How Your Travel Style Changes Over Time (And Why Your Vacation Home Should Too)

Change is life’s constant. Over the course of our lives, our tastes and preferences evolve; we find new experiences and hobbies to pursue, or develop new passions. A similar thing happens to the way we vacation.

The places we like to visit today might not be the places we find ourselves drawn to for vacations in 10 or 20 years. As family dynamics change or work-life priorities shift, we take on new schedules and acquire new vacation preferences. The places we love to visit with young kids might not be the same places we want to see with adult children, for example.

This article explores evolving travel styles and what it means to plan luxury vacation ownership when one expects their travel preferences to change in the future.

Travel Styles Naturally Change Over Time

Over the course of a lifetime, we’re likely to engage with a range of different travel styles. For example, a 45-year-old who craves adventurous excursions might turn into a 55-year-old who favors slower wellness retreats. The 20-something honeymooning couple seeking romance in Paris might become 30-something parents, shepherding young children through their first Caribbean beach vacation. 

Even if your overall life circumstances don’t change too much, you might find your tastes changing, or you might simply enjoy a variety of travel experiences at different times. Some people are seasonal travelers who prefer a rotation of ski trips, golf weekends, and summer beach days. Others like to alternate between exploring new places and revisiting favorite destinations with friends and family.

Our lives contain multitudes. Our vacations are often similar.

Different Occasions Call for Different Travel Experiences

From year to year, we don’t always travel for the same reason. Sometimes, we’re looking to get away from it all and retreat to a beach or remote mountain for some rest and relaxation. But other times, we’re looking to do some sightseeing and explore the world’s great cities. Or we’ve booked a romantic getaway, a golf weekend, a ski trip, or a special milestone birthday celebration.

Different occasions recommend different types of experiences. They aren’t necessarily going to arrive in a predictable order. One might never lose a preference for luxury vacation destinations, but the nature of those preferred destinations might change. Sometimes we want the sun and sand of a beach vacation; other times we long for the crunch of ice and snow.

The People You Travel With May Change, Too

Vacations are also shaped by those we share them with. There is a difference between planning a solo and a couples trip, or traveling with young and adult children. Vacations with friends have a different dynamic than vacations with extended family. Multigenerational vacations can be tremendously rewarding, but can also require careful coordination of differing schedules and preferences.

Family luxury travel can mean different things at different life stages. It can encompass traveling with small children who need constant supervision or a group of adults who all prefer the same location but pursue different interests and activities. Large multigenerational trips with elderly parents who need to be accommodated alongside boisterous teenagers can be particularly demanding, as they require ample space and amenities to meet everyone’s needs. 

The people we travel with will change over time, and play an extremely important part in shaping the nature of our travel plans.

One Favorite Destination May Not Fit Every Chapter

Regardless of what life throws at them, some families will always have one favored destination. For some travelers, the most meaningful aspect of vacation home ownership is the opportunity to build memories and traditions around one special property. 

But others find there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all-occasions luxury vacation home. These travelers prioritize choice and variety over familiarity. For them, there has to be a selection of vacation properties to choose from. They want an opportunity to embark on a quick city break or an extended beach vacation, a mountain retreat in winter or a leisurely summer trip in Tuscany, depending on their current needs and preferences. 

If you know you want to focus on a single property, direct ownership of your dream home is clearly the best option. However, alternatives exist. If you’re seeking greater variety, models such as portfolio ownership, which facilitates travel to a variety of destinations, might be a better fit.

Portfolio Access Creates Flexibility as Travel Preferences Evolve

For the luxury real estate investor who prioritizes lifestyle flexibility and destination variety, portfolio ownership is a model worth investigating. It is an approach that accommodates different travel styles over time while allowing visitors to enjoy some of the advantages of luxury vacation home ownership.

For example, the Equity Estates Fund portfolio ownership model offers investors ownership in a portfolio of 12 luxury vacations in their Fund, while also gaining exclusive access to more than 65 luxury properties across the other Funds, spread across more than 25 countries. This includes exceptional apartments in major cities like London, New York, and Lisbon, as well as Caribbean beachfront villas, cozy homes in winter resorts like Aspen and Vail, and outstanding properties in sought-after regions, like Los Cabos.

A broad portfolio of properties affords investors choice over time. There is no need to anticipate your preferences 10 or 20 years from now. As an Equity Estates Fund Investor, you have access to a wide range of properties, offering virtually every conceivable type of getaway or vacation experience.

Flexibility Doesn’t Have to Mean Giving Up Consistency

While many travelers want flexibility, they also want a measure of reliability and predictability. Experiences should vary. Quality should not.

Equity Estates Fund delivers flexibility and consistency through measures like The Equity Estates Signature: a common service standard that connects every portfolio property. The Equity Estates Signature is the basis of a service that retains familiarity and reliability even as destinations change. It’s why Equity Estates Fund investors can travel to Costa Rica and California, confident they’ll find the same quality of linens, provision of daily housekeeping, and personalized Vacation Concierge support at either property.

Think Beyond the Way You Travel Today

If you’re currently evaluating luxury vacation ownership options, consider looking beyond your current favorite destination or travel style. That is not to suggest anyone needs to try to predict what they might want to do on vacation in 10 years. Rather, anticipating a change in travel style or preferences may help you make a better decision about your preferred vacation ownership model. 

Do you want that single vacation home that you return to every year? Or would you be better served by greater flexibility and optionality? 

The Equity Estates Fund portfolio investment model is intentionally designed to deliver flexibility and consistency for investors seeking a structured approach to vacation home ownership that will evolve alongside their developing interests and circumstances. This is the concept of providing a different view for every chapter, options for the vacations you want to take today, five years from now, and 10 years from now. 

As your life circumstances change, you develop new interests, and you seek to enjoy milestones with extended family or romantic getaways with that special someone, the Equity Estates Fund offers choice and flexibility, backed by the consistency of The Equity Estates Signature.

Travel with Equity Estates for a unique and memorable experience. If you would like more information about investing with Equity Estates, please reach out to our Investor Relations Team at 404.445.8501 or click to schedule a call. Download our Executive Summary.