We've all heard of (and likely follow some) travel influencers — social media pros who post photos and videos designed to inspire people to go someplace and do (or very often eat or drink) something. But there’s a new term in town — “kidfluence”— and it’s probably not what you think.
The 2025 U.S. Family Travel Survey conducted by the Family Travel Association (FTA) highlights kidfluence as a notable trend, confirming that adults are no longer the sole decision-makers when it comes to planning family vacations. In fact, the study shows that kids between the ages of 7 and 18 have become the "co-pilots" of their family’s vacations.
"Our survey confirms an important shift in family dynamics toward kidfluence,” said Anna Abelson, co-author of the survey and adjunct instructor at Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, part of New York University’s School of Professional Studies. “The positive results of involving them are clear, with 61% of parents reporting that involving children in travel planning positively impacts their child's happiness and engagement during the trip.”
And that’s something all parents want.
Involving children in travel planning positively impacts their happiness and engagement during the trip.
Credit: 2025 Go Alaska When it comes to vacations, happy kids mean happy parents.
“When it comes to vacations, happy kids mean happy parents, so I encourage clients to include their kids in the planning whenever possible,” said travel advisor Krista Weaver of Hi Ho Vacations.
How Are Kids Influencing Travel Decisions?
When kids are involved in a trip booking, Weaver presents several options for families to review together, which can be particularly important for active destinations where young travelers may have strong preferences — pro or con — about embarking on a rafting experience or braving a zipline, for example.
Tapping into kids' interests is a great way to involve them in vacation planning.
Credit: 2025 Go HawaiiJordana Izzo, a Travelmation advisor, agrees.
"I love that families are involving their children in planning their vacations, and there are many ways to involve them from start to finish,” she said. “I’ve noticed parents asking what restaurants kids would like to eat at, what excursions they would like to experience or maybe even what destinations to visit.”
The FTA survey not only asked parents and grandparents if children participate in the vacation planning process, but also how they contribute. Many report that younger family members share travel suggestions they find through social media and other digital platforms. This aspect of kidfluence, Abelson said, has caused the entire planning experience to evolve, becoming “more driven by the next generation's input."
Tapping into kids' interests or reinforcing subjects they’re learning about in school are other ways to involve them in the process, notes Danielle Stokes of Elandra, an independent affiliate of 1000 Mile Travel Group.
"One family's son started skiing, so they've taken a few trips with that as the focus," she said. "I have also had instances when kids are learning [something specific] about history, so the family wants to visit a [related] historical destination."
When kids are learning about a specific portion of or moment in history, families might visit a related historical destination.
Credit: 2025 Visit PhiladelphiaSometimes, Weaver says, a child's involvement may be indirect, but still equally important in creating a positive vacation experience.
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“I had a client [planning a Disney cruise] who shared that her daughter’s favorite Disney princess is Belle from ‘Beauty and the Beast,’” Weaver said. “I suggested they look at Disney Dream or Disney Treasure, where [‘Beauty and the Beast’] is one of the main theater shows onboard. So, while the child wasn't necessarily helping plan the trip, she will have a vested interest in the activities.”
And when a family vacation is also a milestone celebration, such as a high school or college graduation, Weaver says the "kids" often take the lead.
“I work with a lot of families who want to give their kids a special experience for such a big achievement,” she said. “In these cases, the kids are often completely in charge, which creates an opportunity for the family to work together to plan these wonderful trips.”
Kids who participate in planning their family's vacations tend to also more open to new experiences at home.
Credit: 2025 Go Hawaii
A recent travel trends survey
from luxury travel company Scott Dunn
reinforces the kidfluencer dynamic, with 80% of teens reporting they use
TikToK and Instagram for travel inspiration. In addition, over 70% said they share
their ideas about where their family should vacation with their parents, and
nearly 40% bragged that they’ve successfully changed their
parents’ minds regarding destination choice.
In response to these findings, says Simon Lynch, the
brand’s global product & strategy director, Scott Dunn is launching new
itineraries and experiences in 2026 “designed for and by” teenage guests,
including independent experiences curated just for young travelers.
Oher Benefits of Letting Kids Help Plan Travel
According to Peter Bopp, research advisor for the FTA and co-author of the survey, many of the families polled associate several positive outcomes from traveling, including bringing their family closer together (85%), enriching their kids' education (77%) and making their children better global citizens (68%). An additional benefit of the kidfluence dynamic? Parents report that kids who participate in planning their family's vacations are also more open to new experiences at home.
Not discounting the many plusses of kidfluence, Izzo points out that there are also benefits to a well-executed reveal.
“Although family involvement seems to be the new way of family vacation planning, I still have clients who love to surprise their children with a trip a few days before or even up until getting to the airport," she said.
