Family trips go beyond run-of-the-mill camping trips
SpecialtyTravel.com is catering to the family market — which Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell identified as one of the hottest travel trends last year and are growing at a faster pace than any other form of leisure travel.
Busy families are looking for ways to bond, and getting away from the incessant demands of daily family life–and the lure of the electronic devices–is one of the easiest ways to do it, said Andy Alpine, co-publisher of Specialty Travel Index and SpecialtyTravel.com.
Conventional wisdom held two decades ago that couples take packaged tours, and families take road trips. But family travel is changing; the camping trip to the lake has been replaced with a Costa Rican family adventure, for example, and the vacation to visit Grandma has evolved into a multi-generational tour of China.
Between careers, hour long commutes, the kids little league and soccer seasons, and grandparents living in a different state, many families spend less time together during the week than they did in previous generations,? said Mr Alpine.
That makes family vacations that much more important.?
A few samples of family travel options at SpecialtyTravel.com:
- Adventures by Disney has packages designed just for families to immerse themselves in activities unique to the area visited, as well as enjoy VIP access to events that would be difficult, if not impossible to arrange on their own. For example, in China, guests may attend a private musical presentation at Shanghai Children’s Palace or an exclusive (shortened) performance of the Beijing Opera. Their kids may learn classic stick fighting.
- Spot caimans, crocodiles, spider monkeys and water-walking lizards in Cañ¯ Žegro, Puerto Rico; hummingbirds in the cloud forest; howler and white-faced monkeys, toucans, and green turtles in Tortuguero; and scarlet macaws, white-face and squirrel monkeys, iguanas and three-toed sloths in Manual Antonio National Park.
- Las Vegas has been trying for years to shed some its raunchy reputation to attract more families, who might want to take day trips to the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park or Death Valley. Families can take helicopter tours during half or day tours from Vegas.
Report by David Wilkening
Chitra Mogul
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026