Multigenerational Family TravelMultigenerational Family Travel

Key takeaways

• The booking shows one name, but the decision is shared across generations.
• Families value space for togetherness and privacy in equal measure.
• Recognition and loyalty should extend to the family unit, not just the booker.

What problem was the client trying to solve?

A luxury resort group noticed that its most valuable bookings increasingly involved three generations travelling together. Villas and connecting suites sold out first; the same families returned year after year. Yet its marketing, loyalty programme and service design were still built around couples and individual travellers.

The group wanted to understand the multigenerational family as a guest: who decides, who pays, what each generation needs from the stay, and what makes the family choose the same resort again. Not a family package. A segmentation of the market it was already winning by accident.

Why is multigenerational family travel difficult to research?

Multigenerational travel is one of the most valuable segments in luxury hospitality and one of the least understood.

The decision is shared

Grandparents may pay, parents may choose and children may veto - and the booking shows only one name.

One stay, three sets of needs

Each generation wants different things from the same trip.

Loyalty programmes miss the family

Programmes reward individuals, not the family unit.

Not all families are alike

Families differ by culture, wealth, purpose and travel style.

What did the research set out to answer?

The objective: Segment the affluent multigenerational family travel market, understand how decisions are made and paid for, identify what each segment values, and establish what drives repeat choice.

• Hear the whole family. Interview multiple family members, not just the booker.
• Map the decision. Establish who initiates, who decides and who pays.
• Segment the market. Build segments on behaviour, motivation and family structure.
• Rank the experience. Use MaxDiff to rank space, privacy, programming and service attributes.
• Measure share of wallet. Measure how much of the family’s travel spend reaches the group.

How did Amber & Bull research multigenerational family travel?

This was a Custom Research engagement led by Client & Segmentation, combining Affluent Client Segmentation, Client Persona Development and a Share of Wallet Study, with Product & Innovation supporting concept work. It covers the Spark, Aspiration, Selection and Verdict stages of the Decision Arc.

Screened on investable assets and multigenerational travel history.

Phase 1: Family Interviews

30 interviews with multiple generations of the same family.

Phase 2: Segmentation Survey

800 completes across five markets.

Phase 3: Segment & Persona Build

Segments and personas with decision maps.

Phase 4: Proposition Design

Segment-specific propositions and loyalty recommendations.

What did the study recommend?

Four recommendations came out of the study.

• Market to the decision-maker and design for the family - Communications should reach the person who chooses; the stay should serve everyone.
• Recognise the family, not just the booker - Loyalty and recognition should extend to the family unit.
• Design space for togetherness and privacy - Families value time together and time apart in equal measure.
• Plan for the return, not just the stay - Families that return build traditions; the resort should help them do so.

Why does this approach work?

Our Experience Economy 2.0 research shows that time with people who matter is what affluent travellers value most. This study turned that finding into segments, decision maps and propositions specific to the group’s own guests.

Segmenting by how families decide - not by how much they spend - gave the group a way to serve its most valuable bookings deliberately rather than by chance.

Frequently asked questions

What do multigenerational families value most in a luxury resort?

Space for togetherness and privacy in equal measure, and experiences that let families build traditions. Amber & Bull’s Experience Economy 2.0 research found quality time with loved ones is the strongest driver of luxury hospitality choice.

What is Amber & Bull’s Custom Research?

Custom Research is Amber & Bull’s bespoke luxury market research capability: 30 study types across six disciplines (Brand & Equity, Client & Segmentation, Product & Innovation, Pricing & Value, Communications & Marketing, and Market & Category), fielded for one client and never syndicated or resold.

Who took part in this study?

The study covered 800 quantitative completes · 30 family interviews across United States, United Kingdom, India, UAE, Singapore. Respondents verified on investable assets rather than income: HNW (USD 1M–30M) and UHNW (USD 30M+), with affluent where stated. Heads of household who have booked a multigenerational luxury trip in the last 24 months, plus other family members in interviews.