Have you been considering planning and going on a heritage tour to expand your family history experience and knowledge? Read on for expert tips from our partner at Norfolk Tours to make sure you don't go unprepared!
Tourism and travel have always been essential to the world economy, with tourism reaching record levels in 2023 worldwide. However, a new segment of the travel industry, heritage travel, is considered one of the fastest-growing segments in the industry, equating to a $171 billion annual spend, according to Forbes.
Heritage travel is also known as cultural or ancestral travel. It refers to a type of tourism where individuals explore and visit places with historical, cultural, or familial significance. The primary motivation for heritage travel is often to connect with one's roots, learn about one's ancestors, visit locations of particular importance to one's family history, and experience the cultural heritage of a specific region or community.
This form of travel can involve visiting ancestral homes, exploring historical landmarks, attending cultural events, and engaging in activities that help individuals connect with their heritage. Heritage travel helps people better understand their cultural background, traditions, and history, fostering a sense of identity and connection to the past.
Some common examples of heritage travel include:
- Ancestral Visits: Traveling to the birthplaces or ancestral homes of one's family members to explore family history and heritage.
- Cultural Festivals and Events: Participating in cultural festivals, ceremonies, or events that celebrate the traditions and customs of a particular community or region.
- Museum and Historical Site Visits: Exploring museums, historical sites, and heritage centers to learn more about a specific area's history and cultural contributions.
- Genealogical Tours: Conduct research into family genealogy and visiting locations associated with ancestors, such as graveyards, hometowns, or historical records.
- Language and Cooking Classes: Engaging in language courses or cooking classes to learn more about traditional languages and cuisines associated with one's heritage.
Heritage travel provides a meaningful way for individuals to connect with their roots, preserve cultural traditions, and create lasting memories tied to their personal and familial history.
Many of our clients continue their family history research by adding on a Heritage Tour Package. And now is the perfect time to start planning for a late fall or early spring or summer heritage tour to your ancestral lands.
Glynn, with Norfolk-Tours in England, shares his insider tips for planning the perfect heritage tour.
Step 1: Conduct as much research as possible before you go on your heritage tour
The first thing is to conduct as much research as possible before you go. The last thing you want to do is spend all day looking for something on your computer while you are away. You could have done that sitting in your living room on a winter's evening.
One of the most popular places to visit is always the Church where your ancestors worshipped, and if you want to go and look at a gravestone, check if the graveyard has been indexed already. There are many websites for gravestones, and locating the stone before you arrive will save you hours if not days. Some cemeteries are massive, and if you have no idea where a grave is, you may never find it, even if it is there. Just use a search engine and put in “find a grave,” “locating burial sites,” or “billion graves” and see the sites that come up, but don't just rely on those results.
If you know where your ancestors lived and died, contact that town or village's historical society and ask if the graveyards and cemeteries have been indexed. Email the organization that administers the cemetery, often the local council. Contact local libraries in the nearest towns and ask if they have any records or indexes.
In the UK, the County Record Office has many of the indexes. Many of these large libraries and record offices have their catalogues online. This is great research to complete before your trip.
Step 2: Conduct as much research as possible before you go on your heritage tour
The second thing to do is conduct as much research as possible before you go. Yes, that's number one and two!
As you will see above, there will be local history societies, history buffs, libraries, etc. When you make contact with these people and places, ask questions.
You may be looking for gravestones, but the people you contact may have a wealth of information. If they are passionate about their subject, they will love to share their passion with someone who shares their interest.
Remember, you have information they will also be pleased to add to their files. (As a local and family historian, I love to hear from people connected to my village or families from the area. They often fill in gaps in my information, and to find out what happened to someone I had “lost” is fantastic.)
Step 3: Conduct as much research as possible before you go on your heritage tour
The third thing to do is conduct as much research as possible before you go. Yes, I can't stress that enough.
The more you do before your feet hit the ground, the better. Plan, plan, and plan some more.
See if there is a bed & breakfast in the place you are going. Staying in the same place where your ancestors lived is fantastic and will give you more time to explore and wander.
Find out where you can park while you are visiting specific places.
Check to confirm if the Church will be open and, if not, who can help you arrange for access.
Look for the local pub or cafe, so you have somewhere to eat and for the other obvious comfort needs.
If you have contacted any local historians, try to arrange your trip so you can meet them and offer to take them out for an evening meal to have a good chat, but not during the day when you could be doing something outside.
Step 4: Come bearing gifts for your local experts
The fourth thing to do is take presents for your friendly local experts. (No, I don't mean a bottle of Whisky or a box of chocolates.)
Take a photocopy of the tree, which shows what happened to the person who left the place you are visiting. If you have any photographs, take copies of those too. If you have written a book about the ancestor, give a copy to the local library or record office and leave them all your contact details. You never know when another relation or like-minded person may turn up in the town, and you want to be able to be contacted if that happens!
When on vacation, DO NOT TAKE ORIGINALS of anything. Scans, copies, and even photographs on your phone if allowed, but not the originals. Baggage gets lost, and things get forgotten on buses or hotel rooms. Copies are cheap; originals are priceless.
Step 5: Take as many photographs as you can while onsite
The fifth thing is to carry out more research……………no, the fifth thing is to take as many photographs of everything as possible while you are there.
You may not get the chance to go back, but with today's cameras, you can download your pictures on your laptop ten times a day if needed. So take the photos, and when you get home, you can delete the twenty-seven pictures of the floor and keep the two of the grave which show the writing in the best light. (That's another thing. If you find the gravestone is illegible, if you are staying in the town, go at different times when the sun is in a different position. It could be easier to read.)
Start each bundle of photographs with a handwritten note of where you are and the date. On vacation, you will take thousands of pictures, and sorting them out afterward will be so much easier if the first picture has “Norwich St. Peter Mancroft Church start” and the last has “Norwich St. Peter Mancroft end” at the beginning and end of that batch of photos.
Other recommendations from Glynn while on your heritage tour:
Visit the actual house your ancestor lived in. I know that sounds impossible, but I have taken people to see their ancestors' homes on many occasions, and some have been able to go in and look around. It is all about research and preparation.
Visit the place where your ancestors worked. Many records will tell you where your ancestors worked, so why not visit those places if they still exist? If they do not, learn about what your ancestors did by visiting a local museum and asking about the trades they worked in. There are hundreds of museums in the UK, and they are all happy to help. Again, preparation and contacting these museums before you arrive will mean meeting the right people and looking at the right things.
Have a drink in the local pub where your ancestors lived. If they lived in a village, visit the local pubs that were operating when your ancestors lived there. Chat with the locals. (You could well be chatting with a cousin!)
“A warning, though: You may need tissues. I know from experience that being where your ancestors lived, worked, and died can be very emotional, and I know that I have done an excellent job when I make my guests cry, so be warned!,” said Glynn.
While planning a tour of your ancestral lands can be challenging, the experts at Legacy Tree Genealogists are here to assist. After purchasing a full-service research project, add a Heritage Tour Package, and you'll know all the important places to fit into your itinerary.
If you are planning a heritage tour to England, contact our partner, Glynn, at Norfolk Tours for a unique and individualized experience.
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