Here’s a statistic that may surprise you: Grandparents now account for one-third of all leisure travelers.  Wow.  Trip Advisor’s annual family travel survey reported that family travel rose 6 percent in 2011, and 38 percent of families planned multigenerational trips.

Today’s baby-boomer grandparents do things differently than our parents and grandparents did.  Not only do many of them have the time and the money to travel with grandkids in tow, they also tend to be more physically fit and have traveled more extensively.

“Grand travel” is a win-win-win.  Grandparents get to enjoy their grandchildren in a way not possible when they were raising their own children, and their grandkids experience a special vacation. At the same time, the parents get a breather and time for themselves.  Grandparents may see their own grown children struggling to meet rising costs in two-income households, and in the spirit of “you-can’t-take-it-with-you”, are offering to take on a multigenerational vacation.  Travel is unforgettable, and these grandparents want their grandchildren to inherit memories.

We have certainly seen a strong increase in demand for multi-generational vacations at Tracks & Trails.  But don’t assume that these are slow-paced, nursing home field trips.  These grandparents are spearheading trips that most of their parents would never have considered. Not only are they game to visit relatively exotic places, but they are opting to try active outdoor experiences like hiking and whitewater rafting.

Planning this type of travel presents unique challenges for both the client and the travel coordinator.  To ensure that everyone enjoys the trip, every member of the family should be involved in choosing activities, and the activities need to suit both the physical abilities of the grandparents and the attention spans and interests of the grandchildren.  The sooner you can get your group together and settle on travel dates, the better we can help you work out all the details. Our customers love it, because an RV trip allows ever-changing scenery and activities, while allowing the group to be together when they want to and to have some privacy when they need it.

If you’re considering a multi-generational trip with your family this year, give us a call right away at 800-247-0970.  We would love to help you plan an unforgettable trip!