In recent years we have seen a fair bit of media coverage about the increase of the ‘Greycation‘, or as some people unflatteringly call it, ‘Gramping’.
Research by Age UK found that 52% of UK adults went on holiday with two or more generations of their family in 2012 (71% of those were taken in the UK). With multi-generation holidays on the increase, holiday properties that can accommodate family groups are in demand. If you have a property (or properties) with three or more bedrooms you can take advantage of this opportunity.
Why more families are holidaying together:
- To get some quality time: Many families have members that live long distances away. Trying to catch up and visit everyone throughout the UK (or Europe or further afield) would be a big commitment, require a lot of annual leave and probably wouldn’t happen as often as the family would like. Family getaways provide the perfect catch-up time with grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, uninterrupted by the daily grind of work and other commitments.
- To share the cost: Family getaways are also appealing for financial reasons. Larger groups can often afford higher quality accommodation that offers more amenities because the cost per head works out less.
- For convenience: If you are meeting up with people who live vast distances apart, meeting centrally makes sense. Self-catering properties that cater for large groups also provide the square footage that most domestic homes do not. There is no one family member who needs to do all the preparations, everyone just turns up to a tidy house with the groceries delivered (if required) and beds already made up.
So if you have a house with three bedrooms or more, a large property that can sleep 8, or even a cluster of cottages that can accommodate e.g 3+ family units, now is a great time to make the most of this opportunity and tell the extended family market all about what you have to offer.
What are they looking for?
Top on the list of priorities is typically space and plenty of furniture to accommodate a large party, e.g. dining table and chairs, comfy armchairs and loungers; and separate areas for quiet time should some of the party need it. Do you provide an in-house chef that could cater for a special occasion? Maybe a photographer to capture that special moment? Does your website feature recommended family days out and activities nearby, in addition to nice restaurants or spa facilities (for adult time away when one of the extended family is prepared to babysit).
How do you reach the multi-generation market?
In addition to providing targeted information to appeal to this niche on your website, you could build relationships on websites like Mumsnet or Grannynet. Join forums, offer a free weekend, write a guest-blog for them, or simply join in conversations on social media. We know that clever marketing is all about identifying opportunities and acting on them; it’s finding out what people want and letting them know you can provide it. The more niche the market, the easier this becomes as there are likely to be fewer alternatives (and therefore competition) in your area.
Your experience
It would be interesting to find out if you have seen an increase in multi-generation bookings in the last two years. Please let us know your experience by posting a comment below.
