be appealing. Rounding out the top five trends is the growing popularity if touring, both private and guided journeys.
Mother-daughter and father-son trips continue to be popular with families as are cultural immersion programs, ocean cruising, educational trips and river cruising.
10 Hottest Family Destinations
Italy
Mexico
Hawaii
Orlando
England
South Africa
Costa Rica
France
Dominican Republic
Spain
This is the 10th year that Italy has topped Virtuoso's list of hottest family destinations and, overall, Europe has continued to have a strong draw for families with England, France and Spain all on the list.
Virtuoso noted that sunny destinations such as Mexico, Hawaii and the Dominican Republic also remain popular, and theme parks continue to bring families to Orlando.
As adventure travel becomes more and more mainstream, adventure hubs such as Costa Rica and South Africa are also gaining steam and moving up the list.
Top 10 Unconventional Family Destinations
Iceland
Galapagos Islands
Cuba
Antarctica
Morocco
Japan
Egypt
Bhutan
Rwanda
India
The Virtuoso Luxe Report found that new destinations are a top motivator to travelers and so it's no surprise that these destinations are holding more allure to family travelers. Iceland has topped the list for three years in a row and remains a major travel trend alongside the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica.
5 Ways Generation Z Impacts Family Travel
Move over, millennials, Gen-Z is ready to set the travel trends now. Virtuoso found that Gen Zs have a great deal of clout over family and peer travel decisions. They are more worldly than their older peers, having traveled more at a younger age, and they are looking for more off-the-beaten-path destinations and more unique experiences.
The following are five ways Gen-Z is impacting family travel:
-Influencing others' choices via word of mouth, social media and reviews
-Involving themselves in planning trips
-Persuading others to embrace their desire for more active experiences
-Seeking out unusual destinations
-Looking for highly visual locations and activities that highlight their exciting lives on social media
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