Four in 10 U.S. leisure travelers (44%) took at least one vacation that included children in 2010 according to Meredith Travel Marketing and Ypartnership. Two in three grandparents (67%) traveled with a grandchild. Family travelers, on average, spent $4,000 on leisure travel last year.
Children are more influential in some aspects of family travel than in others — primarily deciding what the family does for fun (62%), during the initial planning decisions (48%), and planning when and where to dine out (46%).
Nearly nine in 10 family travelers (87%) use the Internet to make a reservation and 23% visit a blog to learn more information about a destination or travel service supplier.
Family travelers are most interested in visiting the Hawaiian Neighbor Islands (73%), national parks (71%), Honolulu (69%), and Orlando (59%) during the next two years. Two in three families (64%) want to take a cruise during the next two years. Internationally, family travelers express the most desire to visit the Caribbean (31%), Europe (30%), and Mexico (21%) during the next two years. [Travel]
Sources: Meredith Travel Marketing, Patrick Taylor, 125 Park Ave., New York, NY 10017; 212-551-6984; patrick.taylor@meredith.com; www.meredith.com.
Ypartnership, Amanda Jackson, 423 S. Keller Rd., #100, Orlando, FL 32810; 407-838-1812; amanda.jackson@ypartnership.com; www.ypartnership.com
© Copyright 2011, EPM Communications, Inc. May not be reproduced without written consent of publisher.