Did you know that by 2025, there will be almost 2 billion members of Generation Alpha (children born between 2010 and 2024)?
According to McCrindle, they will be the the largest generation in the history of the world. For travel companies, this means there is a huge imperative to start catering to this demographic in ever-more thoughtful and imaginative ways – after all, if the kids are happy, the parents will be happy – and this equates to bookings. At Globetrender, we call this trend "Alpha Influence".
With this in mind, I was interested to see that The Dorchester hotel in London has been making a special effort to respond to the needs and demands of Gen Alpha by launching a five-star "Family Time" package, so I checked in with my wife and our young daughter to see what the experience was like.
(Please note that most of the images here are generic ones supplied by the hotel - not of our own family.)
We had an initial consultation with the hotel who asked about our daughter's likes and dislikes, her favourite movie, and what activities she'd like to try over the course of our weekend "staycation" (we live in London).
Options included a cooking class in the hotel kitchen; spending a day in the life of a prince or princess with a car ride to Buckingham palace in a classic Rolls Royce; or a picnic, treasure hunt, bike or horse ride in Hyde park. 
Also included in the package is a special children’s afternoon tea at the lobby-level Promenade at The Dorchester, featuring a milkshake topped with sprinkles, bitesize sandwiches, cakes, scones, cookies, crudites vegetables, and strawberries and cream.
This was on our list of experiences to try – although when we got there our daughter was so sleepy she ended up barefoot and falling asleep on the sofa after eating all the sweet things from her plate. The staff didn't seem to mind though and returned to top up our champagne glasses while we enjoyed the remainder of our own delicious afternoon tea.
Once in our expansive suite with views on to the park and enough space for ten kids to run around, a pair of butlers (Vaib and Maria) whizzed in to set up an afternoon movie for our daughter in the bedroom, where a teepee tent was waiting for her, along with a single bed and various age-appropriate toys and colouring books. There were also two helium balloons, which she loved, along with a mini robe and slippers.
While Maria got the movie ready, Vaib entertained our daughter by making hand-spun blue candy floss and fresh popcorn (neither of which she had ever tasted before). There was also a trolley with more snacks – a combination of healthy and sugary treats including themed cupcakes with characters from Sing the movie printed on top (such a great idea), cookies and chocolate lolly pops.
If anything it was all so exciting it was hard to know what to do first – there were cherries from the fruit bowl to be counted, hot chocolate to be sipped, balloons to be chased and beds to be bounced on – but soon we were settled in the bedroom watching the film.
In the evening, parents can avail of the hotel's babysitting service so they can go for dinner at one of the hotel's restaurants, although we chose to have dinner in the suite instead. After first ordering our daughter some pasta for supper and putting her to bed, we then called room service for our own meal, which we enjoyed with a glass of wine in the living room (the suite featured a large dining table, which made it feel homely).
Those staying at The Dorchester also have special access to the spa at sister hotel 45 Park Lane opposite so in the morning we all went over the road to try it out. Children are able to use the 20-metre swimming pool 9am-11am and 3pm-5pm daily when accompanied by an adult.
When we went on a Sunday morning after breakfast in the suite, there was no one else in the pool so we had the place to ourselves, which was very luxurious and peaceful. It felt like a really special thing to experience and our daughter loved the warm water. Upon check-out, the doormen helped us with the pushchair and waved us goodbye.
Despite having links with Brunei, the Dorchester Collection is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and, as two mums, we felt incredibly welcomed by all the staff at the property.
Our daughter had a brilliant time and although the hotel is very formal (which meant we felt anxious about her not being on her best behaviour) no one made us feel bad when she took her shoes off and ran down the corridor barefoot, which was a relief. (That's not to say they'd endorse Gen Alpha rampaging around the public areas, I'm sure.)
Overall the team was incredibly human, good humoured and kind – which is essential when catering to Gen Alpha and their parents/caregivers.
It's also worth noting that guests of The Dorchester’s "Family Time" package who book one luxury room get 50 per cent off a second room, while those who choose a suite get a second room free, which is a great deal for larger families.
Everyone knows about Millennials (aged 24-35 in 2019), and there is now more talk about Generation Z (aged ten-23 today) but the youngest among us make up Generation Alpha. And even though they may not be older than nine, they hold a lot of sway in deciding where their families travel to.
According to new data from Expedia Group, planning holidays is no longer an activity undertaken by adults-only, with 83 per cent of 9,357 respondents saying it is a collaborative experience that includes even the youngest members of the family – Generation Alpha.
They may have been born after 2010, but members of Generation Alpha have ideas and opinions and are already influencing family decisions – including travel. More than half of parents and grandparents said Generation Alpha shows them online and TV content to influence family trip planning.
Andrew Van der Feltz, senior director for Expedia Group Media Solutions, says: “Generation Alpha is expected to be more educated, wealthier and live longer than any generation before them, resulting in great potential for the travel industry.
"By understanding their interests and influence on family travel today, and how their parents and grandparents are including them in travel discussions, we can better prepare for the future.”
With respondents from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the UK and US, the Gen Alpha & Family Travel Trends study provides deeper insight into family travel attitudes, preferences and priorities, and how Gen Alpha may shape the future of travel.
Expedia Groups explains that "technology, digital content and instant gratification are the norm for Gen Alpha". At least 50 per cent already watch online videos on a mobile device, 46 per cent are using a computer for homework, and 58 per cent use a smartphone to communicate with friends and family.
However, they also value real-world experiences like travel. Most parents and grandparents talk about travel with their Generation Alpha children or grandchildren, and 60 per cent note that travel ideas come from both children and adults.
"Generation Alpha’s proactive travel idea sharing, along with the travel-related content they’re showing to family members, illustrates their early influence on family travel today, and may be an indicator of their future behaviour as they mature and start planning their own trips", says Expedia Group.
Although budget is a consideration for most families, convenience is more important than nabbing the lowest price when booking hotels and flights. More than half of family travellers choose the fastest routes, and about 40 per cent go for accommodation based on location and family needs.
The study found that a variety of online and offline resources play a role in family trip planning and booking, including travel review sites or online travel agencies (63 per cent). More than four in ten people get advice from search engines, colleagues, friends or family – including Gen Alpha.
Social media, online videos and online advertising can also be influential for families, especially ads with appealing images, deals and informative content.
However, ideas and opinions from multiple family members may be contributing to "destination indecision" around holidays, as 71 per cent are trying to decide between two or more destinations or don’t have a destination in mind when they first decide to book time away.
When planning family trips, an overwhelming majority of parents and grandparents (95 per cent) said keeping their family entertained and happy was "incredibly important", and 89 per cent look for the best deals and value.
Overall, fun is the priority, along with a safe and child-friendly environment. Things that families look out for include theme parks and attractions (74 per cent), water activities (67 per cent) and outdoor activities (55 per cent).
On average, travellers with Gen Alphas take more than three holidays a year. However, most are domestic.
[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]ccording to a study by cruise company Royal Caribbean International, Generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2010) have a powerful influence on the holiday-booking decisions their parents make.
The research shows that 95 per cent of parents believe their children's happiness is more important when going abroad and consult with their offspring about what they want from a trip before booking.
Generational expert Dr Paul Redmond says: "For the travel industry, Generation Z is an incredibly important cohort. Not only do they exert a powerful influence on their Generation X parents – who are extremely tuned into their well-being and personal development – but they are a generation that care more for experiences than possessions.
"Moreover, as a generation which has grown up with more digital technology at their fingertips than NASA used to launch the Space Shuttle, they expect to see innovation embedded in the experiences around them."
Redmond continues: "Gen Z seek out experiences that can be shared with others; they want variety, choice and options and – even more importantly – a certain amount of autonomy and independence from Mum and Dad.
"It's so important that the travel industry listens to them – the annual, two week 'fly and flop' holiday on the beach is not going to cut it for them and holiday companies will need to take this into consideration when shaping the holidays of the future."
Royal Caribbean International spoke to a handful of youngsters who highlighted activities such as Thai boxing, squash and rock climbing, as well as exploring new cultures, swimming with dolphins, making friends and ice cream.
Demonstrating its belief in the power of Gen Z, the cruise company has appointed these children as consultants for its forthcoming ships to "help future-proof its family holiday proposition".
They will share their feedback directly with Royal Caribbean International's president and CEO, Michael Bayley, and their first task will be to assess the Independence of the Seas following the ship's multi-million pound makeover this month.
Although a bit of a marketing gimmick, the cruise company is on to the right idea in listening to what younger generations want from the travel experience. "Pester power" has always been acknowledged as an effective way to manipulate parents and even when children don't use this tactic, care givers are just as prone to more subtle means of manipulation when booking a holiday. Just look at the success of Disney World.
A final note – the group of kids Royal Caribbean International has chosen are aged between about six and 11. Strictly speaking, those under age eight belong to Generation Alpha, and the company has neglected to consult with older Gen Z reps in the form of teenagers and even those in their very early twenties who might still holiday with their parents.
According to The New York Times, there are more than 2.5 million Gen Alphas born globally every week. When they have all been born (2025), they will number almost two billion.
