They’re moody and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky — they’re altogether ooky: teens in the family.
If you thought entertaining your tiny tot on a family vacation was fraught, then beware the raging hormones of a teen traveler. Resorts and hotels worldwide are replete with clubs, events and programs for little kids, while few even consider the needs of the learner’s permit pack. Thankfully for parents and their sulky striplings, the travel industry is finally taking them seriously.
That’s because teens are major influencers in family travel decisions, according to a new survey of roughly 200 teens by luxury travel company Scott Dunn. They found that 70% of teens are proactively giving their parents ideas on where to trek, and nearly 40% have successfully changed their parents’ minds in the process. They call it “pester power.” And no surprises here: 80% of teens use social media for travel inspo (peers being the other significant source of pressure).
Overall, the survey found that more than 50% of travel decisions are made collectively as a family, giving minors far more say-so than anyone expected.
“It seems fairly obvious,” said Simon Lynch, Scott Dunn’s global product and strategy director. “But the thing that really surprised us is just how little focus and engagement there is, particularly from the world of hotels, towards teens. For example, at the Four Seasons, the Ritz-Carlton, the Rosewood or any of these big luxury brands, there’s loads of focus on 0- to 12-year-olds and then there’s nothing for 13-year-olds and upward. And yet, this is a really powerful group of individuals when it comes to deciding which destinations to travel to and how to travel.”
Lynch says they also discovered that YouTube — not TikTok or Instagram — is the primary place teens go for travel info. It’s sold them on Italy — so long as you leave the Rick Steves guide at home.
“Italy was the number one destination,” said Lynch. “But when we looked into what they wanted in Italy, experiencing history and culture didn’t appear in the top 10 things that they wanted to do. It was food first and foremost.”
However, Lynch cautions that even what these bottomless stomachs dismiss as a snooze-fest can be repackaged as cool.
“We showed them the Colosseum and Rome and there was not that much engagement — but then when we showed them a VR experience that they can do in Rome, where they see the Colosseum as it was 2,000 years ago, they were really engaged with that,” he said. “I’m not sure they always know what they want until they see it served up in front of them.”
Other destinations that are hot with the youth of today: Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Australia, France, Mexico and Egypt (contrary to their apparent aversion to history). All of those getaways tempt teenagers with social media-approved backdrops, locations used in popular movies and TV shows, and the world’s wildest wild animals (which we understand are “goated” or “Gucci” or something).
“Parents are very aware that this is a closing door on family time,” said Lynch. “Their teen will be going to university soon, or leaving home, and therefore they really want to get it right.”
But wherever your teen takes you, slow the pace right down, travel advisors admonish. They aren’t early risers, and they don’t like a full itinerary. They want to sleep in and chill with mocktails by the pool in the afternoon. When you do schedule activities, make sure they’re action-packed.
“They want to be social, and they want to be in a cool place,” said father to three teens Jack Ezon; he’s the founder and managing partner of luxury travel company Embark Beyond. “So instead of just doing a bus tour, do a sidecar tour on a motorcycle. Instead of just going to, say, the sites of the French Revolution, learn about history through the lens of something they like. My daughter loves fashion, so you do a fashion history tour of Paris. See a culture through craft, through a cooking class, through perfume making, through woodcarving. You can also bring teenagers to fun restaurants that are almost like small, mini nightclubs in London and Paris. They get a feeling that they had this great nightlife experience without having to go to a real nightclub.”
Picking where to stay is every bit as important as picking where to go — and teens are very much getting their say.
They’re choosing centrally located hotels oozing cool factor — or hotels they know from their favorite shows.
In Paris, the swish option is also the teen-approved option thanks to “Emily in Paris.” The Hôtel Plaza Athénée in the City of Light’s golden triangle is surrounded by top fashion houses. In London, Enzo likes the new Raffles OWO, the made-over Old War Office where Churchill led the Allies to victory. It’s that example of an Instagram wow-factor that might actually educate your Ge Zer.
The explosion in popularity of K-Pop and Korean beauty makes Seoul another teenage dream. Enzo recommends the Four Seasons there. But for gamers, it’s Japan or bust. The newish, well-located Bulgari in Tokyo is pricey but cool with dark moody moments, epic views and enough fashion interests to excite your future designer.
In Rome, Hotel de Russie “has this big garden in the middle where teenagers can sit down, have a drink and feel like an adult,” he added. For a pied-à-terre-style experience, Kate Lacroix — a travel advisor with Fora — recommends G Rough, a hip and accessible Roman apartment in a 17th-century palazzo tricked out with eclectic modern decor.
South of the border, she likes Club Med Punta Cana for its all-inclusive ease and variety.
“But if you are sticking to the US, I’d say go to Arizona Biltmore,” Lacroix said, noting that it’s ideal for skip-gen trips with grandparents and teens, which have become especially popular. “It’s gorgeous. It’s got several different pools. There’s an enclave with a bar and cabanas for adults. I think that if you have a situation where you have a hard-to-please teen, you want a compound with something for everybody.”
In fact, Arizona Biltmore is one of the only resorts taking an active interest in the sweet 16 set. They rolled out a wellness menu at their new poolside TLC (Tierra Luna Cabana) with mini treatments tailored for 13- to 17-year-olds. There are also teen tarot readings and an aromatic blend bar where they can create their own body butter, scrub or soak. Elsewhere there’s junior pickleball classes, tennis and yoga.
But when all else fails, Lacroix recommends using her favorite secret weapon: “I’d say, ’Whoever acts the best gets the $100 daily credit.’ ”
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