‍

Based in Hong Kong, the Shangri-La Group owns, operates and manages over a hundred hotels under a family of four brands: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Kerry Hotels, JEN, and Traders in more than 75 destinations. The brand's portfolio comprises quality real estate and investment properties, wellness and lifestyle facilities, office buildings, and serviced apartments and residences. The Shangri-La Group is predominantly located in Asia with some upcoming hotel and mixed-use development projects in Australia, Bahrain, Mainland China, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.

‍

One of Shangri-La's business values and core part of the brand DNA is the family. Projecting an image of strong family culture and Asian heritage is important for the company and one of the reasons why the group launched a family experience brand that would reflect these values and allow the whole family to enjoy travel while considering the different needs of each generation.

‍

‍

Fam.ily

‍

‍

‍

Launched in May 2021, Fam.ily™ consists of multigenerational experiences across new and existing programmes designed specifically for families. This new brand is wholly about the family-bonding experience and how Shangri-La is committed to achieving a higher level of customer service and hospitality that can fulfil the ever-changing demands of its guests.

‍

Fam.ily™ was carefully crafted to truly represent and celebrate the family's values of unconditional love, support, affection, and loyalty. These values are integrated into the logo, which consists of the words: 'fam' and 'ily', which are abbreviations for 'family' and 'I Love You', respectively, connected by an infinity symbol with a heart-shaped knot in the middle, symbolising the love and strong ties shared by a family.

‍

Activity programmes can be customised across different properties and include theatre classes, problem-solving and teamwork activities and sporting events. Some of the experiences offer a mix of active and creative activities for the younger members of the family, such as the immersive adventure experience at Buds and Splash offered by Shangri-La Singapore or high-adrenaline activities at one of the many Adventure Zones for older children, located across a number of the group's hotels.

‍

‍

‍

‍

These children-specific areas allow parents to rest and stay worry-free as the kids are supervised and guided through the activities by trained animators, allowing them to recharge batteries before reuniting with their families.

‍

Shangri-La goes a step further to support parents during their stay by employing leading experts in parenting and child development to help parents grow bonds with their children, for example by promoting ways to improve work-family balance through online chat sessions and dedicated family events.

‍

Families can also stay in themed family suites designed to accommodate multigenerational groups as the children's area, with creative and exciting jungle or castle designs, is separated but adjacent to the parents' room.

‍

‍

‍

‍

Once again, the brand shows a commitment to ensuring the guests' needs are met by providing various leisure and downtime opportunities, making the stay as enjoyable as possible for the whole family.

‍

"Family has always been at the heart of the Shangri-La brand culture, and treating our guests like family remains a hallmark of the Shangri-La identity. With the launch of our new Fam.ily™ brand, and as we continue to introduce thoughtfully-designed family offerings, we hope to deliver the best-loved experiences that will bring families closer together and create precious and lasting memories for our family guests," – Hui Kuok, Chairman of Shangri La Group.

‍

The launch of Fam.ily™ is being celebrated with a UGC campaign on Weibo and Red that showcases the special bonds within families. Followers are invited to post a short video capturing an authentic reaction from their family when hearing "I Love You" using the hashtag #香亲香爱我爱我家 for the chance to win a prize.

‍

This campaign follows Shangri-La's 50th anniversary's logo refresh to reflect the brand's journey and evolution with its offerings and guests while remaining loyal to the brand roots in the Asian heritage and hospitality.

‍

Currently, the program is available at Shangri-La properties across mainland China, with plans to expand further in the future.

‍

‍

The Multigenerational Travel Trend

‍

‍

‍

Multigenerational travel was already trending pre-pandemic. Four years ago, Travel Leaders Group reported that 91% of its agents booked multigenerational family trips. In 2018, Euromonitor International's Global Consumer Trend Report indicated that the rise of this trend was partially due to parents wanting to help their penniless children with their trips. Even more than parents, 35% of grandparents were more willing to pay for multigenerational trips to help family members who cannot afford holidays. A 2019 survey by Virgin Holidays further confirmed the rise of multigenerational holidays, with 7 in 10 families having travelled with older and younger relatives.

‍

Families have been separated from loved ones throughout the pandemic, and now that restrictions have been lifted and social distancing is more relaxed, the time is high for a reunion. A multigenerational holiday is a way to reconnect and cherish the presence of those who were isolated during the pandemic, especially elderly family members while remaining in a relatively safe family bubble.

‍

Considering that most multigenerational trips are associated with life events such as birthdays, anniversaries and graduations that were missed due to the pandemic, these types of holidays become the perfect opportunity to celebrate these lost events. Families are now seeking a do-over and planning new trips to reunite and celebrate in a big way.

‍

Multigenerational travel is very likely to become a post-pandemic trend, which means that travel companies and accommodation providers will need to adapt their offering as they have to consider two to three generational groups with different needs and interests. These travellers also tend to choose destinations that may cater for everyone's tastes.

‍

The common theme across each generation seems to be the desire for authentic, unique travel experiences, which has been a trend for the past few years. However, there a few differences in what each generation is looking for when travelling. For example, Gen Z often searches for unique adventure experiences. At the same time, Baby Boomers stick to more 'bucket list'-oriented experiences that include typical activities such as sightseeing. On the other hand, Millennialsand Gen X tend to prefer relaxation and local experiences.

‍

Regardless of the specific needs and tastes of each generation, a key product in multigenerational travel is an accommodation space that allows generations to stay comfortably together and share quality time. Because of this, many hotels are finding creative ways to attract and engage with multigenerational groups, including specialised packages and deals, experiences catered to different groups within the family, flexible accommodation spaces and unique amenities. Shangri-La Group Fam.ily experiences are the perfect example of developing a product covering all these essential elements.

‍

Certain subtypes of holidays such as all-inclusive holidays, adventure holidays, and cruises always tended to be the most popular for families. The increased popularity of multigenerational holidays will probably lead to a rise in demand for these kinds of holidays, which might also lead to an increase in sales on villas and rental homes – particularly in domestic destinations – as families are looking to stay longer and save money.

‍

Despite cruise trips being deemed high risk due to previous incidents involving the rapid spread of infections last year, they will likely come back for the family groups. As vaccines rollouts reach the wider population, people are starting to feel more confident about gathering in enclosed spaces, bringing a positive outlook for cruises and all-inclusive holidays providers.

‍

Last but not least, the pandemic has also resulted in families wanting to embrace more outdoor and adventure experiences, and even road trips – all growing travel trends in 2020 and 2021 that will shape the future needs of the multi-generational travel segment.

‍