New “Wave” In Travel Brings Families Closer

July 2 (NAPSI)-Each year, more than 5 million family vacations include three generations, according to the Travel Industry Association. Multigenerational travel has become a growing trend among American families looking to forge stronger family bonds while effectively keeping expenses in check.

Finding an activity both time and cost effective for the entire family can be a challenge. America’s first baby boomer, Kathy Casey-Kirschling, is a 15-year veteran when it comes to traveling locally with her children and grandchildren. An avid boater, she spends summers on local waterways with family and friends aboard her boat, aptly named First Boomer.

“My favorite family vacations-and my children would likely agree-occurred only a few miles from home aboard First Boomer,” said Casey-Kirschling. “Each year, I look forward to spending valuable time with my grandchildren on the water and creating lasting memories.”

With rising airport delays and road traffic hassles, many Americans are looking for family vacation options closer to home. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, 90 percent of Americans live within an hour’s drive of a navigable body of water. With this in mind, Casey-Kirschling recommends families interested in multigenerational travel consider a boating excursion for their next family vacation.

Here are some of her tips to help plan a close-to-home vacation that children, parents and grandparents can enjoy together:

Get everyone in on the action. Whether it’s watersports during the day or a relaxing cruise at sunset, propose different activities for all ages to participate in. DiscoverBoating.com offers a variety of fun activities the entire family can do out on the water.

Delve into details. Be sure to discuss sleeping arrangements, boat and watersport rentals and food preparation-minor details can have a major impact if overlooked.

Make memories. Use time on the boat to share family stories and document the trip through a travel journal, digital camera or video recorder.

Create committees. Include all family members in the planning process to get everyone involved (and excited) about the trip. Assign duties to each person to create an efficient trip itinerary.

Get onboard with a budget. Multigenerational travel can be very cost effective. Determine the cost allowances for each family member and build a budget to fit everyone’s financial needs.

There are a number of boating resources available online, including www.DiscoverBoating.com, to help families in their trip planning. This Web site offers a boat selector tool to find the right boat for every family’s needs, a budget planner to outline trip costs, boating activity options for the entire family and water access locations for nearby navigable bodies of water.

Boating is gaining popularity in multigenerational family travel.