For many, taking a vacation is all about escaping the real world. Others use their getaway to venture out and find themselves. For some, however, a vacation is all about connecting with family, even family they've never met.
In fact, with the dramatic increase in interest in fully fleshing out the family tree at sites like Ancestry.com, it's not surprising that heritage tourism is booming.
"So many of our customers travel to connect with their heritage," said David Henry, VP of Marketing at Go Ahead Tours and Ancestry.
To that end, Go Ahead Tours has announced a new partnership with Ancestry.com, which includes a number of new tours designed to aid travelers in exploring their personal histories. The first trips, now available for booking for 2018, include itineraries to Ireland, Italy and Germany. Other destinations are expected to be rolled out early next year.
The tours start by submitting a DNA sample to Ancestry.com via the AncestryDNA kit. Once submitted, the DNA sample can "estimate your origins in up to 26 ethnic regions," according to the AncestryDNA website. Participants are emailed results, which will help them build their family tree. They'll also receive a pre-trip family history review with an expert from AncestryProGenealogists.
"Personal genealogy is so important, and certainly means different things to different people," said Kyle Betit, Senior Genealogist and Travel Program Manager at AncestryProGenealogists. "We believe that these trips will give people the opportunity to trace their roots on a deeper level and maybe even discover something new or exciting about their own ancestors."
[READMORE]READ MORE: Is Heritage Travel the Next Big Thing?[/READMORE]
The specially crafted trips are guided by a local tour director as well as an Ancestry Genealogist, who will help bring a personal perspective to each destination by providing historical context. The genealogist will also advise travelers on how to keep learning about their family history once they get back home.
"These trips will help our customers explore their family story with even greater insight and visit the places where their ancestors once walked," said Henry.
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