Serve up Family Fun this Spring Break

Spring is on its way! For much of the world, warmer weather is just around the corner—a welcome respite from the winter doldrums. For many students attending pre-school through college, the coming of spring means a vacation from mid-term studies. And, wouldn’t you know it, the revelry coincides with the Easter holidays. It’s the perfect storm, and people of all ages share one big travel dream: spring break.

Let’s take a look at what to expect from this year’s family-style spring breakers. Their plans are underway, so it’s the perfect time for travel suppliers to catch their eye with attractive fun-in-the-sun offers and win some bookings.

2017 Hot Spots
Sojern’s latest installment of their Global Travel Insights reveals travelers’ April search trends and top destinations, of particular interest to the spring break marketers. While the data includes all searches—not just those revolving around a spring break trip, specifically—Sojern notes that for each region, there is some combination of a spring break, national holiday, or religious holiday that’s driving travel intention and influencing search behavior.

North America
Beach:

• Miami
• Cancun
• Honolulu
• Fort Myers
• San Juan

Metropolitan:

• London
• New York City
• Los Angeles
• Paris
• Phoenix

Sightseeing/Recreational:

• Orlando
• Las Vegas
• Boston
• Denver
• New Orleans

Europe

Overall:

• New York City
• London
• Paris
• Barcelona
• Lisbon

Beach:

• Barcelona
• Palma de Mallorca
• Malaga
• Miami
• Alicante

Asia-Pacific

Beach:

• Singapore
• Bali
• Sydney
• Melbourne
• Barcelona

Metropolitan:

• Tokyo
• Singapore
• Seoul
• Taipei
• London

Sightseeing/Recreational:

• Osaka
• Bangkok
• Sydney
• Auckland
• Nagoya

Attracting the Family Traveler
Travelers have lots of options for how they spend their free time. Do they want to warm up under the sun or cool down on the slopes? Or perhaps they’d prefer to soak up local culture, visiting historical sites while shopping and eating. Regardless, hoteliers can make their stays comfortable and enjoyable, via amenities and programs designed specifically for families. For instance:

• Holiday Inn’s Montego Bay KidSuites. These special family-friendly rooms feature a kids-only area with bunk beds and a TV programmed with kids’ cable channels. Plus, kids eat for free.
• Embassy Suites offers #PrettyGreat Travel Hacks to make family travel easier and less of a hassle.
• Marriott Rewards launched MAX!, an exclusive kids’ program offering fun, property-curated opportunities for children, encouraging them to “Be Active, Stay Curious, Go Explore, and Just Relax.”

Airlines, too, can get in on the family action by designing loyalty programs around family needs. JetBlue, for one, offers Family Pooling of loyalty points, enabling every member of the family to earn, contribute, track and enjoy reward points together. Plus, the airline offers free stroller and car seat check and free onboard entertainment for kids.

Spring Break is Just the Beginning
In 2017 and beyond, travel suppliers will be looking for new ways to appeal to today’s family traveler. Spring break is an excellent time to introduce families to a fresh range of services that are sure to provide an exceptional experience—one they may want to revisit time and time again, and not just in the spring months. Loyalty programs are an easy way to keep customers engaged, but making sure the kids are having fun might be the way to win their hearts.