The New Faces of Family Travel

Hi there,

Let’s talk about an emerging trend that’s reshaping the travel landscape: the rise of DINKs (Dual Income, No Kids) and DINKWADs (Dual Income, No Kids, With A Dog). 

These groups represent a growing segment that’s altering the traditional family travel narrative. Unlike conventional family trips, these travelers are looking for very unique experiences, from tranquil retreats to adventure-packed getaways.

Traditionally, family travel was portrayed through the lens of parents journeying with their children. This is shifting to include dual-income couples going on adventures with their partners, friends, or beloved pets. This expansion of the family travel concept reflects a broader, more inclusive definition of family, embracing a variety of forms from child-free couples to pet parents.

Why does this matter to you? These travelers are not just redefining family; they’re also influencing travel industry standards and customer expectations. With considerable spending power and a desire for new, tailor-made experiences, DINKs and DINKWADs present a lucrative opportunity for innovation and market expansion.

The shift reflects societal changes like declining birth rates, new family definitions, and a focus on personal freedom. More than a fleeting trend, it signals deep cultural shifts, opening new business opportunities. The travel industry's exciting challenge is to merge this demand with classic family travel, crafting unforgettable experiences for all.

In conclusion, understanding and adapting to the needs of DINKs and DINKWADs can definitely set you apart, keeping your business competitive and relevant. This isn’t about discarding traditional models but enriching your portfolio to embrace the full spectrum of modern travelers.

It's just how it goes: when the public changes, so does the game plan. So now is important to look at DINKs and DINKWADs no longer as an isolated trend, but as a permanent behavior that will influence business strategy, sales, communication, and relationships broadly. Ready?

In addition to family-travel-as-usual, this is a new way to look at family travel and better our repertoire to stay in sync with people's wants, needs and desires when it comes to travel.

Now let’s head to our weekly curation of the top news, trends, and startup stories in the travel industry.

• Luxury for new moms and babies. If you want to go deeper on the changing landscape of “family travel”, you can't miss this article. It dives into the author's experience at a Taipei hotel designed specifically for new moms and their babies. Exactly: hotels that roll out the red carpet for moms riding the rollercoaster of post-birth emotions? That's intriguingly brilliant and a bit perplexing, if you ask me. “These days, Taiwan tends to leave the postpartum month to professionals. New mothers can stay in one of approximately two hundred and eighty specialized hotels, where they will receive food, round-the-clock child care, doctor visits, and miscellaneous perks such as yoga classes and milk pumping.”

• One market at a time. Dutch company focused on enhancing inbound tourism through technology, Destino, has acquired Doblemente, a Spanish developer of ERPs for travel booking and contracting. This acquisition aligns with Destino's strategy to establish a leading platform for inbound tourism in Spain and the Americas. Founded by Eddie Lubbers, Destino Holdings aims for global expansion, leveraging digital transformation in travel. Doblemente, known for managing over €1 billion in bookings, brings valuable technology to Destino's portfolio, promising significant growth and innovation in the travel industry.

• Easing the way for every guest. D-EDGE has acquired LoungeUp, a leading CRM platform for the hospitality sector, aiming to create a comprehensive suite of solutions for the hotel industry. This merger intends to enhance guest experiences, increase profitability, and streamline operations by integrating LoungeUp's CRM capabilities with D-EDGE's Central Reservation System. The collaboration will cover the entire guest journey, promising a unified and simplified management and distribution system for hotels.

• Heavyweights handshake. American Express Global Business Travel announced this week that they are buying CWT, a global business travel and meetings solutions provider, for about $570 million. This deal hints potential for further sector mergers and acquisitions. Expected to close in the second half of the year, pending regulatory approvals, this deal will bring 4,000 new customers to Amex GBT, expanding its software and services. CWT's integration aligns with Amex GBT's tech-driven vision for business travel, promising enhanced customer experiences and significant revenue and EBITDA growth in 2024. This acquisition is seen as a strategic move to consolidate the market and enhance profitability through economies of scale.

• Rewards refresh & easy pay. Breeze Airways is launching a new cobranded credit card together with Barclays, alongside revamping its loyalty program, now called "Breezy Rewards." The card offers up to 10 points per dollar on purchases, with perks like priority boarding and free Wi-Fi. The updates aim to enhance customer experience and drive towards profitability, with the airline also transitioning to an all-Airbus A220 fleet to improve operations and launching in five more cities in the US.

I'll be taking a little break next week, so no newsletter. But don't worry, we'll catch up again in your inbox on April 11th!

See you soon,
Ana

Thank you for reading until the end.

The content of this newsletter is curated and published by Ana Metz, an innovation expert, passionate about technology and excited about the future of travel.

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