Americans tourists are embracing ‘roots travel’ trend when picking vacation destinations

Americans are factoring in their ancestry while booking their vacations, with many digging into their family trees.  

The travel trend known as “roots travel” is picking up momentum and increasing the number of tourist visits to European countries, according to experts. 

Kristin Petersen, travel adviser for Travelmation, told Fox News Digital, “There’s something really beautiful about feeling directly connected to a place you have never been, but you know the whispers of your past are still there.”

In Scotland, at least 40 million travelers from across the globe visited to “lay claim to Scottish ancestry,” according to Visit Scotland, the country’s official tourism site. 

“The explosion in DNA-based ancestry … [has] brought Scots ancestry to the fore like never before,” the site says.

Petersen said that after doing extensive heritage research, her own family embarked on a trip to Scotland.

“It is certainly something we will never forget, and we are so grateful it will now be passed down to the next generation through our children,” she said.

Petersen said a highlight of her trip was finding the location where her husband’s great, great, great-grandparents were married.

“Many ancestral visitors report that the minute they set foot on Scottish soil, they feel a real emotional connection. They feel a sense of ‘belonging’ or even a feeling of ‘coming home,” according to Visit Scotland.

Italy declared 2024 the “Year of Italian Roots in the World,” drawing visitors of Italian descent. 

“By working side by side with those who are committed to their local area that it is possible to best promote Italian excellence and strengthen ties with our compatriots around the world,” said Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani in a statement at the time. 

“Over 80 million people share a strong bond with Italy, as well as with the places of origin of their ancestors,” Tajani added.

The 2020 Census found that English was the most common race or ethnicity. 

Those who identified as White alone or in combination, English (46.6 million), German (45 million), and Irish (38.6 million) were the largest groups.

Lebanese, Iranian and Egyptian populations represented nearly half of the 3.5 million who reported Middle Eastern and North African descent, according to the 2020 Census. 

Adam Duckworth, president and founder of Travelmation, told Fox News Digital he has more clients looking to plan their roots travel.

“This trend has grown in the past few years, with people booking these kinds of vacations in a variety of ways,” he said.

“Some clients come to us with years of research, and they want to spend weeks overseas totally devoted to their family history.”

Duckworth said roots travelers will hire local drivers and guides who know the area well to help them locate destinations unique to their personal stories.  

He says this form of travel is more common among older generations.

“They have the time to research the past, and they are growing attached to what they are learning.”

He added, “They also have the finances to support a trip like this, and they often invite other family members to join them.”