Professional aunt, no kids: An unexplored segment of family tourism

Families are one of the most important markets for the tourism industry, yet research about family tourism is scant and, moreover, focuses on traditional nuclear families. Very few studies have embraced the diversity of family forms, which includes single parent, extended, same sex, or foster families, among others. The purpose of this study was to explore the travel and tourism potential of a new, growing, and lucrative market segment: the Professional Aunts with No Kids (PANK). This study found that PANKs represent an untapped tourism opportunity in family travel due to the strong bond between aunts and their nieces and nephews that extends to leisure activities, and travel and tourism.