After domestic travel sales topped $972 billion in 2019, travel was expected to grow by 11% in 2020. We all know what happened in 2020, and then travel started coming back strong in 2021. At BabyQuip, we’ve already seen record bookings this year, far exceeding our expectations. After digging into some data, research, and what we see at BabyQuip, here are our top family travel trends to look out for.
1. Pent Up Demand
Family trips are expected to rise by nearly 25%, from 300 million trips in 2017 to 376 million trips annually by 2022! With travel delays and cancellations behind us, in addition to fewer travel restrictions in place, more people are ready to go on vacation.
According to Ipsos, 82% of Americans are in a ready-to-travel mindset in 2022, and 92% plan to take at least one trip in the next 12-months. This doesn’t come as a surprise as so many were forced to cancel or delay travel plans over the last two years. On average this year, people anticipate taking 3.3 leisure trips—the highest reported figure in 14 months! Now that’s a family travel trend to love!
2. The Long-Awaited Travel Rebound is Here
More freedom to travel means more money is being spent on vacation. In fact, 70% of consumers plan to spend as much or more in 2022 as they did in 2019. After not being able to visit loved ones over the last few years, it’s no surprise that large gatherings, family reunions, and multigenerational travel plans are being scheduled again, with small children in tow. 62% of parents happily take their kids under the age of five on vacation with them.
3. Domestic Travel Continues to be Strong
In 2019, 722 billion people traveled domestically for leisure. After the big travel hit in 2020, domestic leisure travel went back up to 702 billion people in 2021 and is predicted to hit 726 billion people in 2022. Planning vacations within the U.S. seems to be a popular idea for families again, with 68% of families planning to vacation during the Summer months and 53% of traveling families expecting to go on a road trip this year.
4. Reconnecting with Nature
The urge to reconnect with nature and explore the outdoors is a hot traveling trend this year. Beaches are at the top of the list with a mass of people traveling to beautiful beach destinations like Maui (HI), Kauai (HI), Destin (FL), Sanibel Island (FL), and Honolulu & Oahu (HI). In addition to beaches, national parks are a big hotspot for family travelers this year as they look for destinations where the family can experience wide-open spaces and simplicity. This might be one of our favorite family travel trends!
Related articles:
- 14 Family Vacation Tips You Need to Know
- Family Travel on a Budget: 17 Tips to Help You Save Money
- Top Benefits of Multigenerational Travel
- How to Reduce Travel Anxiety
5. Hotel Stays are Up
Many families are choosing to forego renting vacation homes and are instead opting to stay at resorts and hotels in 2022. Perhaps the on-site restaurants and available activities are just what families are looking for in order to rest, relax and enjoy a stress-free getaway. For those staying at hotels/resorts during a family trip, baby gear rentals can be extremely convenient!
In a recent survey, 87% of families who have relied on the baby gear available at hotels found the condition to be ‘passable’ or ‘dated but okay’. In contrast, families who rented from BabyQuip overwhelmingly said the baby gear was spotless and 100% safe. This is no surprise with our 99% 5-star review rating!
6. Longer Trips
On average, Americans take 7.1 to 9 days off each year to travel, but with travel restrictions lifting and more people getting vaccinated, travelers are starting to extend their family trips for longer periods. Per Explorer X, a Seattle-based travel company, people are starting to book travel for more than 10 days at a time. This is likely due to being able to save extra money during the pandemic and not being able to use PTO.
7. Sustainability
While you can live without a stroller or a jumperoo for a few days on vacation, a car seat is a must if you plan to drive or ride anywhere. Renting baby gear, rather than buying cheap (or expensive) baby gear while away from home and tossing it before departing from a destination, helps reduce plastic waste impact, and carbon footprint and is an easy (and convenient) eco-friendly choice. You’re also able to save time by renting what you need rather than scouring the shelves for specific baby items. Why waste precious vacation time shopping?! Read more about our sustainable travel tips and tricks!
8. YOLO
Social media has played a big part in influencing vacation bookings, especially among millennials. Per APM Agency, 84% of Millennials are “likely or very likely to plan a trip based on someone else’s vacation photos or social media updates.” This “You Only Live Once” catchphrase has encouraged more people to plan a road trip, stay at an inclusive resort, book the trip of a lifetime, and more!
While using the acronym might not stick, we expect this mindset to continue to be a family travel trend for many years to come. The desire to connect with family in fun and unique ways is evergreen.
Sources: Ispos, US Travel Association, Condor Ferries, U.S. News, STR, APM Agency
Fran Maier is CEO and Founder of BabyQuip, the leading baby gear rental service for traveling families and now offering local cleaning services too. She is a serial entrepreneur and brand builder with over 25 years experience in B2C and B2B internet businesses. She is best known for her 10+ years leading TRUSTe (now TrustArc), the leading privacy trustmark and compliance provider, and as Co-Founder and first General Manager of Match.com.
Fran speaks widely on several topics relating to women in business, including opportunities for women in the collaborative economy, addressing the lucrative family travel segment, women in entrepreneurship and on boards. She serves as an advisor to many start-ups including Portfolia, Women’s Start-up Lab, Sign-up.com, Kango, and Dabbl.
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