For families looking to travel this summer, now is the time to start planning! If you’re asking yourself how to break down the factors that go into a good trip that will create lasting memories, we’ve got your back. Looking at the top family travel trends of the year is a great place to start.
In 2025, family travel trends involve saving money, prioritizing time appropriately, and incorporating local experiences that all ages can enjoy.
So, as you look beyond this spring break season and into the summer that sprawls ahead, here are some things to consider as you begin to plan a trip (of any size and style) with your family:
Sustainable Family Travel Trends
As sustainability awareness continues to rise, families are increasingly opting for eco-friendly destinations and accommodations that emphasize sustainability practices.
Examples of sustainable travel considerations:
- Walkable Destinations: Picking a location where walking, biking, or public transportation take precedence is becoming more and more popular. Not only are these methods of transportation cheaper, but they remain better for the environment and can lead to better quality family time spent having new experiences together with the kids.
- Eco-Friendly Accommodation: Whether you choose to stay in a fully fledged eco-lodge or a hotel that gives you the option to reuse things like towels and sheets for a couple nights, finding a place to stay that is environmentally friendly is on the rise.
- Nature-Based Experiences: Choosing places rich in outdoor activities like kayaking, biking, and surfing helps to promote sustainable tourism as well as allowing for plenty of family fun in the sun.
Multigenerational Family Vacations
These days, it seems that more families than ever are traveling with grandparents and extended family members. This has plenty of benefits, from a built-in rotation of babysitters and groups that can split up when museums, restaurants, and beaches are all on the docket to allowing bonding experiences across generations.
Say, for example, you’re on a big family trip with your parents, kids, and then your siblings and their kids join you. This is the perfect opportunity not only to split a house on the beach near Wilmington or another coastal city, but to be able to explore the arts, outdoor activities and relax at any given time. With so many peoples’ different interests, the possibilities for a family vacation are endless… if you let them be!
Education and Cultural Immersion
Trips that focus on learning experiences, cultural immersion, and local interactions are gaining popularity among families.
Placing an emphasis on the local history or an area, visiting during annual festivals, or even just making sure to support the arts and checking out some live music in the town center is a great way to immerse in a vacation destination. From far-off spots like North Macedonia or London and closer to home on the East Coast right here on a North Carolina beach, there are always ways of taking advantage of learning opportunities for children.
Even better? Parents often enjoy these kinds of experiences and events, too. Learning more about the world is not just for young ones but travelers of all ages and backgrounds.
Explore More Places with Remote Work and Schooling
As we look at the idea of more educationally-focused trips, remote work and schooling play a large part in the rise of this trend.
With such flexible work and school arrangements now possible, families are extending vacations into longer stays, combining work or school with travel. These kinds of experiential learning opportunities have been proven time and time again to help children understand the world around them. They learn from parks, museums, and historical sites and get to journey to places they might otherwise only ever read about in a classroom.
Adding this flexibility in travel means that it doesn’t matter if it’s January, April, or right in the middle of June’s peak season. Families are focusing more and more on taking advantage of fewer crowds as they balance work, school, and life more and more.
Relying on Technology
Utilizing technology for travel planning, navigation, and immersive experiences is only getting more popular.
Why wait to plan when there is so much access right at our fingertips? Family vacations are increasingly being outlined using saved playlists of TikTok videos, Pinterest boards, and even AI like ChatGPT. Following travel trends can make for a fun, culturally relevant experience.
When there are so many creators sharing their best recs, and even Google searches are quick to respond with example itineraries created by combining ideas from across the internet, technology is an ever-useful travel advisor.
Wellness Retreats
Destinations offering wellness activities for both adults and children are great for promoting relaxation, mindfulness, and healthy living.
No matter whether you choose an exotic international location or head to a quaint corner of the NC coast, there are many places that you can choose to promote a healthy, mindful family trip.
Here are some of our favorite ways to DIY a wellness retreat right here in North Carolina:
- Morning Walks on the Beach: You may even stumble upon some guided beach yoga lessons!
- AirBnB Yoga: Start your morning with stretching before running head first into a day of sand and surf.
- Cooking Family Meals on Vacation: Restaurants are amazing, but they don’t have to be a driving force of your vacation mealtimes. Cooking dinner together can be a great way to bond and explore other foods, not to mention you’ll be taking advantage of a kitchen space that might otherwise be overlooked.
- Biking the Cross City Trail: Explore 15 miles of Wilmington’s gorgeous scenery on this multi-use trail running from Wade Park through Halyburton Park and Empie Park to the Heide-Trask Drawbridge at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Adventure Travel
Families are seeking adventurous activities such as hiking, wildlife safaris, and outdoor sports in scenic locations.
Did you know that you can kayak from the Cape Fear River to Wilmington proper? There are so many fun adventure activities that you can do in North Carolina that don’t even begin to touch on the vibrant nightlife. We can focus on that in a less family-focused piece!
Don’t sweat those days at the beach with lots of gear, though. Our Beach Sherpas are here to help you haul kayaks, surfboards, and more to the beach so that you can focus on seeking the outdoor adventure without the hassle.
Alternative Trip Ideas: Staycations
Opting for local or regional travel, exploring nearby attractions and destinations is a convenient and budget-friendly option.
You don’t always have to go far from home for a rich, immersive vacation experience. So, this is a sign for any Wilmington locals here to make the most of your gorgeous home!
Especially during months of the year where the weather isn’t quite so nice… picture snow in Chicago or thunderstorms in New York while you’re surfing, outdoors listening to live music, and sipping on drinks that may be a little more adult-geared than they are family-friendly.
Food Tourism
Culinary experiences, food tours, and cooking classes that cater to families interested in local cuisine and dining traditions.
This might be a scone baking class in London, learning about Poutine in Canada, or catching and making fresh blue crab on the East Coast. No matter where you go, there is good food to be found and educational experiences to be had.
While some family dinners together can be fun to make and promote a mindful night of family bonding, experiencing the restaurants that a place has to offer is a huge part of getting to know a destination.
Looking Toward Your Next Trip: Wrightsville Beach
From Topsail Beach to Kure Beach, Wilmington’s coast has no shortage of gorgeous places to explore for your next U.S.-based family vacation.
Remember, in 2025, more than half of travelers are prioritizing family and group trips, with a focus on outdoor adventures, budget activities, and sustainable experiences.
These travel trends reflect a growing interest in diverse, enriching, and sustainable travel experiences in 2025, and Wrightsville Beach is the perfect contender for a balanced trip fit for all ages. So, as you plan your summer vacation in all of its multi-generational, educational, and outdoor glory, don’t forget to let our Beach Sherpas help you enjoy the journey.
You may be with family this coming vacation season, but know that you’ve got a friend to run your things from the car to the beach and back again all summer long!
Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach locals: Let us know what your favorite family-friendly things to do in 2025 are, and we may just include them in our next piece. Get in touch on all socials at @beachsherps
Until next time, friends!