Finding your roots: More Aussies travelling to discover their ancestry

The desire to find and connect with our ancestry roots is the latest travel trend Australians being embraced by Aussies.

According to a new report by Airbnb, 58 per cent of Australians have travelled to at least one country of their ancestry, driven mostly by older people aged 60 to 90 years.

Meanwhile, 70 per cent of Australians would consider travelling outside the country to better understand the history of their roots.

The study also found that 62 per cent would like to take a test to determine their heritage and 56 per cent would give up alcohol for a year in exchange for a fully-funded trip to a place of ancestry.

The rise of heritage travel is also prevalent on Airbnb — since 2014, the number of holiday-makers using the platform to trace their roots has increased by 500 per cent.

The tech giant is now teaming up with personal genomics and biotechnology company 23andMe to make the process so much easier. Customers will now be able to click through to their ancestral populations and find Airbnb homes and experience in their native countries.

“At Airbnb, we believe that authentic travel experiences help you connect with local cultures and create a sense of belonging anywhere in the world — and what better way to do that than travelling to your roots,” Sam McDonagh, country manager at Airbnb, said.

“We’re proud to team up with 23andMe, global leaders in genetic testing, to help Aussies learn more about their genes and ancestry and make it easier for travellers to plan trips that are as unique as their DNA.” 

Have you travelled to a country of your ancestry?