There are many travel trends making headlines this year, from rural tourism and volunteer vacations to foodie-inspired trips. But there is another movement making waves across the hospitality industry, giving a huge boost to tourism in Mexico and other vacation destinations: multi-generational family travel.
A survey conducted by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell found that nearly 80 percent of all travelers took at least one holiday with extended family in the past five years, and these vacations often included other families as well as friends.
Dubbed “togethering,” this trend is fueled – at least in part – by increasing numbers of Millennial parents who want to reconnect with older relatives, or extended family they rarely get to see. It is not uncommon for large groups to include grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts and cousins.
Togethering joins multiple generations
In addition, Millennials tend to favor “togethering” travel with their parent-friends and their children, resulting in an upswing of joint-family vacations. Travel industry experts predict that “togethering” will continue to gain traction as more families seek to spend leisure time with friends and relatives, enjoying new experiences together.
Data has also suggested that Millennials place more importance on “experiences” over “objects,” and prefer to spend their discretionary funds on large family holidays, allowing distant relatives across several generations to reunite in a communal experience.
In lieu of get-togethers in hometowns, more families are booking destination vacations, particularly around the holidays when they have extra time off. Hotel and vacation rental occupancy rates have been rising during Thanksgiving and Christmas, times when most families usually head home.
Multi-household vacation rentals
With its breathtaking beaches, fascinating culture and kid-friendly adventure tours, Mexico offers the perfect backdrop for “togethering.” From Oaxaca and Los Cabos to Puerto Vallarta, travelers will find plenty of well-equipped accommodations that cater to large groups.
Some of the more popular lodgings are rental villas and condo units, which offer ample space for families and friends to relax together, and cook meals on their own time. Moreover, vacation rentals tend to be more cost-efficient compared to an all-inclusive resort or hotel, sometimes by as much as 40 percent!
For those considering a “togethering” holiday south of the border, Sea Side Reservations has a wide array of vacation rentals in Mexico’s most enchanting towns, from Baja California to the Yucatan Peninsula.
More on Multi-Generation Family Vacations:
- Hospitality Trends, Togethering: The New Trend In Family Vacations https://www.htrends.com/trends-detail-sid-7776.html
- US News, 9 Travel Trends to Watch in 2017 and 2018 https://travel.usnews.com/features/9-travel-trends-to-watch-in-2017-and-2018
- PeterAMayer.com, “Togethering”: the Trend of Communal Travel https://www.peteramayer.com/insights/togethering-the-trend-of-communal-travel/