Cross-Generational Travel Becomes the New Trend for Modern Family Vacations.

Family Holidays are no longer just ordinary trips, but a space to reweave shared time across generations. Pauline Suharno, Chair of the Indonesian Travel Agents Association, revealed that the current trend of Leisure Travel among Indonesian people is increasingly shifting towards small, more personal groups. 

The old pattern of large group bus tours is slowly being abandoned, replaced by the multi-generation trip concept that offers more intimate, flexible experiences.

"People now prefer to travel in small groups, not in large busloads like how it used to be. And there are so many multi-generation travellers: parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, because they value shared time far more now," Pauline stated in Jakarta on Monday.

This phenomenon is not exclusive to Indonesia. Over recent years, cross-generational travel has grown into a global trend. 

Many families now view travel as a form of emotional investment, not merely a Holiday Itinerary.

Pauline explained that this trend began to gain traction after the pandemic period, when families felt the need to rebuild closeness after being separated for long periods by social restrictions. 

In many cases, these family trips are also financially supported by more established generations, such as parents or grandparents.

This shift in travel patterns has also changed Holiday styles. Where travel used to be defined by packed schedules and Marathon-style back-to-back destination visits, travellers now seek out slower, comfortable paces suitable for all age groups.

"Older people can no longer stay out walking late into the night, while children might prefer waking up later at a relaxed pace. For them, holidays are no longer the old routine: wake up at 6, breakfast at 7, leave the hotel by 8, rush back only after dinner. That is no longer the case. Instead, the focus is on their own personal experience," she said.

In the digital age, family travel has been made even easier by technology. Travellers have become more independent thanks to ride-hailing applications, digital navigation, and electronic payment systems, which create seamless travel experiences.

Destinations such as Singapore and Malaysia are examples of how Indonesian Travellers now feel more confident travelling without full assistance from travel agents. 

Efficient Public Transport, accessible digital information, and language convenience make travel very practical even for large cross-age family groups.

However, Pauline notes that travel agents still hold an important role, especially for destinations that pose challenges with language barriers and different local payment systems. 

Countries such as China remain a high potential market for Indonesian travel agents, as travellers require assistance with local navigation as well as transactions.

"This is where we sell Tour Packages for locations with language barriers: travel agent services are still needed to arrange the full tour itinerary. For example travelling to China: people face language problems, they don't understand how to make local payments. That is a huge market for Indonesian travel agents," she explained.

Beneath all these shifting trends, one core thing remains unchanged about travel: the basic human need to share experiences with the people closest to them. 

From relaxed city breaks in modern urban areas to Family Holidays at cultural destinations, cross-generational travel has become a new way to slow down time in an ever-accelerating world.