In a previous blog I detailed the latest travel trend: vacations for grown ups. I wondered how many of you parents go on vacation without your children. We don’t; but that’s just because we are typically visiting out-of-state relatives, so leaving our child behind doesn’t really make sense. I wanted to know how popular these adult-only trips really are so I did some research and found some startling statistics.
According to a survey conducted by AAA travel, adults-only trips now make up nearly 70% of the leisure travel market, which was once dominated by family trips. Hotels say the trend is a moneymaker for them because by catering to adults they don’t have to worry about maintaining pricey kids’ clubs. I get that; after all, kids don’t keep the money rolling in the way adults do. Pint-size travelers eat less, they share rooms, and they certainly don’t order $15 tropical libations and drop $200 for oceanside massages.
Still, I can’t believe all the hype surrounding these adult-only vacation packages, especially since catering to kids was once one of the hottest trends in travel. And, you know whom we have to thank for that: M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!! Yes, it all started with Mickey, and the success of Disney vacations. Then, of course, Disney begat mega-resorts like Beaches, and Beaches begat Atlantis, which wooed children with massive waterslides and the chance to swim with dolphins. Not to be outdone were the luxury hotels, which started to roll out “teen concierges” and “V.I.K.,” or Very Important Kid, programs, complete with miniature check-in desks.
Perhaps, that’s what did the trend in. It doesn’t take an accountant to figure out that kids programs cost big bucks. The Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire recently closed its teen center because it was too expensive to staff. Then again, there are some resorts that have profitable Kids Clubs, including one we recently visited at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii. They have a program called Camp Menehune and each day it keeps your child busy with crafts, games and water activities geared toward an individual theme, like “Sea Creatures,” or “Surfin’ Safari.”
If this is the end to the kid-friendly travel trend… I’m sad to see it go.
Related Articles:
Travel Trends-“Parents-Only Vacations”
Traveling with Children: Finding the Best Hotel Room
Affordable Family-Friendly Festivals