Traveling is always very exciting as there are so many things you can learn and discover through your travels. One way you can add a new dimension to your travel is through ancestry travel.
Ancestry travel is a new and exciting way to travel as it helps you discover your family history. The ancestry travel trend has been driven partly by at-home DNA testing, people wanting to travel with meaning, and a new perspective on life. Ancestry travels helps you feel connected with the place you are traveling to and your ancestors.
Table of Contents
- Ancestry Travel As The New and Exciting Travel Trend
- Ancestry Travel Is International Travel With Meaning
- New Travel Perspective With Ancestry Travel
- Feel A Connection With Your Ancestors Through Ancestry Travel
- Related Questions
Ancestry Travel As The New and Exciting Travel Trend
If you’re ready to add a unique and exciting adventure to your next vacation, then an ancestry travel trip may be perfect. This latest trend in international tourism allows travelers to explore more than just their destination’s cultural and historical sites—it takes them on a journey of discovery as they explore their ancestry.
As DNA testing technology continues to provide travelers with more information about their family history, many are opting for these special trips that enable them to uncover and connect with parts of themselves they never knew existed. Whether it’s discovering ancestral links in Scotland or exploring Sweden – countless potential pursuits are waiting for adventurers who embark on this fascinating new travel trend.
We feel everyone should try to do ancestry travel at least once in their life. It will give their travel new meaning and perspectives.
Why Genealogy DNA Testing Is Important For Ancestry Travel
Testing at home to discover your ethnicity coninues to be extremely popular, with over 26 million people taking at-home DNA tests. A huge amount of people have all sent their DNA into a testing center to have it analyzed.
As the MIT Technology Review Magazine said in their article, More than 26 million people have taken an at-home ancestry test:
“The testing frenzy is creating two superpowers—Ancestry of Lehi, Utah, and 23andMe of Mountain View, California. These privately held companies now have some of the world’s largest collections of human DNA.
MIT Technology review
For consumers, the tests—which cost as little as $59—offer entertainment, clues to ancestry, and a chance of discovering family secrets, such as siblings you didn’t know about. But the consequences for privacy go well beyond that. As these databases grow, they have made it possible to trace the relationships between nearly all Americans, including those who never purchased a test.”
The two top at-home DNA testing companies are Ancestry and 23andMe. Not everyone taking these tests is actively searching for their long-lost ancestors, but many take the DNA test as the companies also test for potential health risks.
Some others take the DNA tests because they are curious as to where their ancestors came from or their ethnicity. No matter what your reason, it is enlightening to take the test.
My mother was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. My mother did not come to the United States until she was about 19 years old.
We always assumed that her family had lived in Sweden and that she was 100% Swedish. But a recent DNA test showed that even though she was from Sweden and her ancestors had lived there a long time, she was only 95% Swedish and had Finnish, Norwegian, and maybe even Russian or Estonian ancestors.
These are the kinds of things that your DNA testing can help you discover. To find out more about DNA Testing and your Genealogy, you can read our blog on Genealogy DNA Tests and Testing – Read This Before You Buy by clicking here.
Ancestry Travel Is International Travel With Meaning
Many people no longer want to visit the pyramids or the Great Wall of China. Instead, many people want their travel to have some meaning. They want to have a local experience of the place they visit.
Websites like Airbnb have become popular as they have offered people a chance to have real, local experiences in the places they visit. Whether it is staying with a family you do not know in Vietnam or staying in someone’s home with them on the beach in Hawaii. Many people want what they feel is a “real, local experience.”
People traveling to where their ancestors once lived and having a local experience has become such an important travel trend that the homestay powerhouse Airbnb has partnered with the at-home DNA company 23andMe to help facilitate ancestry travel.
In practical terms, this means that those who get a 23andMe DNA test can also see suggestions from Airbnb on where to stay when they visit their ancestor’s homeland. In announcing this joint marketing campaign, it was announced:
“…23andMe customers will soon be able to click through to their ancestral populations to find Airbnb Homes and Experiences located in their ancestral countries, and Airbnb now has dedicated pages that correspond with 23andMe’s genetic populations in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and West Asia, Central America and Mexico, South America, East, and South Asia, and the Caribbean and Europe.”
Venture beat
This new venture between the at-home DNA testing company of 23andMe is working with Airbnb shows that interest for people to travel to learn more about their ethnicity and ancestors will continue to rise.
If you are interested in the at-home 23andMe DNA test, you can click here to find out more.
New Travel Perspective With Ancestry Travel
Traveling to discover more about your ancestors is discovering who you are and where you came from. It is about learning about yourself while discovering your past and ancestors.
This kind of travel continues to be so crucial that the prestigious Conte Club has an entire section or type of travel tour called DNA travel. As part of their promotion, this is what they say about DNA Travel:
“The most personal journey in the world begins with your own DNA. A DNA Mapped journey is all about discovering your geographical origins and traveling to the places you are from. It is one of the most unique travel experiences in the world and brings a new perspective to even the most seasoned traveler.”
The Conte Club
Feel A Connection With Your Ancestors Through Ancestry Travel
When you travel to discover more about your ancestors, not only do you feel a unique connection to the place you are traveling to, but you also feel a connection to your ancestors. You walk down the streets they may have walked. See an old church they may have worshipped at or visit a town square they once walked through. All of this gives your travel a new meaning and perspective.
No longer are you just seeing the sites of the place you are traveling, but suddenly these sights now take on a new meaning. It is because your ancestors once lived where you are now traveling.
We love this quote by the author Michael Crichton:
“If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree. “
Michael Crichton
Traveling to where your ancestors once lived helps give your life new meaning as you discover all the branches of your family tree. You learn things about your ancestors and yourself as you make this amazing journey of discovery.
Most travel experts agree that ancestry travel is a trend that will continue to be important. As more people do at-home DNA testing, they will also want to walk the streets and areas their ancestors once lived.
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Related Questions
What DNA test should I consider getting?
There are many DNA tests on the market today. At-home DNA testing continues to rise in popularity. This is because we inherit our DNA from our parents and our ancestors. Genealogy genetic ancestry tests are beneficial in finding out more about our ethnic heritage, health traits, and ancestors. Most tests given are for Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and autosomal DNA. There are now 5 major DNA companies that are performing genealogical DNA testing.
To find out more about the top 5 tests that we recommend, you can read our blog Genealogy DNA Tests and Testing – Read This Before You Buy by clicking here.
Why is Discovering About My Ancestor’s Homeland so Important?
Research about your ancestor’s homeland is an essential part of any genealogical travel and is where most people start when they want to travel to discover their ancestors. You must do your research on your ancestor’s hometown before your travel to that location. If you are unsure where to look, consider getting a DNA test.
You can find out more by reading our blog Genealogy Travel: Why Knowing Your Ancestor’s Homeland Is Important by clicking here.
One response to “Why Ancestry Travel is The New and Exciting Travel Trend”
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