First-of-its-kind Kids Hospitality Report released

As many as 67% of travel ideas come from children when trip-planning

Family travel accounts for 30% of global outbound tourism and is one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry, according to a new hospitality report focused on children's travel desires.

The research conducted by the Wanderland Think Tank features more than 150 insights on trends as they relate to what kids and teens care about, how they influence travel decisions and how families want to stay, play and pay.

The inaugural Kids Hospitality Report is the brainchild of travel consultancy Wanderland London, produced in partnership with leading experts and market research companies from across childrens' and hospitality sectors, such as Data Think Lab and Kids Know Best.

It’s thought to be the first report that intersects hospitality and kids/teens consumer industries, analysing travel trends as they relate to video gaming, board games, toys, publishing and media.

The report examines the offerings for kids at city hotels, looking at "the good, the bad and the ugly" of how the world’s finest hotels welcome younger guests, and how employing tricks-of-the-trade from the game and toy industries can add value to families.

“Kids and teens should no longer be invisible in the hotel guest journey,” said Wanderland co-founder Alicia Zur-Szpiro. 

“They have a major influence on family travel decisions and will one day soon be leisure and business travellers themselves.”

Key findings include:

• Accommodation searches for families have increased by 8% in 2024 alone, while 85% of parents are very likely to travel with their children and are planning to increase (or maintain) their level of travel spending
• A study by Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration found that hotels with targeted family amenities reported a 12% increase in overall revenue compared to those without such amenities
• Families stay longer at hotels than other guests, require larger or more rooms, consume more food and beverages at the hotel, and spend more on on-site services and amenities
• 65% of families intend on taking city vacations, as opposed to other destinations
• 77% of parents are influenced by their children about their vacation activities, with more than 50% stating that they included their children's wishes in their holiday planning on an equal footing
• 67% said that travel ideas come from the children when planning trips
• 85% of parents reveal their teens' happiness is a key factor in choosing a vacation destination
• 70% of parents are more inclined to spend money on their kids for treats, gifts and experiences when on holiday