In 2023, the Family Travel Association is launching our new Lunch & Learn Series. Every other week on Wednesday, we'll invite a travel expert to discuss challenges facing the industry, changing trends and exciting opportunities ahead.

The first Lunch & Learn is February 15, with Fiji Tourism! They'll take you on a virtual tour through the Pacific islands' offerings. Then, join us March 1 for a discussion on Burn Out with Heather Davis from Music Travel Consultants. After that, we have a panel discussion on 2023 Booking Trends on March 15, and that's just to get things started. Head to familytravel.org for more information.

Welcome to the January FTA newsletter, and happy New Year to all our members! 

The new year is a great time to look ahead and make some plans, and that’s just what the FTA Board of Directors has been doing. A few weeks ago, the board held a strategic planning session where we discussed opportunities to add more value to members and grow the association in the coming year and beyond. We covered a lot of ground — you’ll hear more about those ideas as the year goes on — but in particular, I wanted to mention a few things.

First, as you can read about in this newsletter, we’re launching a Lunch & Learn series of virtual webinars and panel discussions that will run throughout 2023. These educational opportunities will happen every two weeks and will highlight the expertise of our members. The initial schedule is in this newsletter, but please let us know if you have a great idea for a future topic.

Second, we are very excited that plans for our first in-person Summit since the pandemic are almost complete! While we are not quite ready to share all the details, you can expect the 2023 Summit to take place in the fall. Details will be available as soon as the date is contracted with the hotel.

Finally, we’re looking for members to volunteer for several of our committees, including the events planning committee, so please reach out and get involved. It’s a great way to connect with others in the industry and to help shape the goals of the association.

Once again, happy new year to all and here’s to a great 2023!

- Ken Shapiro, FTA Board President

The new year is already seeing changes in the travel industry, including the formation of a new holding company for community tourism pioneer and small-group adventure operator G Adventures. The new holding company will bring existing and new brand acquisitions under one overarching parent brand, named G Travel Community (GTC). Read more about G Travel Community here.

Research Snippet: Family Spending Outlook is Robust

In the next year, 53% of survey respondents plan to spend more on domestic travel, while 49% expect to spend more on international travel. Only 8% of respondents expect to spend less on domestic travel in the coming year, and 20% expect to spend less on international travel. These figures indicate that travel demand is robust, and currently not much affected by fears of a potential economic downturn.

Interested in becoming more involved in the FTA? Joining a committee is a great way to start. Our current committees are for advisors, suppliers, media, events and DEI. Please reach out to info@familytravel.org to join the committee that best suits you.

The Family Travel Association is growing! We are thrilled to welcome our new members...

Journeysmiths

The Scott 

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