Heritage travel grows in Italy driven by DNA testing

Heritage travel, the practice of visiting ancestral homelands, is experiencing significant growth in Italy. This trend is driven largely by the Italian diaspora from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with descendants from the Americas seeking to reconnect with the towns and cities of their ancestors.

Digital tools and DNA analysis have played a major role in this surge. According to MyHeritage, sales of genetic analysis kits in Italy have increased by 134 percent over the last five years. These tests reveal complex migratory histories, showing genetic links between Italians and various regions including Greece, Southern Italy, the Iberian Peninsula, Northern and Western Europe, North Africa, and the Balkans.

Institutional support is also rising, such as the national Italea program. Projections suggest that by 2026, the number of visitors interested in rediscovering their origins could reach 7.4 million.