Multigenerational travel a ‘huge’ focus, say industry leaders

Multigenerational travel is one of the key trends dominating the luxury travel space, according to industry experts.

Speaking at Aspire’s Leaders of Luxury conference, which took place on June 12 at Bafta in London’s Piccadilly, senior leaders from a range of luxury travel brands said multigenerational holidays are a “huge” focus.

Francesca Mendola, vice-president of Global Travel Collection UK, said the group has seen “around a 15-20%” increase in the travel style compared with 2024.

“I think for us, it’s just been a very natural evolution,” she said. “We’re all so busy in our day-to-day lives, so I think this whole concept of actually going away as a family with your grandparents and with the parents, and having two weeks of solid time, instead of perhaps just a couple of hours on a Sunday [is really important].”

Antonio Paradiso, vice-president of international sales at Explora Journeys and MSC Cruises, agreed, also reporting a 20% increase in multigenerational travel across Explora Journeys’ two vessels.

He also said the number of generations travelling together has changed, growing from two to five.

Paradiso shared how Explora Journeys is accommodating for multigenerational groups on its four upcoming ships, saying: “There will definitely be an offering that will be catering for this particular share of the marketplace. With the suites, it’s very easy to play with those – it’s the perfect set-up for multigenerational travel.”

Lize Smit, account director at Kerzner International, echoed this sentiment, reflecting on how the growing demand for multigenerational travel has led the brand to increase its private villa offering.

“You’ll see with all our new [One&Only] resorts coming up, or ones that have been built in the last two to three years, that we’ve added the private home element. This is because we find you have the family that want to spend time together, but they also want the space to be apart. Like a family holiday, but with an element of luxury as well,” she said.

While family travel isn’t a focus for Kirker Holidays, Ted Wake, the operator’s managing director, did report an uptick in demand across its target markets.

He said: “We’re up over 10% this year and it’s looking very strong still. This year is going to end up being a positive one, I think.

“Luxury is a different thing for different people. But, overall, for us and for the older, more discerning client, it’s looking pretty rosy.”