Luxury travel isn’t the villain. But the way it’s being sold to families? That’s another story entirely.
Open Instagram, TikTok or even a parenting Facebook group and you’d think the only way to holiday with kids these days is by booking an overwater villa, a $1,000-a-night suite or a resort with more staff than guests. Somewhere along the way, “family holiday” stopped meaning time together and started meaning how fancy the backdrop is.
And honestly? It’s pushing a lot of families out of the conversation altogether.
The pressure to make every holiday “luxury”
Families used to proudly talk about camping trips, road trips, or that one big annual holiday somewhere on the coast. Now there’s this creeping message that a holiday isn’t a “proper holiday” unless it comes with a private pool and a butler who brings you fruit skewers.
Luxury content used to be aspirational. Now it’s the default and it’s making normal families feel like they’re doing it wrong.
No parent should ever have to feel guilty for not being able to take their kids to the Maldives, or for choosing a camping holiday or a value-for-money motel instead of a brand-new five-star resort. That’s wild. We’ve reached a point where mums and dads feel guilty for not being wealthy enough instead of feeling proud that they’ve managed to find the time and resources to take some time off and spend it together.
When luxury becomes the only story being told
The travel industry, influencers and even booking platforms have created a world where the mid-range and budget-friendly options are pushed to the back. Luxury brands have the marketing budgets, the visibility and the power to dominate what we see. The problem is that when that’s all you see, you start to believe it’s the only valid option. Spoiler alert … it’s not!
Here’s the thing, most families don’t need luxury. In fact, many can’t afford luxury and in my experience, kids don’t even care about it.
Kids care about:
- Being in the pool for 3 hours
- Eating ice cream after dinner
- Riding public transport in another country
- Spotting a weird bug
- Staying up late on holiday
- WiFi
- That one silly thing that became an inside joke
They don’t need a marble bathroom to have a happy childhood.
Luxury bubbles are great… but so are real experiences
There’s nothing wrong with loving a nice hotel. I do too. But when luxury becomes the only acceptable version of family travel, we lose out.
Luxury resorts often create a bubble – a beautiful, comfortable bubble – that insulates guests from the real culture of a destination. You can spend thousands of dollars and leave without having more than one genuine interaction with a local person.
For families, that’s a missed opportunity. Travel is one of the best ways to teach kids empathy, adaptability, curiosity and respect. Those lessons don’t come from a kids’ club with imported toys – they come from everyday moments, like chatting to a street vendor, navigating a bustling market, conversing with your taxi driver using Google Translate, or noticing differences in how people live around the world.
The financial reality: families are being priced out
Let’s also acknowledge the elephant in the room: luxury prices are skyrocketing and family travel is becoming unaffordable for many. Add rising flight prices, school holiday surcharges and the cost of food and activities, and suddenly that “luxury family holiday” feels like an exclusive club only a few can access.
And when families constantly see content that makes anything less look second-rate, the resentment grows. So does the pressure.
Real family holidays still matter
Some of the best family travel memories come from the messy bits. Like when everyone was hangry (like, seriously hangry) and the only option still open turned out to be an amazing family-owned restaurant. Or when your cabin had a squeaky bunk bed and the kids were in fits of laughter, somehow managing to turn it into a toilet humour joke, saying “excuse me” every time it squeaked.
It’s a wrong turn that turned into a beach, the campsite where the kids saw their first echidna and that motel you booked last-minute because you were too tired to keep driving. Those experiences build resilience, family stories and genuine connection – things luxury can never fully replicate.
Luxury can be fun and amazing but it shouldn’t be the benchmark for a “proper” holiday.
A gentle reminder to parents everywhere
Your kids don’t need luxury. They need you. Your time, your attention, your sense of adventure, or even your willingness to go along with their chaotic ideas. If you can afford luxury, great. Enjoy it. If you can’t, you are not failing. You are not giving your kids less. You are still making memories that matter.
Let’s bring family travel back to what it’s meant to be – connection, curiosity and joy. Not the price tag.
Let me know what you think!