Uncover Family Travel Trends For Summer 2024 with Booking.com

29 May, 2024

The summer family vacation is one of the best times of the year and creates shared memories, brings us closer together, and allows us to discover new things or rediscover old favorites. Leading digital travel platform Booking.com, driven by its mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, reports that searches for accommodations by families for the summer travel season are already seeing an 8%** increase as compared to last year, while flight searches globally are seeing an increase of 21%.*** These figures underscore a strong interest in travel this summer, as families look to make the most of the warmer months ahead.

Families are eyeing great beaches, tasty local cuisine, and cultural experiences

Almost two-thirds (62%) of families rank spending quality time as the main motivator for traveling this year, followed by finding the time to properly relax (58%), and discovering new places (48%).*

Family motivators for travel play nicely to this summer’s trending spots, which includes destinations famed for their scenic beaches, exquisite local cuisine and enriching opportunities for cultural immersion. Whether that’s the serene beaches of Durres, Albania or the vibrant diverse districts in Tokyo, Japan, these destinations offer a tapestry of places to stay and travel experiences that will enrich and entertain every member of the family.

     Top global trending summer destinations for families**

1. Durres, Albania
2. Tangier, Morocco
3.  Marrakech, Morocco
4. Destin, Florida, USA  
5. Sevilla, Spain
6. Palma de Mallorca, Spain
7. Tokyo, Japan
8. Dubrovnik, Croatia
9. Madrid, Spain
10. Bangkok, Thailand

With over 29 million total reported listings worldwide, in 220 countries and territories and more than 175,000 destinations, families can find the ideal place to stay this summer based on their needs. This includes more than 7.4 million reported listings in homes, apartments and other unique places to stay, positioning Booking as a leader in non-hotel accommodations.

European kids will be the jet setters this summer

The landscape of family travel this summer is set to redefine the meaning of well-traveled children. Booking.com reveals that kids living in Europe will be globetrotters this summer with 42% of flight searches by Europeans including at least one child. Kids living in Asia and North America round out the top three at 33% and 32% respectively.*** 

Some nationalities, however, are emerging as true leaders in family travel this summer. Families based in the countries below are burgeoning a generation of young jet setters who, as kids, not only have the opportunity to enjoy the thrills of flying, but ultimately get to experience diverse cultures, cuisines and landscapes from an early age as over half (50%) of all flight searches from the following countries include at least one child.

 Countries with highest % of children included in flight searches***

1.  Egypt
2. Denmark 
3. Poland
4. Sweden 
5. Cyprus 
6. Czech Republic
7. Belgium
8. Norway
9. United Kingdom
10. Ireland

Booking.com flight search data for this summer also reveals that families in some countries are traveling further afield than others during their summer vacations this year. 

  Countries with highest % of families traveling to a different continent***

1. UAE
2. Australia
3. Egypt
4. Turkey
5. Netherlands
6. Canada
7. China
8. Germany
9. United Kingdom
10. Belgium

Travelers from 55 countries and territories, can currently browse and purchase flights directly through Booking.com’s branded offering to over 4,500 destinations worldwide.

Inside the family travel lens

This year, family travel decisions are being shaped by a wide range of interests and behaviors that are altering the traditional way of traveling with loved ones.

• 55% 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.*
• 48% 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 trip.* Families in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand can now use the AI Trip Planner, found directly on the Booking.com mobile app, to start their trip planning process.****
• Travel nannies may start becoming a trend this summer with 31% 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%) in India, Hong Kong and Thailand.***** 
• Comfort is also a top priority with 74% of families across the globe citing air conditioning as the most important amenity when booking a place to stay.*

With Booking.com, unlocking the perfect summer family getaway has never been easier. Travelers can arrange every element of their trip without having to leave the platform or mobile app. From over 30 different category types of accommodation to flight connections, car rental and local attractions, Booking.com is connecting the trip for travelers across the world. 

*Travel Trends 2024 research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of adults who took a leisure trip with an overnight stay in the last 12 months, plan to travel in 2024, and are involved in trip planning. The sample is comprised of 32,300 respondents across 32 countries and territories, including 2,000 from USA, 800 from Canada, 1,800 from Mexico, 800 from Colombia, 1,800 from Brazil, 800 from Argentina, 1,800 from Australia, 500 from New Zealand, 800 from Spain, 800 from Italy, 1,800 from France, 1,800 from UK, 1,800 from Germany, 800 from Netherlands, 500 from Denmark, 500 from Sweden, 400 from Croatia, 800 from Switzerland, 800 from Belgium, 800 from Ireland, 800 from Portugal, 1,800 from India, 800 from China, 500 from Hong Kong, 800 from Thailand, 800 from Singapore, 500 from Taiwan, 800 from Vietnam, 800 from South Korea, 1,800 from Japan, 500 from UAE. Respondents completed an online survey in either January or February 2024.

**Accommodation searches, including at least one child, for dates between 22 April, 2024 and 29 April, 2024 with check-in dates 1 June, 2024 to 1 September, 2024, compared to search dates between 22 April, 2023 to 29 April, 2023 2023 with check-in dates 1 June, 2023 to 1 September 2023

***Flight searches, including at least one child, for dates between 1 January, 2024 and 31 March, 2024 with outbound travel dates between 1 June, 2024 and 1 September, 2024, compared to search dates between 1 January, 2023 to 31 March, 2023 with outbound travel dates between 1 June, 2023 and 1 September, 2023

****The AI Trip Planner is available to Genius members in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Members must be signed in to their Booking.com account in the mobile app and have their language settings set to English to access the tool.

*****Travel Predictions 2024 research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who plan to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months. In total, 27,730 respondents across 33 countries and territories were polled (including 1008 from Argentina, 1012 from Australia, 505 from Austria, 1001 from Belgium, 1002 from Brazil, 1009 from Canada, 1009 from China, 1002 from Colombia, 508 from Croatia, 504 from Denmark, 1011 from France, 1011 from Germany, 1016 from Hong Kong, 1004 from India, 510 from Ireland, 504 from Israel, 1014 from Italy, 1004 from Japan, 1009 from Mexico, 1014 from The Netherlands, 1015 from New Zealand, 500 from Portugal, 502 from Singapore, 1010 from South Korea, 1009 from Spain, 502 from Sweden, 507 from Switzerland, 504 from Taiwan, 1003 from Thailand, 502 from the UAE, 1007 from the UK, 1005 from the US and 1007 from Vietnam). Respondents completed an online survey in July 2023.

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