A family theme for 2002 summer vacations

One in ten leisure trips taken by Americans includes a beach destination, according to travel industry sources.

(CNN) -- Summertime is family time. It always has been. Activities have changed somewhat -- from clans using the school break in 1810 to bring in the harvest, to a minivan load of kin jaunting off to Mount Rushmore in 2002 -- but summer is still prime time for togetherness.

And in the wake of the September terror attacks, families feel more compelled to travel together, industry watchers say. That tragedy increased the uptick in the already growing popularity of family vacations. Sure, parents still want couple time, but they will get it at home while the kids are at summer camp -- a nearby summer camp.

"In the last few years, family travel has exploded. But now families are really going together with no one left behind since September 11," said Kathy Sudeikis, national vice president of the American Society of Travel Agents. "If something bad happens, families don't want to be separated."

Summer travel is popular for families because school closures give them greater planning flexibility.

All in the family

Cruise lines offer summer travelers a variety of custom vacation packages.

If "family vacation" conjures up images of mom, dad, 2.5 kids and maybe a pet, it's time to update your vision. Travel agents and hoteliers are coming to realize that when clients say "family," they mean everybody.

"The numbers have really grown this year. I have so many requests for groups of 22, families of 14, or 16," said Teri Yonker, of Witte Travel and Tours in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "It's more than mom, dad and all the children. I know because I have to ask all the ages" for discounts on cruises, airfare or hotels.

Grandparents also are seizing the summer months to corral their offspring and their offspring's offspring.

"When grandparents come to visit, they get stuck sitting in the living room because the parents have to work and the babies have Gymboree and the older kids have band practice," said Sudeikis whose Mission, Kansas, agency specializes in family travel. "So grandparents are taking the whole family away, and the grandparents are picking up the tab."

"Intergenerational travel is very popular," Sudeikis said. "Many families are using a 70th birthday or a 75th or a 40th wedding anniversary to create memories that are passed down and include three generations."

So where are all the clans heading? Some are off to Europe as hotels cut prices to draw tourists. Some families opt for cruising because of the all-inclusive pricing. But a number of them are staying close to home and domestic hotels are recognizing that inclination.

"The trend we're seeing is lots of travel with kids, grandkids and nieces and nephews," said Tia Gordon, a spokeswoman for the American Hotel and Lodging Association. "Hotels are really offering packages for families. As a group, those travelers may have been ignored at one time, but after the events of 9-11, people want family and unity."

A Boston, Massachusetts, chain of hotels is offering families the all-inclusive pricing their budgets crave and throwing in excursions to historic sites, places that are generating renewed interest in the homeland.

Summer planning

Families intending to take summer excursions should start planning six to eight weeks in advance, Yonker said. Memorial Day plans should start taking shape in March.

Families won't escape the holiday price hikes, she said, but early planning curtails availability problems. "Everyone wants to go away for the holidays," Yonker said. "Cruises are selling out now for Christmas."

Another tip from the travel titans, consider the possibility that junior's pitching will improve.

"I'll get calls to make changes because a child's team made the playoffs," Sudeikis said. "Parents will say, 'We would have never thought they would make it. They aren't even that good.' You do all this work to get good rates and then you get hit with per-person penalties or change fees and that eliminates all the benefits of planning ahead."

Sudeikis, the mother of three, said she tells her clients to be sure of dates for summer travel and come up with a plan after looking at the demands of summer camp, swim team, softball team and band camp.

The family-travel expert also has advice for couples seeking romance in the summer: wait.

"I had a man call whose wife is having a big birthday on August 10, and they just had a new baby, and he wants to take her on a nice trip," Sudeikis said. "I told him, 'give her the tickets August 10. Go on September 10. In the summer, families and children are everywhere."