Looking for Roots is Incentive for Boomers’ Travel Plans

Rather than lolling on the deck of a cruise ship to the Mediterranean, many are seeking trips that bring them back to the experiences of their ancestors. Labeled “genealogical tourism” in the industry, it suggests trips that include exploring the lands of our heritage.  Experiencing life in the small town in Eastern Europe where your family came from, reconnecting with extended family in Venezuela, hiking the paths that your grandfather must have walked in Ireland, taking an immersion Mandarin course in China – all of these are expeditions that tempt the new generation of vacationers.

“The movement away from escapism toward personal enrichment… is a baby boomer-influenced trend,” wrote the author of a study at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in “Genealogical tourism redefining leisure travel market.”   This photo depicts a European travel destination that Penny Besmond, from PenPalTravel gave me. Penny arranges travel plans for people who need extra help or extra confidence to travel.

 

This interest goes along with the need to create meaning for a generation that might have been yearning for something other than just material possessions and lavish trips. One way to do this is to connect oneself and one’s children with the past, to experience a sense of continuity among the generations.   Does this appeal to you? Have you taken a genealogical expedition? If so, how did it affect you?