Family Travel and Latest Booking Trends: Key Insights from Skift Research

Skift Take

Families are embracing travel, fueled by multi-generational trips and increased spending confidence.

Varsha Arora

Family travel continues to be the largest segment of U.S. leisure travel, with more families opting for vacations that create shared experiences and lasting memories. Skift Research delves into the trends driving this vital segment in our latest report: “U.S. Travel Trends Q2 2024: Insights into Family Travel.”

In the second quarter of 2024, 46% of survey respondents indicated they were “very likely” to take a family trip, with 31% showing interest in multi-generational travel that includes parents, in-laws, and children.

Beyond family travel, the report sheds light on broader trends influencing the U.S. travel industry. Direct bookings continue to dominate, with a share of between 55% and 61% from 2023 to mid-2024, peaking in December 2023 before slightly declining to 52% by June 2024. Third-party bookings have remained relatively stable, growing modestly to 33% by June 2024. This steady rise suggests that while direct bookings lead, third-party platforms are gradually gaining ground.

The report also highlights financial optimism among travelers, with 55% of respondents expecting their financial situation to improve in the coming months. This growing confidence is likely to drive further growth in both family and general leisure travel for the remainder of 2024.

Download the full report to uncover more insights and stay ahead of the trends shaping family and U.S. travel.

What You’ll Learn From This Report

• Key trends and behaviors shaping family travel in Q2 2024
• How travelers book
• Popular destinations and experiences travelers are choosing
• Insights into spending patterns and pricing trends
• The growing importance of eco-friendly travel choices
• Travelers’ financial outlook and its impact on future travel

About These Reports

This is the latest in a series of reports and data products that Skift Research puts out to help you analyze the biggest trends in the travel industry. Tap into the opinions and insights of our seasoned network of staffers and contributors. More than 200 hours of desk research, data collection, and/or analysis goes into each report.

By subscribing to Skift Research, you will gain access to our entire vault of reports conducted on topics ranging from technology to marketing strategy to deep dives on key travel brands. You will also be able to access our proprietary Skift Travel Health Index and Skift Travel 200 stock index, and data from our regular traveler surveys.