Hong Kongers embrace multi-generational travel

HONG KONG – Holidaying as a family or ‘multi generational’ travel is a popular trend that is here to stay with 90% of Hong Kongers who have traveled with their parents or elderly family members pr

HONG KONG – Holidaying as a family or ‘multi generational’ travel is a popular trend that is here to stay with 90% of Hong Kongers who have traveled with their parents or elderly family members previously saying they will do so again within the next 12 months according to a new survey released by leading global online travel agency Expedia.

Multi-generational travellers are generally adventurous, with 76% planning their own trip independently (FIT) such as with an online travel agency and only 24% traveling with a guided group tour.

The top three items that travelers say they would prepare in advance when they travel with their parents and elderly family members are medicines, electronic communications devices, and special transportation arrangements such as car rental.

The top three travel destinations for mutigenerational travel are Taiwan (28%), Japan (25%) and Singapore (14%) while the top three criteria for choosing a travel destination are food quality and hygiene, price and safety and security. The average multi-generational holiday spend is HKD 12,700 per person.

Hong Kongers travel with their parents or elderly family members 1.25 times a year on average. The most common reasons given for the family travel trend are “to give a gift and show respect to my parents/ elderly members“ and “to broaden their horizons as they did not have time when they were young”, while others say their parents request to travel together as a family while others are embracing the trend due to lack of other travel partners.

Travelling with different generations can be challenging. The survey reveals that Hong Kongers regularly have to rearrange their itinerary as their parents or elderly family members get tired easily and are prone to complaining about arrangements.

Film Director and Writer Cheuk Wan-chi loves to travel with her grandma. She shares her advice for a successful family holiday; “It is important to plan the itinerary according to the daily schedule of the elderly family members. You will need to make sure they have enough rest and need to be extra mindful of travel distances, transportation, meals and also make sure they have easy and quick access to a washroom when needed.”

Cheuk Wan-chi said she loves to go to Japan with her grandma as the flight time is short and Japan is clean city. The transport system in Japan is user friendly and it is easy to get directions. “Traveling with elderly gives you another way of looking at things,” she said.

The key findings of the research were:

• 76% of people who have travelled with their parents or elder family members did so independently (FIT)

• 48% of those who have travelled with their parents or elder family members did so with travellers above 61 years old

• The top three items that travellers say they would prepare in advance when they travel with their parents and elderly family members are medicines, electronic communications devices, and special transportation arrangements such as car rental.

• The top choice of travel destinations are Taiwan (28%), Japan (25%) and Singapore (14%)

• The criteria for choosing a travel destination include food quality and hygiene, price and safety and security

• The average spend per person is HKD 12,700

• Hong Kongers usually travel with their parents or elderly family members 1.25 times a year on average

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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