Heritage tourism: 5 countries help us reconnect with our roots

With the new data offered by DNA tests such as Ancestry and 23&Me, the “heritage tourism» has emerged as a popular trend. These tests provide estimates of origin of DNAallowing people to discover their possible roots and explore areas connected to their family origins, even if they don’t have direct knowledge of their lineage, according to the BBC.

The journey to discover roots is not only about searching for family roots, it is also a viable alternative to hypertourismespecially in Europe. The countries of the European Union, which see the highest frequencies of tourism (and hypertourism) in the world, encourage the promotion of heritage tourism. This type of tourism helps visitors discover smaller villages and less visited areas, boosting local economies and helping to reduce overcrowding in popular spots.

The travel agencies that specialize in heritage travel have grown significantly in recent years. In 2021, Kensington Tours partnered with Ancestry.com to create special heritage itineraries in countries such as Italy, Germany, Japan and Ghana, with the help of professional genealogists. These trips, which have gained in popularity since the end of the pandemic, offer a more in-depth analysis of areas that have historical and emotional significance for families.

The development of root-discovery tourism is not limited to European countries, which have promoted this practice for decades. Other countries around the world are also offering new and innovative ways to help travelers connect with their heritage and reconnect with their roots through tourism.

This new type of tourism appears to be a growing trend, encouraging families to reconnect through travel and strengthen their relationship with their cultural and family heritage.

Italy

In 2024, Italy celebrates “Year of Italian Roots in the World”, encouraging the Italian diaspora to reconnect with their roots. The Ministry of Tourism has created the Italea website to help visitors discover their family stories throughout Italy.

“Heritage travel has been the foundation of my business, making up more than 95% of our work”

Marino Cardelli, founder of the travel agency Experience BellaVita, notes that over 95% of the work focuses on heritage tourism, helping clients discover their Italian roots through genealogical services. Despite the difficulties in searching for family history due to migration and the ravages of war, Italy has records dating back to the 15th century that offer useful information about visitors’ heritage. Many Italians immigrated in the early 1900s and their original homes may have been destroyed during the World Wars.

Ghana: Main destination for heritage tourism

Ghana, which was a major transatlantic port slave tradehas for years welcomed members of the African diaspora to reconnect with their roots, with initiatives such as the Year of Return in 2019 and the Joseph Program in 2007. The rise of DNA testing has further fueled interest, allowing descendants of Africans to trace their origins in specific regions or ethnic groups.

As an important port during the slave trade, Ghana remains an important destination for heritage tourism. Historical sites such as Elmina Castlewhere slaves were held before being transported to America, are key stops for those exploring their heritage. Heritage tours, such as Kensington’s ‘Humanity’s Journey to the Door of No Return’, offer visits to these sites and meet experts to explore visitors’ stories, cultural roots and customs.

Scotland

More than 40 million people living around the world can claim some sort of Scottish ancestry, according to Visit Scotland, and as a result, millions of travelers return each year to reconnect with their roots. In particular, the 70% of visitors “long-haulers” (those from further afield such as Canada, the US, Australia and Asia) state that history and culture are the reason for their visit – and many who come report feeling “back home”. Scotland is also seeing a rise in story-based travel based on popular shows set in the country such as Outlander.

For travelers who know the names of some of their ancestors, the government website Scotland’s People offers files searchable by name and year. Others, who might just be starting out with a distinctive Scottish surname, can try researching their clan name. A small Leith-based business, Scots Clan, offers a comprehensive AZ list for each clan, with mottos, tartans and related people and places.

Covering more than 30 locations and 5,000 years of historys, the Explorer Pass offered by Historic Environment Scotland is a way to discover places that may be of family significance, such as Campbell Castle or even more ancient ancestors of the Prehistoric and Norse settlement of Jarlshof.

India

With the largest spread in the world, with approx 18 million people born in the country living abroad, India has good reason to attract its citizens and others of Indian origin back for a visit. More recently, the government launched the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a brand new tourist train specifically for those of Indian origin. You must be between the ages of 45 and 65 to qualify for the ride, which is scheduled to depart on January 9, 2025, a date chosen to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa to India in 1915.

Although the train has capacity of only 156 passengersthe three-week trip will cover important tourist and religious sites across the country, including Ayodhya, Patna, Gaya, Varanasi, Mahabalipuram, Rameshwaram, Madurai, Kochi, Goa, Ekta Nagar (Kevadia ), Ajmer, Pushkar and Agra. The government will cover most of the cost for those selected.

It is likely that this type of investment will continue as India focuses its tourism efforts on promoting cultural heritage. The country has already seen a post-pandemic boost, with a 46% increase in both incoming as well as in outbound tourism, according to Trevolution Group. Behind this trend, the report saw a big jump in Indian-Americans returning to the country to see friends and family, suggesting that travel to reconnect with roots will continue to be a driver of tourism growth for the country.

United States

Although the US and Canada both saw plenty of European immigration during their days as British colonies, the cost of that immigration to the natives has been too often brushed aside. Often forced far from their homelands, the natives had no choice but to live elsewhere. Today, some tourist offices have made significant efforts to welcome the descendants back, working with local indigenous leaders to preserve and share the important history with displaced descendants and other visitors to the area.

An example is the area that is now Macon, Georgia, which once there were 60 villages who made up the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. However, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forcibly relocated the Muscogee Nation to Oklahoma. However, the significance of the original historic site has never been lost, and the Visit Macon tourism office works in partnership with the Muscogee Nation to preserve historic sites such as Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, which is home to 17,000 years of indigenous history. Stakeholders have both pushed for the area to be designated a national park, and if granted, it would become one of the first parks in the country to be co-managed by an indigenous tribe.

Citizens from the Muscogee Nation have returned to their land not just as visitors, but active participants in building initiatives and celebrations for the city of Macon. The National Park Service regularly hires Muscogee (Creek) citizens and Nation members are given priority for available positions. In September 2024, the first signs sharing both the English and Creek names were unveiled, with 100 more slated to be placed in the downtown area in the coming months.