EXPLORE YOUR ROOTS ON A HERITAGE TRIP

With some research and preparation, you can design a meaningful tour of your family's ancestral home.

- BY LAURA PETRECCA

MOVE over, Eiffel Tower. Step aside, Sistine Chapel. Instead of heading to well-known tourist destinations, many travelers are exploring tiny towns and remote villages in a bid to connect with their ancestral roots.

It's all part of a trend known as heritage travel, or ancestry tourism. Folks go to their homelands to see sights their forebears saw, taste foods that inspired family recipes, and possibly add a few branches to the family tree through connections made on the ground.

The heritage travel boom is partly fueled by advances in technology and genetics that make it easier than ever to trace your roots. Digitized records and online genealogical research sites offer extensive information, while the mass availability of at-home DNA testing kits lets just about anyone delve into their background.

At the same time, people are readily sharing their family trees on social media sites such as Facebook with the hope of finding long-lost relatives. They're also tuning into popular ancestry-related programs such as PBS's Finding Your Roots, which traces the background of celebrity guests.

And there’s one more major factor stoking interest. In our increasingly virtual world, people are seeking authentic connections—including a connection to those who came before us, says Jackie Hogan, author of the book Roots Quest: Inside America’s Genealogy Boom. “Genealogical tourism provides a sense of belonging,” she says. “It gives us the feeling that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.”

Interested in traveling to your ancestral home? Use our guide to create a successful journey.

DO SOME SLEUTHING