If you thought family travel was driven mostly by stressed-out parents and a few TikTok-inspired teens, think again. The kids are officially running the show.
That’s one of the big takeaways (in so many words) from the 2025 U.S. Family Travel Survey, released by the Family Travel Association, the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and Good Housekeeping. Now in its 10th anniversary edition, the report remains one of the most closely watched barometers of how families plan, book and experience travel—and this year’s results give advisors a clear look at what’s coming next.
The topline: Families plan to travel more, spend more and include their kids more in planning, even as affordability emerges as the biggest barrier and inclusivity gaps persist.
For advisors, it all adds up to a growing client base looking for guidance and value.
The Big Picture
The 2025 U.S. Family Travel Survey polled nearly 1,600 parents and grandparents from Good Housekeeping’s consumer database, examining everything from booking preferences and spending patterns to multigenerational travel, special-needs inclusivity and the growing influence of kids ages 7–18: a trend the report calls “kidfluence.”
“Our survey confirms an important shift in family dynamics toward ‘kidfluence,’ with children now serving as true ‘co-pilots’ in trip planning,” Anna Abelson, an adjunct Instructor at the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and co-author of the survey, said in a statement. “This generation of young travelers is highly digitally native, finding inspiration via social media and digital platforms. The planning experience is evolving rapidly, driven by the next generation’s input and the digital tools available to their parents.”
Key findings show record-high travel intent (92 percent), strong spending momentum and an evolving digital planning ecosystem shaped heavily by social media and GenAI tools. Families are traveling more, but they’re also working harder to stretch their budgets amid rising costs and inconsistent pricing.
Interest in travel advisors, multigenerational travel and value-driven planning continues to climb.
Key Findings for Advisors
- Intent and Spend are High — With Real Price Sensitivity: Families plan to travel more, but 73 percent are watching costs. Many rely on budgeting tools, accommodations with kitchens (50 percent), and fewer paid attractions (46 percent).
- Kidfluence is Reshaping Planning: Kids 7–18 inspire trip ideas through social platforms and play an active role in planning. Parents say involvement boosts adaptability (84 percent), happiness (61 percent) and social skills (61 percent).
- Advisors Have Major Room to Grow Their Share: Only 19 percent have used a travel advisor recently, but 61 percent say they would consider one in the next two years.
- Top Drivers: Access to exclusive benefits (47 percent) and peace of mind and support during disruptions (45 percent)
- Multi-Gen and Skip-Gen Travel Continue to Surge: Grandparents are key drivers—71 percent took a multi-gen trip recently, and 57 percent are planning another. Skip-gen trips skew toward cultural and museum-focused itineraries. Extended-family travel (48 percent) and non-relative group travel (42 percent) are also growing.
- Special-Needs Families Travel More but Feel Underserved: Over 13 percent of families have children with special needs and rated the industry a C-. Accessibility, staff training and safety remain major challenges.
- Digital Planning Dominates: Parents use tools and platforms to search for deals (55 percent), track budgets (47 percent), and research via websites (52 percent) and social media (45 percent). Nearly half have online-security concerns.
- Persistent Pain Points: Families want guaranteed seating together on flights, more family-sized and connecting rooms, transparent pricing (the top complaint) and better planning resources for families with older kids.
Why It Matters
Family travelers are resilient, digitally savvy and increasingly comfortable with complex trip structures, from skip-gen to extended-family reunions. Advisors who can deliver value, simplify logistics and curate kid-inclusive itineraries are poised to benefit.
Ten years into this survey, the message is unmistakable: Family travel isn’t just growing, it’s evolving fast. With kids shaping decisions, grandparents shaping group size and parents searching for support, the advisors who lean into these dynamics will be the ones booking the next generation of family travelers.
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