Heritage travel is the latest and greatest vacation trend

After two years of little or no travel, people continue to seek out opportunities for “more meaningful travel” – travel with a point, a deeper meaning. There was an amazing increase in polar travelfor example, presumably due to the ephemeral nature of certain landscapes such as Antarctica, and in volunteeringpresumably with the aim of reversing said transience.

But 2022 has also given way to another travel trend, albeit in the same vein. According to a report by TravelPulseheritage travel is also on the rise.

“[Heritage] travel is defined as a journey that brings someone closer to their roots,” Lacey Pfalz wrote at the outlet. “Whether it’s traveling to a country where a traveler’s grandparents or even parents were born and raised or traveling to a country a traveler knows little about but knows it’s where one’s ancestors came from, heritage travel is a deeply emotional experience that combines cultural immersion with a traveller’s own heritage.”

This is particularly relevant among Americans, as most are descendants of immigrants, but only 22% have taken a heritage trip to date. This is despite the fact that, according to a new study by Price line, one in three think it’s a ship for more meaningful voyages, and one in five consider it a to-do list item. Additionally, 60% expressed interest in traveling abroad to explore their heritage, while 60% planned to do so domestically.

And while travel agents are urged to educate themselves on the trend, several companies are already catering to those wishing to plan a heritage trip. Just last month, Airbnb announced that it would be in partnership with 23andme integrate heritage travel into their product experiences.

Should you take a heritage trip this year? Well – if that’s any indication – 49% of Americans said they felt a deeper connection to their roots as a direct result of taking one. It certainly stands to reason that coming home from a trip with a better understanding of their ancestry would leave that person feeling far more fulfilled than, for argument’s sake, a few strategically shot Instagrams.

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