When planning family getaways for clients, it’s not uncommon these days for travel designers at Michigan-based Sky Vacations to be asked: “My son or daughter saw this on TikTok — can you make it happen?”
“While younger children may still leave the travel planning to their parents, teens and young adults are increasingly shaping the conversation and are often inspired by what they discover on social platforms,” says Richard Krieger, a director for Sky Vacations, a tour operator specializing in custom-crafted journeys for individuals and groups.
Welcome to one of the dominant family travel trends of the year: Kidfluence.
A newly released family travel survey produced by the Family Travel Association (FTA), the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, and Good Housekeeping, says the growth of “kidfluence” in 2025 has been significant.
It seems children, particularly those aged 7-18, have become full-on “co-pilots” in family travel planning, with 84 percent of parents saying that this involvement makes children more adaptable.
Kids as vacation co-pilots is merely one of the family travel trends identified in the 10th anniversary edition of the Family Travel Survey, which involved polling nearly 1,600 parents and grandparents from Good Housekeeping’s consumer database about their travel plans, behaviors, and attitudes.
The survey’s results also indicate that the family travel market is growing by leaps and bounds in a post-pandemic world, and that a significant share of this same demographic is perfectly willing to spend whatever it takes to ensure that their family travel goals come true.
Here’s a closer look at some of the top family travel trends identified by the 2025 Family Travel Survey, along with travel advisor insights surrounding the latest developments.
High Intent To Travel
Travel advisors from coast to coast seem to concur: 2026 is poised to be the year of family travel. And the 2025 Family Travel Survey seems to support this reality.
Results show that the family travel market will continue its robust growth moving forward, with 92 percent of parents saying they’re likely to travel with their children in the next year. That’s the highest level of intent for family travel since the pandemic.
“I’m definitely seeing a spike in family travel and especially multi-gen travel,” Morgan Sanders, a travel advisor with Travelmation, told TravelPulse. “In 2025, I had more couples and older clients booking vacations, but 2026 is all about family. “
Grandparents and older family members are eager to get out and see the world and make family memories while they can, Sanders explained. And they’re busy booking those trips right now.
“More and more people are planning ahead for these larger vacations,” Sanders continued. “I’m already predicting that my book of business will be higher in 2026 compared to previous years because of this trend.”
Sanders is hardly alone in this prediction. Christina Gales, a Fora-affiliated Virtuoso advisor based outside Chicago told TravelPulse that “family travel has come roaring back.”
“I’m seeing more multi-generational trips, milestone celebrations, and ‘last hurrah before college’ vacations than ever before,” said Gales, who specializes in family and multi-generational luxury travel. “There’s this sense among parents that time together is precious—and after years of limited travel, they’re prioritizing experiences over things. Many of my family clients are planning not just one big trip but several smaller getaways throughout the year.”
Willingness To Spend More
Families are not just increasingly eager to explore the world together, they’re also spending significant sums of money to do so.
On this front, the new survey found that 81 percent of families are planning to either increase or maintain their level of travel spending for domestic travel in the coming year.
To put that into some context, in 2024, the average family spent approximately $8,052 on travel, representing about a 20 percent increase from the previous year. And that figure is likely to increase in 2026.
This survey finding also rings true with travel advisors across the country.
“Families are spending more, and it’s not just because prices are higher,” said Gales.
“Parents are placing greater value on quality, convenience, and comfort—booking suite-style accommodations, private tours, or premium all-inclusives that take the stress out of logistics,” explained Gales. “I’ve noticed that families who once capped their budgets around $5,000 are now comfortable investing $7,000 to $10,000 or more if it means the trip feels special and seamless.”
Not to be overlooked in that data point from the family travel survey about increased travel spending among families is the focus among this particular demographic on domestic vacations and getaways.
Sander, of Travelmation, says some family travel clients are only interested in domestic options these days.
“National parks are a massive draw. And people are discovering the beauty and uniqueness of the various regions around the United States. I’m seeing an increase in interest to places like Boston, Chicago, and even Portland,” said Sanders. “Puerto Rico is also gaining steam. Clients love that they can travel there without a passport. It gives them a sense of security and comfort.”
Top Trip Types Among Family Travelers
What’s your family’s favorite style of vacation when it comes to creating quality time together? For some, there’s nothing better than a beach getaway. While for others, cruise trips are a go-to option. And for still others, European getaways are a beloved tradition.
The new survey delved into this aspect of family travel as well and found that the most popular planned family trips are beach vacations (62 percent), followed by visiting family and friends (61 percent), and rounding out the top three is theme or water parks (45 percent).
“My experience absolutely aligns with the data—beach destinations continue to dominate, but families are being more thoughtful about where they go,” said Gales.
The Florida Keys, Riviera Maya, and Caribbean islands continued to be eternally popular, but Gales says she is also seeing an uptick in European ‘edu-luxury’ trips—where parents mix culture and fun, like combining Rome and the Amalfi Coast, or London and Paris.
“Theme parks are still big, but families are balancing those with more relaxing beach or nature-based escapes,” added Gales.
The clientele at Krieger’s Sky Vacations are also leaning heavily into beach getaways.
“While theme parks remain a staple, our clients are increasingly choosing ‘sun and fun’ experiences around the world,” said Krieger. “Nearly 40 percent of our family travelers are heading to beach destinations across Europe especially Greece, Portugal, and Italy.”
Another family trend taking shape among Sky Vacation clientele involves families renting villas and yachts, an option that Krieger says combines luxury, privacy, and value by bringing dining, accommodation, and recreation under one seamless booking.
Kidfluence
Circling back to where we started, kidfluence is real and growing. Children are no longer just passengers; they are now considered “co-pilots,” says the survey.
The study specifically explored the role of children ages 7-18 in family travel choices and found that:
Participation in Planning: 74 percent of parent respondents with children over age 7 reported that their children love to travel.
Benefits of Involvement: Parents believe that involving children in travel planning has positive impacts. The perceived benefits include giving older children a more positive outlook on life (62 percent) and improving their social skills (61 percent).
Finding Inspiration: The survey also found that children often discover new travel ideas from social media, YouTube, and other digital platforms.
“Kids are driving the conversation more than ever,” said Gales. “Parents want their children to be engaged, not just along for the ride. Teens often request destinations they’ve seen on social media, while younger kids help choose excursions—like snorkeling, cooking classes, or animal encounters.”
And as any parent can attest, this is overwhelmingly a positive development.
“It’s actually wonderful to see because involving kids makes the trip smoother. When they have a voice, they’re more invested, more adaptable, and more appreciative of the experience,” says Gales.
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