Multigenerational family travel keeps getting bigger and Oahu is ideal for these group travelers. Today’s families are looking for experiences that provide real connections, adventure, and an opportunity to give back.

Oahu’s unique combination of urban and country settings coupled with its constantly evolving selection of activities provides family groups with an unrivaled diversity of experiences that enable visitors to immerse themselves in authentic Hawaiian moments. Oahu is also ideal for multigenerational family celebration like weddings, anniversaries, vow renewals, and significant birthdays with its diversity of resorts and venues perfect for big groups and celebrations. What’s more, Oahu is easy to access from the mainland and it’s just getting better. Delta will begin service between Detroit in June. Hawaiian Airlines will start flying nonstop between Boston and Honolulu come April. And Southwest Airlines will soon launch Hawaii non-stop service from Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, and Sacramento. Build your Oahu business by tapping into the powerful multigenerational family market.

Today’s traveling families want to share unique experiences that enable them to make real connections and a positive impact in the destinations they visit. On Oahu, visitors can take part in a major reforestation effort while enjoying spectacular North Shore scenery with Hawaiian Legacy Tours at Gunstock Ranch.

“Planting a tree is a deeply meaningful way to honor a family member or loved one while giving back to the local community,” explains Jeff Dunster, executive director of the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative.

Visitors select, plant, and dedicate their own Legacy Tree in the Oahu Legacy Forest at Gunstock Ranch. Once home, they can track the location and growth of their tree online via radio-frequency identification (RFID). A photo and video of each family planting their tree is permanently linked to their tree online. At Gunstock Ranch, guests can plant their trees on the Planter’s Experience or enhance their day with horseback riding, off road touring, or even a helicopter adventure which all showcase the magnificent surroundings and ocean views.

“Planting trees on Oahu connects families to Hawaii and to the next generation while giving people a reason to return here,” continues Dunster. “Families come back to see their trees and others come to see trees that were planted in their names. They are then inspired to plant trees themselves. One family even planted a family forest of one-thousand trees.”

“People have celebrated weddings and anniversaries with tree plantings. One family with 17 members came and planted trees for their grandparents. There is rarely a dry eye when people plant their trees. One guest told me who surprised she was by how much she had to say to her tree,” explains Lilia Tollfesen, chief operating officer at Gunstock Ranch

The Oahu Legacy Forest at Gunstock Ranch was launched one year ago and will eventually cover 500 acres of the 900-acre property. Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative launched their first Legacy Forest on Hawaii Island a decade ago where there are now over 400,000 trees on 1,200 acres at Kukaiau Ranch and a 700-acre Legacy Forest at Kahua Ranch.

Just a year in, the reforestation effort at Gunstock Ranch has been very special according to Tollfesen: “Most trees have a story because they are planted by people who want to do something for the Earth. Tree planting has created a unique opportunity for people to come, connect, and give back to the land. People get their hands dirty and feel the mana or spirit of the plants and the land.”

Families become directly involved in a truly sustainable project when tree planting at Gunstock Ranch. “Helping restore the Hawaiian forest allows visitors to make a lasting impact,” says Dunster. “Families become more than just visitors, they become part of the environmental and cultural fabric of Hawaii.”

Oahu is home to exceptional companies ready to ensure that your multigenerational family groups experience The Heart of Hawaii in both significant and memorable ways.

Malama Loko Ea Foundation
While sustainability is ever more important in today’s world, it was a value long practiced by ancient Hawaiians. For thousands of years before contact with the West, Hawaiians lived in self-sustaining ahupuaa — pie-shaped, mountain to sea land divisions. As part of their ahupuaa system, Hawaiians built walled fishponds that provided them with a steady supply of fish. On the North Shore, Malama Loka Ea Foundation has been restoring 400-year-old Loko Ea Fishpond so it can again become a thriving resource of fish for the community. The Foundation is also an educational platform where students and community members learn and practice land stewardship and Hawaiian culture as a way of life while they gain knowledge of traditional Hawaiian practices. The Foundation enables locals and visitors to experience the ingenuity of traditional Hawaiian land stewardship and understand how that indigenous knowledge is so applicable today. Your clients are welcome on two different Loko Ea tours: the Hololea Tour and Hoohui Eco Tour. The Foundation also welcomes visitors at Loka Ea Community Work Days, the third Saturday of each month, which include rock wall building, invasive grass removal, and the opportunity to learn about the history of the area, the fishpond, and Hawaiian values.

Hawaii Forest & Trail
Hawaii Forest & Trail (HF&T) has offered phenomenal ecotours on Hawaii Island for years and recently inaugurated three new Oahu tours. HF&T’s professional, certified guides are passionate about Hawaii’s natural world and enthusiastic about sharing it. The company’s unique interpretive approach ensures that guests make a deep and meaningful connection to Hawaii. And HF&T’s exclusive access to private lands provides unique guest experiences. The Farm to Forest Experience in West Oahu is a one-of-a-kind journey featuring a cutting edge community based organic farm, a farm-to-fork lunch showcasing local produce, and hiking on private lands in the uplands of Waianae with outstanding views. The Honolulu Heights Tours looks at Honolulu’s natural wonders from a geological, historical, and cultural perspective and features Diamond Head, Nuuanu Pali Lookout, and Lyon Arboretum. The Bird & Wildlife Tour tracks native and exotic species across Oahu’s West Coast, from a private access forest reserve high in the Waianae Mountains to the beaches and wetlands below.

Blue Hawaii Private & Photo Tours
Marie Turner is well known for her two distinct companies: Blue Hawaii Private Tours and Blue Hawaii Photo Tours, each offering visitors customized Oahu experiences. Blue Hawaii Private Tours are ideal for multigenerational family groups looking for unique and curated ways to immerse themselves in Oahu. Every tour featured on the website — Best of Oahu, Pearl Harbor, and the new Food & Sightseeing tour — is tailored to each family group so that everyone is happy, engaged, and inspired by the best that Oahu has to offer. Visiting Oahu with Marie provides your clients with a personalized and memorable day on smaller vehicles away from the crowds. Blue Hawaii Photo Tours may also be booked for families but children must be at least age 11 and up. Travel agents are paid a 20 percent referral fee.

Captain Bruce Yacht Charters
There’s nothing like seeing Oahu from the water and Bruce Morita of Captain Bruce Yacht Charters has offered passengers stylish private off shore experiences for 35 years. Multigenerational family groups can enjoy adventures aboard Serendipity, the spacious, comfortable 47-foot luxury motor yacht that accommodates up to 12 passengers or the 40-foot Moana luxury cruiser which welcomes up to six guests. All Captain Bruce charters are customized and private so that families don’t have to meet a predetermined schedule. Your Waikiki based clients can opt for sunrise, daytime, sunset, or Friday night fireworks cruises leaving from Kewalo Basin. The private charters are a minimum of two hours and go up to eight hours. Longer charters from Waikiki can even head to Ko Olina on Oahu’s West Side where there are plentiful dolphin sightings. Some guests opt to enjoy lunch at one of the hotels and take a limo back to Waikiki. Visitors to Oahu can also book charters right from the Ko Olina Marina and spend all their time enjoying the crystal-clear waters and beautiful coastline of Oahu’s Leeward Coast. Captain Bruce offers wonderful whale watching charters from December through May. In addition, the company now offers an exclusive Airport Shuttle aboard the Moana from Keehi Small Boat Harbor to Ko Olina which is a 90-minute ride to and cruise around Ko Olina Resort.

Hula with Aloha
Six days a week, Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest outdoor mall, offers a wonderful hula show at Centerstage along with a keiki (kids) hula performance on Sunday. Now your clients can take hula lessons with some of Hawaii’s most noted kumu hula (hula masters) at Hula With Aloha, right at Ala Moana Center. Hula With Aloha was founded by Kapua Dalire-Moe, the cultural advisor of the Ala Moana Hula Show and a well-known kumu hula. At Hula With Aloha, visitors learn hula with a network of award-winning kumu hula who usually only teach through private hula halau (hula schools). Classes here provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity to enjoy a Hawaiian cultural experience with experts and understand how hula tells the story of the culture. Along with hula classes, Hula With Aloha offers Hawaiian cultural activities such as lei making, storytelling, and lauhala weaving. Classes are offered Monday – Friday from 9 am – 3 pm. Customized classes can also be scheduled for special groups such as bridal parties and multigenerational family groups.

Pedego Bikes
Pedego Bikes, the number one electric bike brand in the U.S., provide a fun and environmentally friendly way for families to explore Waikiki and beyond while getting exercise. Riders of different ages can choose the model that best fits their fitness and energy levels. Your family clients can simply rent the colorful Pedego bikes, book a customized tour, or enjoy one of two organized tours: the Diamond Head Hike and Kahala Excursion or the E-Bike Waikiki and Beyond Tour. When it comes to custom tours, the folks at Pedego Bikes have organized cycling and snorkeling trips to Hanauma Bay with a ride to Makapuu Point as well as a ride and hike to Manoa Falls. The owners of the locally owned Pedego Bike shop will be happy to create a special adventure for your clients.

Segway of Hawaii
Segway of Hawaii provides another family friendly way to see Oahu. And Segway Personal Transporters (PTs) are easy for anyone to master according to the company. In fact, every tour begins with personalized training by the expert Segway guides who teach guests how to glide on their own Segway PTs. With offices in Waikiki and Kakaako, your clients can choose the one with the tours they most want to take. From Waikiki, your travelers can take advantage of the Diamond Head Waikiki Tour, the Sunset to Diamond Head Tour, the Kapiolani Park Tour, and the Waikiki Segway Intro Tour. Kakaako, the trendsetting Honolulu neighborhood, features two different Magic Island Glides, Honolulu History & Culture, Sunset on Magic Island Glide, and the Kakaako Waterfront Park and & Pow Wow Mural Tour. Your families can also book a private Segway PT activity or event.