A Dozen Tips For Selling Heritage Travel, Part 1

Heritage travel is a growing and diversifying market. Where once it meant travelers of a certain ethnicity returning to the country from which their ancestors came, now it might include a bar mitzvah at a Mexico all-inclusive, a search for African roots in South America or a multi-generational Christmas cruise.

Here are 12 tips for growing your heritage travel business.

1. Find a niche
Ellen Paderson, owner of Smiles and Miles Travel, started to focus on the destination bar/bat mitzvah market 10 years ago and now has a large and growing clientele who celebrate the Jewish milestone all over the world. In fact, only about 1% of Paderson’s business involves bar mitzvahs in Israel because, she said, most people plan those trips on their own. 

Paderson had a destination wedding and honeymoon business when she saw a news clip about a bar mitzvah in St. Thomas “and a light bulb went off.” She found a technology expert who swept up multiple domains and key words related to destination bar mitzvahs for her, and was off and running. Today, any search for destination bar mitzvahs will usually show her at or near the top of the page. 

The destination chosen for the bar mitzvah is usually related to the family heritage in a specific country; or the fact that the destination – like St. Thomas which has a historic synagogue – has a strong Jewish history. Or, in the case of cruises, it’s simply a fun way to celebrate as a family. 

2. Know your destination and cultivate contacts
Destination knowledge is key, said Susan Weissberg, CEO of Wyllys Travel. “You can’t wing it. You need not only destination knowledge but the connections to make things happen. We have outside people who can help with ceremonies and so forth. We have been doing this for decades, so we have contacts at synagogues and churches.” 

Stephanie Schneiderman of Tia Stephanie Tours, which offers African heritage tours to a number of Latin American countries including Mexico, said, “There are growing segments of travelers, in the Baby Boomer demographic and Millennial segment, who are looking for much more from their travel experiences. They want to connect with people and through them connect to a place.”

Michaela Cox, an agent with tour operator Authentic Ireland, said, “Some clients do want to meet actual family members—or visit a graveyard or a church where their grandparents were married. We would be familiar with the local library system and the best places to go for public records. This can get very in-depth.”

3. Make the budget argument 
There are a number of selling points to having a bar mitzvah or other event abroad. First, it can actually be cheaper, as fewer people will attend than if it were held at home. Typically, friends and family pay for their own travel, though not always. Sometimes, said Paderson, clients will do the destination bar mitzvah, then just have a small party at home for their child’s friends.

4. Emphasize multi-generational relationships
Weissberg agrees that multi-generational travel is growing in this market because “travelers want meaningful experiences and want to share them with children and grandchildren. We combine the heritage and religious portions with sightseeing and make it a unique and fun experience, something that will stay with them. I had one customer whose bar mitzvah I arranged in Jerusalem; he came back and asked me to re-create that trip for his son. It was literally handed down from one generation to the next.”

Cox said it is not uncommon to have 15 or 16 family members traveling together, learning about family history and absorbing the culture.

5. Know the specific market  
If you’re going to specialize in a market, it’s ideal to have strong personal familiarity with it. But it’s not necessary to share an ethnic or racial background, as long as you do sufficient research. As Paderson said, “Destination bar mitzvahs are almost always for Jews of the Reformed wing of the religion. It’s important to know the differences within the religion.” 

6. Focus on customization
Heritage travel lends itself to customization. Said Cox, “Clients will have family from a particular area and we will ask them about where they are from and what they would like to see. Most of our staff is Irish and knows the country very well. Often it depends on the research the client already has done.”  

Weissberg noted that many Jewish travelers want to visit World War II sites like the Warsaw Ghetto or the former factory of Oscar Schindler, “but in one case we arranged for a visitor to Prague to meet with a Holocaust survivor from that area. It was fascinating to be with somebody who is living history. He not only told stories about his survival but had a positive outlook on moving forward with his life.”