Our ancestors’ stories are an integral part of who we are. Many are drawn to their ancestral homeland with the quest of discovering the details of the lives of those who came before them. If you are thinking about traveling out of the country, consider planning a heritage travel tour.
What is a Heritage Travel Tour?
A heritage, or ancestral, tour involves traveling to different locations to understand the history and culture associated with them. But they don’t just involve sightseeing.
A travel tour utilizes an itinerary based on where your ancestors were born and traveled during their lifetimes. These tours can bring you closer to your roots by visiting ancestral residences, uncovering family stories, locating or possibly connecting with living relatives, and learning more about your ancestors’ day-to-day lives. Even if you can’t pinpoint an exact place of residence for your ancestor, churches, schools, and places of work were all important parts of daily life. Visiting these places can be rewarding.
The article, The Importance of Cultural Heritage, stated it well: “Culture can give people a connection to certain social values, beliefs, religions, and customs…It can provide an automatic sense of unity and belonging within a group and allows us to better understand previous generations and the history of where we come from.”
International Travel Forecast: Make Your Plans Now
The international tourism scene is booming and the World Travel and Tourism Council says it will outpace the growth of the overall economy in the next 10 years, and it is anticipated that 2023 will be one of the biggest years for traveling than we have seen in years. At the same time, with inflation and other economic factors, global travel prices are predicted to continue to increase, according to the 2023 Global Business Travel Forecast.
This is why many tourists have already started making their travel plans for next year. People are planning well in advance, trying to get bargains for trips. “We have already seen that there is an increase in heritage tours being scheduled for 2023,” said Adam Zalewski, founder, and co-owner of genealogytour.com based in Poland.
Start with Heritage Travel Tour Planning
Visiting the places your ancestors knew is life-changing, and preparation for a successful heritage tour is key. To help you make the most of your heritage tour, Legacy Tree Genealogists can do preliminary research in immigrant destination countries so your travel will be personalized and meaningful.
With a team of professional genealogists all over the world, Legacy Tree has access to archives and repositories in more than 100 countries. Our genealogists speak and read a multitude of languages and have the skills and expertise necessary to discover the details of your ancestors’ stories and help you plan your heritage tour. View our sample Heritage Travel plan.
As the highest-rated genealogy research company in the world, you can count on us to bring the details of your ancestors’ journey to life. And when you decide to schedule that journey, our travel affiliate partners can ensure that your ancestry tour goes off without a hitch.
Travel Planning Experts
Genealogytour.com is an expert in Polish heritage and genealogy-related services, serving more than 10,000 customers for over 15 years. They organize heritage tours to present the country of your ancestors, as well as specific areas and towns, so you can (literally) follow in your ancestors’ footprints.
They can assist in visits to original homes where ancestors used to live, their graves, and very often, living relatives of their clients. Their tour guides are experienced in genealogy and knowledgeable about your ancestry before the tour begins.
“While preparing our itineraries, we try to show Poland as it looked when your ancestors used to live here, but in a modern way,” said Adam Zalewski, founder, and co-owner. “We believe that the tour is not just about seeing the country but about experiencing it, by meeting people, learning about the culture, and seeing what your ancestors’ everyday lives were like.”
My Bella Vita Travel was the first company to offer private heritage tours specific to Calabria, Italy. Their team has helped travelers rediscover their southern Italian roots over the last 16 years and has introduced hundreds of Americans, Canadians, and Australians of Italian descent to their Calabrian cousins.
Their team of bilingual Heritage Specialists has been trained and certified and understands the intricacies of navigating the often difficult and confusing land of Italian genealogy. They know how to negotiate with city officials and the various paths to locate tricky information.
CEO and founder Cherrye Moore said, “It's amazing to see our guests reconnect with their southern Italian roots and to help them find answers to long-asked questions. We understand the importance of this trip and are honored to be on this journey with them.”
At Morris Columbus Travel, travel specialists find and create the perfect trip for every traveler. Since 1958, they have built relationships with the world's top cruise lines, tour operators, safari outfitters, hotels, airlines, rail, car rentals, and more. Unlike the average travel booking website or an automated phone system, Morris Columbus Travel will take the time to get to know you and your family, making sure your vacation is perfectly tailored to your needs. They have more than 55 years of experience serving customers all over the United States.
“Agencies like ours that invest time and resources to train and expand the knowledge of our advisors offer a valuable tool in helping you plan your next getaway because an enjoyable vacation creates a lifetime of memories for you, your family, and friends,” said Brent Jenson, President. “Please contact one of our trained, knowledgeable travel consultants and give us a chance to show you what we do best – we make dreams come true!”
European Focus private tours are custom-designed trips led by a professional guide in any of the 18 countries in Europe where the company has more than 32 years of experience. James Derheim is your guide and the owner, ensuring the utmost dedication. He is with you from start to finish and works with you every step of the way to create your best possible experience. Before your trip, he scouts your ancestral town (when practical), to become familiar with what there is to see and do. Contacts are made in advance with pastors, archivists, and local historians. It’s a real escape, free from figuring out foreign maps, languages, and customs.
“Explore your ancestral town in a way that you never imagined was possible. Have the kinds of experiences that make all the documents you’ve collected come to life,” said James. “Half of the trips led each season between April and November are with return guests. I care about your happiness because, without it, I wouldn't have a business.”
Now is the Time to Begin Your Journey
Discovering your family history is an exciting and rewarding journey. To get the most out of your heritage tour, it’s important to prepare now and make a plan based on solid family research. Please contact us for a free estimate on research and we can also create your customized Heritage Travel Plan. Our genealogists have the skills and expertise to uncover the details of your ancestors’ stories and help you plan a meaningful heritage tour.
Hey
I was born in the Soviet Union, today it is Moldova.
My mother was born in Debrecen maybe. If I want to do a roots trip
I need to find her birth certificate first.
If she was really born in Hungary Debrecen should I plan?
A trip to both Hungary and Moldova?
Does the guide come with us? To Hungary and Moldova?
Or he can help tell where to visit and which archives can be obtained
the documents?
And in what language can he speak to us. I forgot to speak Russian…now I only speak
In Hebrew.
How much does it cost to hire a guide? And such a trip
Thank you
gila vilnai
Hello Gila, thank you for reaching out! Legacy Tree Genealogists can bring the details of your ancestors’ journey to life through genealogy research. However, when you are ready to schedule a tour or if you have questions about details and cost, please contact our travel affiliate partners linked in the article above. European Focus and Morris Columbus Travel offers tours around the world (most likely in the locations you are interested in).
do you have trips to Hungary
Hello Mary, thank you for reaching out! You can count on us to bring the details of your ancestors’ journey to life through genealogy research. However, when you are ready to schedule a tour (or if you have questions), please contact our travel affiliate partners linked in the article above. European Focus private tours offer trips to Europe and Morris Columbus Travel offers tours around the world.
Do you offer tours in Invergordon for people interested in their family history?
Hi, Julie! Thanks for reaching out. We do not offer tours, but if you need help with any of your research, you can schedule an appointment to see if you’d like to work with one of our expert genealogy researchers here.