As defined by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, heritage tourism is essentially traveling to experience the places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent people of the past. Through storytelling, authentic experiences and cultural tours, travelers can examine the life and times of their family’s history or modern lifestyles of the region they are originally from.
With the growing interest in delving into our backgrounds and genetic makeup with services like Ancestry.com
and 23andme, more families are discovering their heritage. This growing trend sparked curiosity in travelers, inspiring more individuals and families to visit the home country of their ancestors.
For those fortunate enough to have close family able to tell the tale of where their ancestors are from, discuss with them first and get the inside scoop on your family’s history. Take the test as back-up for any stories you may hear or if you’re unable to search that far back in family tree. The DNA test will lay out, in detail, where your genetic makeup comes from and from what regions of the world.
Old town of Matera. Photo: Sergiomonti | Dreamstime.com
Once you’ve discovered where the majority of your genetic makeup hails from, begin planning your heritage journey. This can be fun to do with siblings, the kids and a spouse, or even as a solo trip.
If you need some direction getting started, Heritage Tours, an expert tour company based in New York City, offers custom-built trips with private tours and itineraries just for you, your friends and family.
Enjoy bespoke travel experiences by the first tour operator of its kind. With limited offerings, choose from some of the most sought-after destinations in the world including Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Turkey and sub-Saharan Africa. African regions include Rwanda, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Swaziland, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
Explore the incredible trip offerings
showcasing your family’s unique background with truly extraordinary itineraries and experiences. Customize your trip based on your family’s needs, must-try interests and varied levels of mobility.
If your family’s original homeland isn’t listed, there are plenty of other tour options, like Tauck and TCS World Travel, to choose from operating all over the globe. Narrow down your destination and search for your own unique journey.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedHotels
Oct 28, 2026Get “Wrapped in The Moment” With Fairmont Hotels & Resorts This Holiday Season
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts properties across the globe go above and beyond this holiday season to make it the most memorable one yet for family travelers. Encouraging families to slow down, reconnect with one another and savor this joyous time of year, Fairmont presents “Wrapped in the Moment.”
Sponsored Content
GET TO KNOW TAP FORBIZ
Unlock flexible, refined business travel with TAP Air Portugal’s program, TAP FORBIZ. Developed for small, medium and large Companies, with options for corporate events, TAP FORBIZ offers exclusive advantages adapted to each type of business.
Destinations / North America
Oct 28, 2026A Quick Guide on Visiting Arches National Park with Family
Arches National Park in southern Utah is an experience in nature like few others. Dramatic red cliffs tower above a desert landscape studded by fantastic rock formations. You can drive, hike or amble among them; each new perspective begs for a photo. Kids love this unreal landscape, which seems the setting for an epic fantasy movie.
Destinations / North America
Oct 28, 2026Lights, Eagles and Skiing Await in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, This Winter
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, may be most family travelers’ idea of a summer destination, but come winter, this North Idaho spot transforms into something entirely different. Think more than one million holiday lights reflected across the water, mountains topped with snow for skiing, and migrating bald eagles along the shoreline and on mountainsides.
Sponsored Content
Celebrating 25 Years of The Peninsula Chicago
June marked The Peninsula Chicago’s 25th anniversary, commemorating a quarter century for the hotel as a pillar of luxury on North Michigan Avenue.
Destinations / Europe
Oct 27, 2026This German Region is a Can’t-Miss for Autmn
Germany is an obvious choice if you want to visit the country’s world-famous Christmas markets. But if you haven’t considered it for a fall travel destination, you are missing out on some pretty amazing experiences to share with your family. The only problem is, how do you choose which region to visit? We’ll help narrow it down for you: Bavaria is a can’t-miss region.
ShareThis