Alice Marshall Public Relations •

March 8th, 2024

Gone are the days when family travel was synonymous with piling into the back of an RV for a cross-country adventure. Now, families have their pick of creative vacations that are guaranteed to get everyone engaged, inspired, and (most importantly) off their phones. Tap into the year’s biggest travel trends, like set-jetting, “coolcations” and home-swapping, with these 11 family-vacation ideas designed to get you dreaming — and planning.

Trend: Coolcation
As travelers look to escape scorching summer heat in search of cooler temperatures, Scotland will only grow in appeal, particularly among comfort-minded families and multi-generational travelers. This year, follow the lead of one of Europe’s most famous families—the British Royal Family—and plan a holiday to the Scottish Highlands, where the Fife Arms serves as the ultimate base for family adventures like foraging, stargazing, creative writing classes, golf tournaments, and more.

Trend: Farm-to-Table Cooking Classes
At the Royal Mansour Marrakech’s just-launched cooking school, guests cook shoulder-to-shoulder with Michelin-star chefs during two-hour classes dedicated to three culinary themes—Moroccan, Italian and pastry—each concluding with an alfresco feast of the final creations. It’s the perfect way to get the whole family involved — and, who knows, it might inspire the kids to play sous-chef back at home.

Trend: Giving Back
Travel really is the best education. At The Roundtree in Amagansett—which was founded by activist lawyer turned hotelier Sylvia Wong—kids learn about the importance of giving back by manning the on-property lemonade stand, on Main Street, where proceeds go toward charitable organizations.

Trend: Wild Feasting
We see your humble family picnic and raise you an outdoor feast surrounded by the rolling hills of Umbria. At Tenuta di Murlo, a family-owned medieval estate, multi-generational groups can enjoy alfresco meals amid 18,000 acres of Umbrian countryside (for scale, Manhattan is around 14,000). The property’s olive groves, grape vines, and biodynamic vegetable gardens will supply the ingredients; all you have to do is bring the whole gang—and your appetite.

Trend: Home Swapping
Guests of Kalesma Mykonos can try out the home-swapping trend without a key exchange necessary by opting for a new summer travel experience that involves visiting a local family homestead and learning about traditional island life. You’ll learn how to knead and bake bread in a stone oven, then enjoy the fruits of your labor with a traditional Mykonian feast.

Trend: Specialty Concierges
Forget setting up dinner reservations. The concierges of the future will provide specialty assistance in ways you didn’t know you needed, making your family getaway smoother and more fun. At the family-friendly Nayara Gardens in Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park, a sloth concierge is on hand to teach kids all about the lives of slow-moving mammals—what they eat, how they sleep for 15-20 hours a day, and most importantly, how to spot one of these fuzzy creatures in the wild—and the resort’s conservation efforts at the on-site sloth sanctuary.

Trend: Set-Jetting
The ultimate screen-inspired getaway? A cinematic escape to the birthplace of James Bond, obviously! At Jamaica’s GoldenEye, families can stay in the actual two-bedroom villa where Ian Fleming penned the best-selling spy series and where his writing desk still stands. When you’re not diving into the world of 007, families can go SUP boarding in the property’s protected lagoon or kick back with Jamaican Jerk BBQ at the Bamboo Bar on Button Beach.

Trend: Sports Tourism

Travel centered on sports events and culture is one of the fastest growing sectors in tourism. We can’t think of a cooler place to dip your toes into the trend than Gili Lankanfushi, a private island eco-sanctuary in the North Malé atoll, right around where modern surfing in the Maldives was born. The resort has teamed up with renowned surfing company Tropicsurf to offer weekly private and group instruction for all ages and levels. Tropical water temperatures, consistent swells, and light crowds only add to the appeal.

Trend: Skip-Gen
Sorry, mom and dad, but one of 2024’s hottest family travel trends involves leaving the parents at home. The perfect destination for skip-gen getaway? Dublin’s Westbury Hotel, which will delight more mature travelers with its residential-inspired design, museum-quality artwork, and the city’s best afternoon tea (with a dedicated tea sommelier!). There’s plenty on offer for younger travelers too, with a stuffed teddy bear welcome gift, child-sized robes and children’s toiletries, special turndown service with milk and cookies, and “teepee tents” for children under 12.

Trend: Off-Season Deals

During peak season, 90,000 visitors descend on Nantucket, crowding its cobblestone streets and family-owned restaurants. The traffic alone is reason to consider an off-season escape to the idyllic island, where there are hotel rates as low as $145 per night at the historic mansion turned boutique hotel Jared Coffin House as part of White Elephant’s “Hottest Dates, Coolest Rates” package.

Trend: Urban Gardens

Biophilic design is taking over entire cities. In Athens, families can learn about the city’s innovative climate solutions, like the transformation of a football stadium into a vast urban park, before carrying on to Santorini for a stay at NOUS, the island’s largest resort, which has been designed to resemble a whitewashed ancient Greek village. Rooms are clustered in distinct “neighborhoods,” and most of the accommodations have their own private pools and large private gardens planted with indigenous grass and shrubs — giving families plenty of room to spread out and reap the benefits of being in nature. Even the spa is ready for little guests with creative treatments for kids.

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