“Children traveling with grandparents, known widely as “grandtravel,” is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry.

And often, these trips provide not just memorable getaways, but another gift as well: quality time. The key to the popularity of grandtravel may be that it offers something for everyone, even the parents who are not involved.

Grandparents and grandchildren are able to spend time without interference from the parents, and the parents are able to relax, knowing their children are with someone they know and trust. In fact, according to a University of Florida study, the phenomenon of grandtravel has increased 60 percent since 1996, and now accounts for at least one fifth of all trips taken with children.

Indeed, a national leisure study last year by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown, & Russell/Yankelovich, a marketing firm, found that 30 percent of grandparents traveled with their grandchildren in the last 12 months.

Children seem to like grandtravel because grandparents are often democratic with the kids. Though the grandparents are most likely to decide when and where to travel, how much money to spend and where to stay, they usually share the decision with their grandkids about what they’ll do once they arrive at their destination.”

-By Peter Greenberg
TODAY Travel Editor

Today the term “grandtravel” has made its way into the general lexicon, but the trademark holder and originator of this kind of intergenerational travel is Grandtravel.

Grandtravel, based in Washington, D.C., specifically focuses on luxury intergenerational travel for grandparents and grandchildren to destinations like Alaska, New Zealand, Italy, London and Paris, Washington D.C and Williamsburg, VA for 2009.   Helena Koenig, Grandtravel’s started this company in an effort to bridge the gap between these generations and create lasting memories that can be cherished for a lifetime. To learn more about Grandtravel:

Web:            www.grandtrvel.com
Email:         grandtravel@academic-travel.com
Or call:           1.800.247.7651

Watch Helena Koenig, founder of Grandtravel, on the Today Show here!