As 2006 draws to a close, it's that time when we pause and look back, to wonder how the heck the year went by so fast, and what did it all mean?
In terms of family travel, at least, a few trends stand out:
1. Everywhere's a Beach
Family vacationers may have already noticed beaches appearing where they've never been before. In Orlando, for instance, "beach pools" complete with sand and sand-toys can be found at all of Universal Orlando's three resorts.
Paris, France, meanwhile, took the notion of an artifical beach much, much farther, with Paris Plage: "Paris Beach" is two miles of sand, constructed each summer along the Seine.
Back in the US in Hershey PA, Hersheypark celebrates its 100th birthday in 2007 with a bold new addition: an artificial beachside Boardwalk. And in Orlando, at the Ron Jon Surf Park, perfect waves will break every day, even though the ocean's an hour's drive away.
2. All-Inclusives Going Strong
Families continue to love all-inclusive resorts --at real-life beaches --for their vacations. New properties continue to open in the Dominican Republic, a country known for good price points for AI vacations. Also in the Caribbean, the scenic island of St. Lucia now has several AI's.
3. Upscaling
Meanwhile, in Mexico's popular Riviera Maya south of Cancun, all-inclusives remain strong but are upscaling: new properties coming onto the market aim to be five-star, and older properties are renovating to likewise rise up to the pricier marketplace.
Upscale vacation choices are making a strong showing, generally. Club Med's Cancun Yucatan, for example, (newly reopened as a family resort), has a concierge building called Jade Villa.
4. Toddlers and Babies Get Attention
Well, they always do get attention; but with this trend, families with toddler's and babies are starting to get special attention from vacation marketers. The mega-resort Atlantis Bahamas, for instance, introduced " Gentle Travel", a set of special services for families with babies, and also debuted a new waterplay zone for pint-sized kids. Meanwhile, September was a star-studded month with many specials for travel with under-fives.
Also in 2006:
The Hard Rock brand -- famous for restaurants and hotels -- began an expansion into the world of theme parks, announcing the Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach; Disney got more adventurous, expanding its roster of Adventures by Disney escorted tours, especially in Europe; and the logistics of group trip planning got easier, with several websites -- such as triphub.com-- providing online tools.
