S.e families are one of the fastest growing phenomena in the sector, that of multigenerational travel. The same ones that have changed priorities, reaching the awareness of what is important: making up for lost time, causing isolation and distance, share experiences safely with loved ones, create life memories, to meet the needs of every age group, be they Golden age, Millennials, Gen Z or Alpha, from grandparents to the youngest grandchildren. They stay for a long time, have an increasing purchasing power and very often return. This is why the focus of tourism today is on them.
Umbria. The pergola with outdoor fireplace of La Segreta, farmhouse in Collazzone (Perugia)
From resorts to villas
Multi-generational travel, which accounts for 30.8 percent of the industry, is forecast by GlobalData to increase by 25 percent by 2022. large hotel chains that, alongside resorts and hotels, offer villas and houses for rent with the same standards of service, as emerged during the last edition of ILTM, the luxury tourism show in Cannes.
“There is a lot of demand from families today for our private villas, which provide privacy and spacing, especially for long stays,” explains Chistian Clerc, president of Four Seasons Hotels. “Despite the developments in the health situation, on a path towards a new normalcy, Italian travelers want to escape by reuniting with relatives and respecting every protocol,” echoes Neal Jones, Chief Sales & Mktg Officer of Marriott International Emea. From an observatory of the same group, which also offers houses and villas for rent, 74 percent this winter will go on vacation with the whole family, especially with siblings (28 percent) and parents (21 percent). It does not matter, then, if according to 32 percent “sometimes it is difficult to please everyone”. The structures have refined the proposals, so as not to disappoint anyone. (Info: fourseasons.com/privateretreats; homes-and-villas.marriott.com).
In the Troisi refuge
In the 90s it was the retreat of the great Massimo Troisi, reserved and in the heart of the most intimate Umbria, as was his nature. Today La Segreta, in Collazzone (Perugia) is the ecological farm of the couple Eileen Holland and Lorenzo De Monaco, which includes the country house and the farm, annexed to the oil-wine company. All around, a natural reserve of fields planted with wheat, cherry trees and a Mediterranean garden full of roses and aromatic herbs.
The swimming pool of La Segreta, in Umbria, in Collazzone (Perugia).
Ideal for a family vacation (the pool has been designed with even the youngest children in mind, the kitchen is well equipped) that you can indulge yourself between experiences in the oil mill, horseback riding, bike or Vespa rides, tennis matches and private tours in Assisi. Or simply by appreciating the beauty that Troisi had grasped for himself. (nestitaly.com/it/offers/retreats/farmhouse-in-umbria, for 8 guests plus 2 in the annexe, from 5,700 euros per week).
The farmhouse of the floral designer
“Often three generations, grandparents, children and adolescent grandchildren, meet. Or grandparents with daughters in their thirties and small grandchildren, but also uncles and cousins. They come mainly from Northern Europe “says Donata Orlando, an expert in floral design, who, with her husband Carlo Kostka, has just renovated after many years abroad in Piedmont Casa Moscata, three kilometers from Canelli (Asti), an early 20th century farmhouse between Langhe and Monferrato.
The swimming pool overlooking the vineyards of Casa Moscata, in Piedmont near Canelli, between Langhe and Monferrato.
Three floors with designer furnishings, an area dedicated to children with spaces to play and study, a nice fireplace to heat the winter evenings, an infinity pool on the Moscato vineyards and a pergola with a wood oven for convivial moments. «They love the home atmosphere, the recipes with the ingredients they find here, in the great kitchen, where they often try their hand at all together. And, of course, good wine and the many cellars to go and taste it “concludes the owner, who organizes yoga sessions and floral design lessons (casamoscata.com, for 10 guests, from 4,500 euros per week).
The charm of the chalet in the woods
The Chalet del Cain, in Trentino, in the Alta Val di Non, reachable from Fondo with a jeep transfer.
It was the grandparents’ cabin. Today the Chalet del Cain, in Trentino, among expanses of larch and spruce trees in the Alta Val di Non, reachable from Fondo with a private transfer by jeep, is still the ideal place to regenerate yourself by abandoning yourself to the rhythms of nature. At 1400 meters, you can relax in a muffled atmosphere, go hiking in the woods, walk with snowshoes to Lake Tret, perhaps on organized tours of the Apt every weekend. In addition to snowshoes and sledges available, guests are offered carriage rides and guided explorations of the Rio Sass Canyon, a ravine with walkways, waterfalls and fossils. Cross-country skiers go to Regole di Malosco, while for the other slopes you reach Daolasa and connect to the largest ski area in Trentino, Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta, Val di Sole and Val Rendena. Optionally, even visits to local farms and producers. Or the almost unreal silence of the house, while the gaze is lost as far as the Maddalene chain. (cainchalet.it, for 5 guests, starting from 1,650 euros for three nights).
A dip in history
One of the rooms of Villa Ormaneto, an ancient residence with a park in Veneto, in Cerea, near Verona.
Dedicated to extra-large families who love timeless atmospheres. Les Collectionneurs Villa Ormaneto, in Cerea, near Verona, is a residence that belonged to the Scaligeri family and a former hunting lodge from the mid-14th century, usually rented for reunions or at weddings. Not surprisingly, in addition to the adjacent eighteenth-century chapel, the Villa has become a municipal house, allowing the couple to celebrate the civil ceremony inside, in the ancient granary or along the tree-lined avenue. Verona is a stone’s throw away, but also Mantua and Rovigo, or Venice, just over an hour away. But many also enjoy the local wine tastings, cooking and yoga classes in the large park. Yes, it is sometimes almost difficult to leave the house here. (lescollectionneurs.com/villa-ormaneto-3997, for 16 guests, from 2,500 euros per night).
Multigenerational journeys in the naturalistic oasis
Villa del Bambù, one of the 9 villas and 16 cottages of Terre di Sacra, in Tuscany, in Capalbio, with swimming pool and private access to the sea.
“It has been my favorite place for almost 25 years. My children grew up on the hot sands of that deserted and beautiful beach. We periodically continue to rent the house and return there. Terre di Sacra keeps us all together, even my mother with her dachshunds and English cousins, to whom Capalbio reminds us a little of the Norfolk coasts. Even in winter, in front of the fireplace, with a view of the salt lake, the herons and the dunes ». So he tells Natalie Rucellai, an expert in communication of Scottish-Neapolitan origins, from home in London, who rents one of the 9 villas and 16 cottages: ancient barns renovated in a thousand hectares that line the sea for 11 kilometers and also host the first Italian WWF Oasis, the Lake of Burano. Nature, sea, but also culture. The medieval village of Capalbio is a few kilometers away and a stop at the Tarot Garden of Niki de Saint Phalle is appreciated by all. Like bike rides and visits to the butteri, to hear local stories. It is the wild Maremma, beautiful all year round. (sacra.it, Villa del Bambù, for 14 guests, from 5,000 euros per week).
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