| The "baby boomer" generation is in some ways | | | | ancestral residence area in Ohio, viewed the |
| redefining travel. Increasingly, members of this | | | | countryside, and looked up documents in the local |
| population are finding international travel and | | | | genealogical society libraries that had references |
| specialty niche traveling to be both enjoyable and | | | | to and stories about some of my ancestors. So I |
| educational. One of these growing areas of | | | | guess without even knowing it, I was part of the |
| tourism is genealogical tourism, which includes both | | | | early development of genealogical tourism. It is |
| domestic and international tours. | | | | such visits that add to a person's psychological |
| As an amateur genealogist of more than forty | | | | connection with his or her past. |
| years I can well understand the phenomenon. | | | | Tourist agencies are now capitalizing on this |
| Amateurs usually begin their initial interest in | | | | interest by planning itineraries that incorporate |
| genealogy and family history for a specific reason. | | | | genealogical research into the genealogist's travel |
| They may just be interested in a specific | | | | plans. Numerous tour groups are put together |
| "colorful" ancestor they have heard of, or may | | | | each year to visit the ancestral homes of |
| think they descend from royalty. Whatever the | | | | Surname groups. My own Ross surname |
| reason, they have developed a "why" that leads | | | | originated in the northern part of Scotland, and |
| them to want to know "how". | | | | although I have not participated yet, I am aware |
| Over time they develop the desire to not only | | | | of numerous tour groups that have been planned |
| know about their ancestors, but to visit the | | | | for members who share the Ross surname. |
| locales in which they resided. This desire for a | | | | Likewise, numerous genealogical societies are |
| connection with their past drives them to finally | | | | offering their members the opportunity to do |
| plan the trips that establishes contact | | | | research while visiting major genealogical |
| geographically with their history. | | | | repositories of information. The Mormons have |
| I grew up in North Georgia, but my paternal | | | | developed what is probably the most |
| ancestors had come from the southeastern area | | | | comprehensive collection of genealogical records in |
| of Ohio to Alabama and Georgia after six or | | | | existence. These records, housed in Salt Lake |
| seven generations there. I later found out through | | | | City, Utah, form the basis for numerous |
| further research and gathering information from | | | | genealogical tourism events in the city. |
| local periodicals that they had also spent five to | | | | This developing phenomenon is beneficial both to |
| six years living in Indiana before making the final | | | | the tourist and the tourism industry. The tourism |
| move by horse and buggy to the South. To find | | | | industry has a new niche in which to specialize, |
| out that this Southerner was part Northerner was | | | | and as they develop this specialization, they |
| a shocker. We had relatives fighting on both sides | | | | provide the opportunity for more genealogists to |
| of the civil war. This was part of my | | | | geographically connect with their past. It is a |
| enlightenment. | | | | win-win situation. |
| Over two decades ago, I made a trip to their | | | | |
