May eNewsletter 5/17/23

By Natalie Villar

5/22/2023

2023 FTA SUMMIT | Registration is Open!
The intersection of business, education and community for family travel.

We are excited for the FTA Summit and ready to welcome family travel advisors, suppliers and media members. As a community, we’ll revel in the resurgence of family travel and elevate our work in creating new experiences and possibilities.

Registration is open for all FTA members. We encourage you to register at your earliest convenience. If you have any questions regarding FTA Summit or registration please reach out to info@familytravel.org.

Stay tuned for more details on the 2023 FTA Summit!

Research Highlight: Use of Travel Advisors

According to the NYU-FTA 2022 Annual US Family Travel Survey, 25% of respondents have used a travel advisor to book at least one family trip in the past three years. This is an increase over 2021, when 17% of respondents reported having used a travel advisor. 52% of respondents indicate that they are willing to use a travel advisor for their family travel needs in the next 2 years, which is a similar percentage to 2021’s findings (56%). For 30% of the respondents, the travel challenges caused by COVID-19 made them more willing to consider a travel advisor; however, 70% of respondents said that that did not influence their answer. These findings indicate that the position of travel advisors in the family travel space is currently strengthening.

Limited Time Offer: Kids Travel Free

Alex Cupeiro

If you are looking for the family trip of a lifetime, now is a great opportunity to bring your family to the subarctic, as Frontiers North Adventures has a special introductory offer available for a limited time. When you book on the inaugural Family Learning Adventure: Beluga Whales trip, your kids can travel free, valued at $4,899 CAD per child. Book before May 25 for this August trip. Click through for more details.

Read full article here.

8 Dude Ranch Vacation Surprises

KyAnn Lewis

Until this past year, I’d never been to a dude ranch. In 2022, we were fortunate enough to visit two amazing, yet very different, historic ranches: White Stallion Ranch in Arizona and Ci rc le Bar Ranch in Montana. For as much advance research as I do, there are still things that surprise me about every trip. Usually they’re good surprises. Experiencing the unexpected is something I love about travel. While I knew loosely what to expect, there were 8 things that surprised me about a dude ranch vacation.

Read full article here.

13 Accessible National Parks The Whole Family Can Explore

Elleen Gunn

The good news is that the National Parks Service wants everyone to be able to enjoy its beautiful parks. It’s always working on ways to improve accessibility across all parks.

Read full article here.

Welcome to the next edition of the Family Travel Association newsletter.

Now that we are on the brink of what promises to be a very busy summer for travel, I’m sure all of us are feeling excited — and maybe a bit overwhelmed.

Here at the FTA, we want to do whatever we can to help our members have a productive and successful summer. Whether that’s through our Lunch & Learn education series, or our research, or finding the perfect partner for your next project, please feel free to reach out to any of us here at the FTA — we’re happy to be of assistance.

I would also like to remind you that registration for the in-person Summit in Boston, Oct. 12-15, is now open. We’re working hard on developing content for the conference, but I can tell you that it’s going to be a great event, so click here and sign up today.

We can’t wait to celebrate the return of travel in person!

-Ken Shapiro, President of the Board of the Family Travel Association

Lunch & Learn | May 24, 2023, 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. ET

Why African Safaris Should Be on Every Family's Bucket List,

and Yes, You Need an Expert

Safaris are literally a family affair at Journeysmiths. Managing Director Laura Burdett-Munns’ love of Africa began at the tender age of one. It blossomed during countless safaris with her parents, Journeysmiths co-founders, and throughout her extensive career. Now, as a mother of two young children, she’s delighted to share those experiences with her own family. Join Laura as she shares her family’s extraordinary relationship with Africa, discusses why safaris should be on every family’s bucket list, and explains how engaging an expert tour operator is imperative.

To register, click here.

Our FTA President, Kenneth Shapiro, Wins Prestigious Mentorship Award!

Kenneth Shapiro, Vice President and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West, recently won the Marianne Dekker Mattera Mentor Award, which is presented in honor of the late Marianne Dekker Mattera, the longtime Editor-in-Chief of RNMagazine and Medical Economics.

Check out the full article by FTA member Emma Weissmann, TravelAge West.