Don’t Forget
Consider other factors you don’t normally deal with for adult-only travel, such as dates that coincide with school breaks, family-friendly hotels, downtime for families and tour directors that understand how to entertain children.
“We have Young Explorers Guides that go on each of our family programs,” said Fawcett with Abercrombie and Kent. “They bring fun activities that relate to the destination that get the kids engaged and help them appreciate where they are.
“It helps having someone who is dedicated to working with kids. For instance, it gives grandparents a little bit of a break and the comfort that the grandkids will be entertained and taken care of.”
Tour directors can prepare a number of interactive experiences for children relating to the destination, such as painting a Chinese opera mask or a jousting match in Slovakia.
Selling the Concept
For your customers that might not have considered bringing their children or grandchildren on a group trip, you can share a number of reasons why this travel style has become so popular. One of the most obvious enticements for travelers is the ease of taking a trip with children without any worries about logistics. Your group members may love the thought of taking their grandchildren on a trip but shudder when they picture trying to organize the trip themselves.
The powerful thought of giving your descendents a memory that will not only stay with them but also help define them also greatly influences potential travelers.
“Grandparents are no longer saying, ‘I just want to leave money when I die,’” said Spivak. “They want to leave experiences. Money gets spent, but experiences never leave us. Giving children the gift of seeing the world is something that is incredibly valuable.
“When you’re a child, you’re at your most impressionable. You can set them on a course for being curious for the rest of their lives.”
