Booking.com reports that searches for accommodations by families for the summer travel season are already seeing an 8 percent increase as compared to last year, while flight searches globally are seeing an increase of 21 percent. These figures underscore an interest in travel this summer, as families look to make the most of the warmer months ahead.
Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of families rank spending quality time as the main motivator for traveling this year, followed by finding the time to properly relax (58 percent) and discovering new places (48 percent).
Family motivators for travel play to this summer’s trending spots, which include destinations known for beaches, local cuisine, and opportunities for cultural immersion. Whether that’s the beaches of Durres, Albania, or the districts in Tokyo, Japan, these destinations offer places to stay and travel experiences for every member of the family.
The top global trending summer destinations for families include:
- Durres, Albania
- Tangier, Morocco
- Marrakech, Morocco
- Destin, Florida, United States
- Sevilla, Spain
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Tokyo, Japan
- Gramado, Brazil
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Madrid, Spain
Booking.com data found that kids living in Europe will be globetrotters this summer with 42 percent of flight searches by Europeans including at least one child. Kids living in Asia and North America round out the top three at 33 percent and 32 percent, respectively.
Over 50 percent of all flight searches from the following countries include at least one child:
- Egypt
- Denmark
- Poland
- Sweden
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Belgium
- Norway
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
Booking.com flight search data for this summer also reveals that families in some countries are traveling further than others during their summer vacations this year. The countries with the highest percent of families traveling to different continents include:
- United Arab Emirates
- Australia
- Egypt
- Turkey
- Netherlands
- Canada
- China
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Belgium
This year, family travel decisions are being shaped by a range of interests and behaviors that are altering the traditional way of traveling with loved ones.
- Fifty-five percent of families globally say they are inspired to travel to try food seen on a show or movie, highlighting the influence of popular media on travel choices.
- Forty-eight percent of families are planning to use AI tools as part of their travel planning in 2024, showing a desire to adopt new practices to streamline their trips.
- Travel nannies may start becoming a trend this summer with 31 percent of families saying they would likely allocate travel budget to having someone care for their child or children on a trip. This rate surpasses more than half (50 percent) in India, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
- Comfort is also a top priority with 74 percent of families across the globe citing air conditioning as the most important amenity when booking a place to stay.
