EasyJet launched its Grans Go Free campaign – a twist on “kids go free” – following its study revealing that 51% of British families have never holidayed abroad with their grandparents. This is despite more than half (59%) saying they want to spend more time with the older generations and 57% stating they’d like to make more memories with their grandparents.
Nearly three-quarters of grandchildren say they would use a multigenerational trip to learn more about their grandparents’ lives, while 23% believe going on holiday as a family brings them closer.
However, not all grandparents are getting a free ride, as many are heavily contributing to travel costs. According to US-headquartered safari provider African Travel, 40% of its family booking in 2023 was funded or partly funded by grandparents, to make bucket-list trips a reality. Elsewhere, 27% of British parents travelling with their adult children say they’ve paid for some or all of the travel expenses (Starling Bank, 2023).
It’s not just finances that can pose a potential problem. Planning trips that suit all family members is often a challenge due to the broad range of ages, interests and physical abilities. In the US, more than half of multigenerational groups profess to finding this daunting, and, as a result, 68% of families want more bespoke offerings to help them plan these sometimes complex itineraries (Mintel, 2023).