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In a state such as Utah with perhaps the largest trove of genealogical research found anywhere in the world, it might make sense that a travel company would take advantage of that interest.
Ancestral Ventures is a new Beehive State travel agency founded by Chip Hughes that will specialize in leading tours to Great Britain and Colonial America designed to help travelers discover their roots.
"Nothing can compare with walking in the same streets, along the country roads, and through the farm fields your ancestors walked," Hughes told StateNewsWire. "In many cases, we can take you to the actual farms and houses your family lived in. Sometimes it's possible to meet distant relatives and talk about your common family connections. Travel is a wonderful way to gain an understanding that you can't get any other way."
The new company recently announced its first tours to Scotland, Wales and England. Part of its service includes helping travelers do research on where their ancestors might be found.
The company is also organizing trips to New England, where some of its clients have New England Puritan and Pilgrim roots dating back to the mid-1600s.
While many travelers are looking to relax by going on a cruise or to an all-inclusive resort, Hughes is hoping others are seeking more authentic adventures in places that may not see many tourists.
"People crave an experience with more soul than they can get from relaxation travel such as taking a cruise," said Hughes, who has been involved in family history and genealogy for more than 30 years. "This is not escapism travel. It's a real, authentic, lived experience. We provide personal enrichment through building a connection to each other and to our past."
For information, log on to http://www.ancestralventures.com.
Twitter: @tribtomwharton